Editorial: Conservation of Bio- and Geo-Diversity and Landscape Changes II

1. Introduction

According to the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity adopted in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, biological diversity is a crucial concept directing public policies governing socioeconomic development in most countries that are part of the convention towards a more responsible environmental attitude [1]. Biodiversity (and also geo- and eco-diversity) are equated by some studies to the essential ecological infrastructure of Earth [2]. The Rio convention includes provisions for tackling biodiversity conservation, and ensuring that socioeconomic development does not have an effect on biodiversity in the future [3]. Land cover and use changes are part of the “global changes” [4], and thus a significant menace to biological diversity. This Special Issue is the second to analyze the association of the two and the drivers able to affect it, including the means to control their impact.

The submissions received in response to our call for papers explore the intersection of environmental conservation, digital innovation, and regional resilience through data-driven spatial analysis.

2. Synopsis of Contributions

The 13 articles accepted and included in this collection explore the complex intersection of environmental conservation, land use management, and the impacts of urbanization across various geographic and ecological contexts. While the studies vary in their specific subjects, ranging from alpine erosion to smart farming in Greece, they converge on several major common themes, i.e., anthropogenic pressure and landscape transformation; assessment and management of ecosystem services and resilience; spatial planning and governance challenges; and technological and methodological innovation in environmental monitoring.

2.1. Anthropogenic Pressure and Landscape Transformation

A recurring theme is the significant role human activities play in reshaping natural landscapes. This includes urbanization and investment pressure in Poland and Romania [5], the geomorphological impact of ski run maintenance and snow grooming in the Tatra Mountains [6], and the effects of coastal urbanization on sandy beach ecosystems in South Korea [7]. The sources also highlight land abandonment in Mediterranean mountainous areas, leading to forest expansion at the expense of open habitats [8].

2.2. Assessment and Management of Ecosystem Services and Resilience

Several studies focus on quantifying and protecting the benefits provided by nature. This involves identifying conservation priority areas by integrating biodiversity and ES data [9], evaluating the bioclimatic ecosystem resilience of European countries [10], and assessing cultural and regulating ecosystem services in urban natural parks [11].

2.3. Spatial Planning and Governance Challenges

The efficacy of spatial planning systems in protecting natural areas is a critical concern. The sources identify procedural and legal barriers in Central and Eastern European planning systems [12] and emphasize the need for integrated, national-level legal protection to shield urban natural areas from real estate development [5].

2.4. Technological and Methodological Innovation in Environmental Monitoring

The studies contribute new methodologies for analysis, such as using succolarity and fractal analysis to measure terrain accessibility [13], employing pollution indices and GIS to map toxic element distribution in soils [14], and utilizing Smart Farming Technologies (SFTs) as a driver for regional economic transformation [15].

3. Individual Contribution of Each Study

The study by Legutko-Kobus et al. [5] provides a comparative perspective on protecting urban natural values against investment pressure in Romania and Poland, arguing for better integration of planning and environmental protection to counter aggressive real estate expansion.

The study by Piatek and Krzemień [6] provides the first quantitative assessment of erosion specifically caused by snow grooming, comparing it to natural landforms, highlighting how constant anthropogenic factors systematically disrupt natural ecological succession in protected alpine environments.

The study by Huang et al. [7] validates the sand bubbler crab (Scopimera globosa) as an effective bioindicator for assessing beach urbanization and terrestrial quality, linking coastal intertidal health to anthropogenic activities and land surface temperature (LST).

The study by Chontos et al. [8] quantifies the acceleration of secondary succession following land abandonment in mountainous Mediterranean landscapes, identifying land abandonment as a major driver of landscape homogenization and biodiversity threat.

The study by Chen et al. [9] develops an integrated model (MaxEnt–Zonation–InVEST–MSPA) to determine spatial patterns of CPAs in river basins, supporting the need for systematic conservation planning to optimize the layout of protected areas.

The study by Georgescu and Băncescu [10] uses the bioclimatic ecosystem resilience index (BER) to identify forest land share as a primary driver of ecological stability across Europe, demonstrating how land use and water stress act as critical determinants of an ecosystem’s capacity to adapt to climate change.

The study by Barbulescu et al. [11] demonstrates how participatory surveys and spatial mapping reveal ES demand and governance challenges in spontaneously restored urban wetlands, highlighting the multifunctional value of urban nature and its role in human well-being.

The study by Nowak et al. [12] synthesizes the legal and practical roles of local spatial plans across 11 CEE countries, identifying common systemic weaknesses, revealing that universally binding legal plans often generate procedural barriers that impede effective spatial management.

The study by Peptenatu et al. [13] introduces succolarity as a fractal-based measure to quantify how topography and vegetation jointly constrain terrain accessibility, providing a reproducible tool for infrastructure planning and sustainable land management in undeveloped areas.

The study by Moldovan et al. [14] integrates pollution indices with GIS to identify localized PTE contamination in rural soils, even in areas with low industrial influence, identifying specific regional vulnerabilities where human actions combine with natural factors to cause soil degradation.

The study by Koutridi et al. [15] revisits regional economic theories to analyze how digital transformation (Smart Farming) shifts the traditional balance of rural economies, forecasting the growth of smart farming as an “early market” stage that requires improved accessibility and economies of scale.

The study by Cristea et al. [16] proposes an integrative method for assessing and mitigating the impact of anthropogenic traffic noise on wildlife in urban parks, addressing the impact of “anthropophony” on biodiversity and provides practical soundscape design solutions.

The study by Istrate et al. [17] employs diachronic cartography to map 230 years of forest landscape changes, revealing the deep impact of socio-economic shifts on wilderness, showing how historical land use continues to influence current ecosystem dynamics and the efficacy of protection regimes.

4. Conclusions

The articles included in this collection collectively examine the profound influence of human activity on landscape morphology and ecological stability, identifying how anthropogenic pressures like snow grooming, coastal urbanization, and land abandonment reshape natural processes and disrupt ecological succession. Findings across these studies indicate that while forest expansion generally increases bioclimatic resilience, factors such as water stress and intensive urbanization act as critical degraders of ecosystem services and biodiversity. These works contribute significant methodological innovations to the field, including the application of succolarity to quantify terrain permeability, the use of sand bubbler crabs as bioindicators of terrestrial quality, and the integration of GIS with pollution indices to identify toxic hotspots in rural soils. Furthermore, research into spatial planning across Central and Eastern Europe reveals pervasive legal and procedural barriers that necessitate national-level protection to safeguard urban natural areas from aggressive investment pressure. Ultimately, the studies underscore how digital transformations through smart farming and participatory mapping of ecosystem services are essential for fostering regional economic growth while maintaining long-term environmental sustainability and resilience in rapidly changing environments.