Sustainable Application of Ecosystem Services and Landscape Ecology

Dear Colleagues,

The sustainable use of ecosystem services and integration of landscape ecology principles are fundamental to addressing today’s complex environmental challenges. Ecosystem services—the benefits that humans derive from nature—are increasingly threatened by habitat loss, land-use change, pollution, and climate change. At the same time, landscape ecology offers essential tools to understand spatial patterns and processes, supporting the development of sustainable solutions across terrestrial, freshwater, and marine environments.

To secure these services for future generations, it is crucial to advance the application of ecosystem services and landscape ecology in the planning, management, and restoration of natural and human-modified ecosystems. Nature-based solutions and ecological restoration techniques are crucial for enhancing ecosystem resilience, biodiversity conservation, climate change mitigation and adaptation, and sustainable resource use.

This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, case studies, systematic reviews, and novel insights that address (but are not limited to) the following topics:

• The integration of ecosystem services in landscape planning and management;
• The application of nature-based solutions in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems;
• Ecological restoration techniques for degraded habitats;
• Landscape connectivity and ecological networks for biodiversity conservation;
• Ecosystem services assessment, valuation, and mapping;
• Adaptive management strategies under climate change scenarios;
• Urban green infrastructure and sustainable urban landscapes;
• The sustainable management of agricultural, forest, coastal, and riparian landscapes;
• Blue-green infrastructure for integrated water and landscape management;
• Water efficiency and sustainable urban water management as part of the governance of ecosystem services;
• Socio-ecological approaches to ecosystem service governance;
• Innovative tools and models for ecosystem service evaluation;
• Other relevant topics pertaining to the scope of this Special Issue.

Dr. Ana Maria Antão Geraldes
Prof. Dr. Maria Cristina Crispim
Guest Editors

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