Announcements

Academic editors play a crucial role in leading our journals and ensuring that each article undergoes a robust and timely peer-review. With the launch of Topics this year and addition of Topic Editors to our family of academic editors, we decided it would be a good time to restructure our academic boards, thus providing more clarity and support for each role. MDPI is pleased to announce the launch of a new position—Topical Advisory Panel Member, that will replace the previous position of Topics Board Member. The Topical Advisory Panel will be comprised of early career researchers eager to gain experience in editorial work.

The main responsibility of the new members of the Topical Advisory Panel is to regularly provide support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. The responsibilities of the Topical Advisory Panel are available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.

Each year, the members’ performances are evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must:

• Have expertise and experience in the field related to the journal;
• Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
• Have at least 6-8 published papers in the last 5 years as first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this role, please contact the editorial office by email.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Founded in 1996, MDPI was one of the first fully Open Access publisher. Over 25 years MDPI has grown to become the largest Open Access publisher globally, publishing over 160,000 articles across more than 350 journals in 2020. At the core, MDPI was founded in response to a pressing need of fast publication and inclusion. The scholar was set at the centre of the publication process for the first time. Acting as a service provider, rather than a product provider, MDPI exists to help scientists achive their objective to disseminate research results. At MDPI, we believe scientists deserve a better service from the publishing world.

The International Open Access Week (Open Access Week), founded by the SPARC (the Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition) Alliance and student partners in 2008, has been successfully running for 13 years. As an advocate and pioneer of open access publishing, MDPI actively responds to the call of International Open Access Week. This year’s theme of “It Matters How We Open Knowledge: Building Structural Equity” highlights the Recommendation’s call for equitable participation from all authors and readers.

For the last 25 years, MDPI has been committed to disseminating open research. Here is a video showing MDPI’s Commitment to Equity, Inclusion and Diversity for More than 25 Years.

International Open Access Week is an important opportunity to catalyze new conversations, create connections across and between communities that can facilitate this co-design, and advance progress in the building of more equitable foundations for opening knowledge—discussions and actions that need to be continued, year in and year out. MDPI has always aimed to provide professional and efficient publishing services to scholars around the world.

Our mission is to make scientific research accessible to everyone; this year, we interview and hold discussions with open science ambassadors on how to build an equal and inclusive environment for open science. Academic editors help us collaborate with more institutions to advocate for open access ideas.

Read our anniversary blog post: "Sharing 'Collective Human Knowledge': The Benefits of Open Access Publication"

Besides this, our scientific community is a key driver of our success and MDPI’s remarkable growth. Despite the pandemic, we have prepared online conferences and workshops to gather scholars from different communities.

The Basel Sustainable Publishing online forum provides an equal opportunity for stakeholders and researchers from multi-cultural environments to exchange ideas and eliminate barriers to participation.

Conference date: 25 October 2021, online
Conference website: https://bspf2021.sciforum.net/
Main topics: MDPI discusses the current dilemma of open access science from various perspectives such as governments, libraries, and publishers, and related measures on how to change the status quo of discrimination from a global perspective.

We aim to support equality, inclusion, diversity, and accessibility in scholarly communications. We collaborate with universities and key laboratories and have scholarly communications with researchers, teachers, and students on open access workshops.

• 25 October 2021
  Energies journal and Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

• 28 October 2021
  Machines journal and State Key Laboratory of Traction Power, Southwest Jiaotong University

• 29 October 2021
  Processes journal and Beijing Institute of Technology

• 29 October 2021
  Coatings journal and Wuhan University of Technology

MDPI is committed to providing open access and high-quality publishing services for scholars and promoting rapid dissemination of academic achievements. We hope to promote the practices and policies of open access publishing and diversify the dissemination of academic achievements.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio as Editor-in-Chief of the “Forest Operations and Engineering” Section of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907), as of September 2021.

Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio obtained a Forest Sciences degree and a Ph.D. in Forest Mechanization at Tuscia University, Viterbo. He began his career in 2004, working as a university researcher until 2014. Since then, he has been an Associate Professor in Forest Logging and Wood Technologies and led the Forest Utilization Research Work Group at Tuscia University (DAFNE). From 2015 to 2017, he served as the president of Conservation and Restoration of the Forest Environment and Soil Defense, a Master’s program at Tuscia University (DAFNE). Since 2018, he has served on the board of Tuscia University’s Ph.D. programs, including Science and Technologies for Forest and Environmental Management (2005–2013) and Engineering for Energy and Environment. His fields of expertise include forest operation engineering, forest logging, forest mechanization, precision forestry, wood technologies, and the environmental impacts of wood harvesting operations. He is also on the editorial boards of international scientific journals covering forestry and forest engineering subjects. He continues to be a participant in cost, life, horizon, and international cooperation projects, coordinating several EAFRD-funded rural development programs (RDPs). Furthermore, he has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in international journals indexed by WoS and Scopus, 30 technical books, and over 200 papers in technical journals. He is also a member of the scientific Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology. At Tuscia University, he teaches a variety of modules, including Forest Operations, Planning and Management of Forest Yards, Reduced Impact Logging, and Research Application on Forest Logging.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as its Section Editor-in-Chief?

The Forests journal in these recent years has achieved significant levels of interest among forestry and environmental scientists, as demonstrated by the high bibliometric indices obtained. However, there was a gap related to the important Section "Forest Operations and Engineering (FOsE)". As an expert in the field, I noticed how it was necessary to provide specific skills on FOsE within the Editorial Board in order to improve the level of research published directly from the journal.

For these reasons, I accepted the opportunity to serve as an Editor-in-Chief. This is a great honor for me and, together with our outstanding Editorial Board members, I am looking forward to shaping the future of this journal to cater effectively and efficiently to our science community.

2. What is your vision for the journal?

To make Forests a leading open access journal platform for the publication of high-quality and high-impact research papers from all areas of forest sciences.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?

The field of forest sciences is highly interdisciplinary and complex. Big data, artificial intelligence, and precision forestry will be the leading power tools to reshape the field of forest sciences in the coming years. However, researchers are at the forefront of addressing sustainability, management, as well as the conservation of forests. These objectives are not only achievable with new technologies but with the widespread transfer of knowledge on a global level.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?

Open access has permitted or is better at permitting, the widespread transfer of knowledge on a global level.

The editorial team warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio as Editor-in-Chief of the “Forest Operations and Engineering” Section and looks forward to his contribution to the continued success of Forests.

For further information on the journal sections, please click here.

Forests (ISSN 1999-4907) is launching a Topical Advisory Panel Member position. This role primarily involves the provision of regular support to Guest Editors, Topic Editors, and Section Board Members. A more comprehensive list of the Topical Advisory Panel’s responsibilities is available here: https://www.mdpi.com/editors.

Forests, a peer-reviewed, open access journal of forestry and forest ecology, is published monthly online by MDPI. The distinguished editorial board and refereeing process ensures the highest degree of scientific rigor and review of all published articles, typically consisting of original research articles and timely reviews. We aim to promote the recognition of Forests as one of the foremost publication outlets for its high-quality, cutting-edge research in this broad and diverse field, all available to readers with unlimited free access. More information on the journal can be found at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/about.

Each year, the performance of each member will be evaluated. Outstanding members will be promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, it is required that applicants:

• Have expertise and experience in a field related to the journal;
• Have received a Ph.D. in the last 10 years, approximately;
• Have at least 6–8 published papers in the last 5 years as a first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or a government institute.

If you are interested in this role or have any recommendations, please feel free to contact us (forests@mdpi.com).

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

Rigorous peer-review is the cornerstone of high-quality academic publishing. Over 369,916 scholars served as reviewers for MDPI journals in 2020. We are extremely appreciative of all those who made a contribution to the editorial process in this capacity. At the beginning of every year, journal editorial offices publish a list of all reviewers’ names to express our gratitude. In addition, this year, the MDPI Top Reviewer Award was announced, to recognize the very best reviewers for their expertise and dedication, and their high-quality, and timely review reports. We are pleased to announce the following winners of the 2020 MDPI Top Reviewer Award:

• Adriana Burlea-Schiopoiu;
• Alban Kuriqi;
• Álvaro González-Vila;
• Alessandro Alaimo;
• Alexey Beskopylny;
• Alexander Yu Churyumov;
• Alberto Fernández-Isabel;
• Andrea Mastinu;
• Antonios N. Papadopoulos;
• Anton Rassõlkin;
• Antonio Humberto Hamad Minervino;
• Arkadiusz Matwijczuk;
• Artur Słomka;
• Baojie He;
• Bartłomiej Potaniec;
• Bojan Đurin;
• Camilo Arturo Rodriguez Diaz;
• Carmelo Maria Musarella;
• Chiachung Chen;
• Chiman Kwan;
• Cristian Busu;
• Danil Pimenov;
• Dan-Cristian Dabija;
• Delfín Ortega-Sánchez;
• Demetrio Antonio Zema;
• Denis Butusov;
• Elena Lucchi;
• Gaurab Dutta;
• Livia Anastasiu;
• M. R. Safaei.

For more information about how to become a reviewer of MDPI journals, please see: www.mdpi.com/reviewers.

UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are the blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all. In 2020 the SDG Publishers Compact was launched, aimed to inspire publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the 17 goals by 2030. Members of the programme are committed to support the publication of materials that will promote and inspire actions towards SDGs.

MDPI is an eager advocate of SDGs and has already been supporting the programme by creating Special Issues and publishing a series of books on SDGs prior to joining the Compact in 2021. MDPI's Sustainability Foundation initiated the World Sustainability Awards in 2016. We fully support UN's goals to promote sustainable actions that make the world a better place for all and, as part of its commitment, we will focus our actions on SDG10: Reduced Inequalities whilst promoting all 17 SDGs. For more details, please visit the programme’s website: https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sdg-publishers-compact/.

Joining this initiative was a unanimous decision. MDPI has in its core values the dissemination of science for all, breaking the wall between research access and under-represented members of the scientific community and the general population. To support this initiative further and continue to support under-represented scientists, MDPI will take a series of actions that will be announced once ready.

The first action MDPI takes is to nominate Dr. Liliane Auwerter as the coordinator of the programme. Dr. Auwerter studied Environmental Process Technology (UTFPR, Brazil), obtained her MSc degree in Water and Environmental Engineering (University of Surrey, UK) and in 2020 completed her PhD in self-healing low-friction materials for water transport (Imperial College London, UK), always focusing on diverse scientific projects that would potentially bring sustainability to industrial processes. As a student in Brazil, she engaged in volunteering activities focused on environmental education and took part in the Millennial Development Goals meetings held at the university.

For more information, please contact:
Dr. Liliane Auwerter
Scientific Officer
liliane.auwerter@mdpi.com

We are pleased to announce the launch of a new Section, “Forest Operations and Engineering”, to provide a specific venue for this field of research in Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907), led by Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio (Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Tuscia, Italy). One of the main aims of this section is to promote knowledge for future relations between forest logging, environmental protection and management of forests, in order to provide timber at reasonable costs, and other ecosystem services, such as recreation and conservation, as well as biodiversity. Forest operations are of particular interest, but delicate issues must be analyzed and evaluated in order to create real sustainability.

Authors are invited to contribute original papers covering the following subjects, including, but not limited to:

• Sustainability in forest operations and engineering;
• Impact assessment due to forest logging and management;
• Innovative forest harvesting systems, technology, and techniques;
• The role and potential of precision forestry (robotics, LIDAR, etc.) in improving management;
• Sustainability of wood supply chains;
• Environmentally friendly forest operations and reduced impact logging (RIL);
• How can forest operations be adjusted to preserve the levels of biodiversity necessary to keep forests healthy and productive?

We are now accepting submissions for this Section (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/sections/forest_operations_engineering). Work may be  directly submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=forests.

Submissions before 31 December 2021 will receive a 10% discount on the article processing charge. Alternatively, if you are an active researcher in one of the aforementioned fields and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch (forests@mdpi.com).

Please feel free to contact us with any questions. We look forward to collaborating with you.

Forests Editorial Office

We are pleased to announce that Forests is now inviting nominations for the “Forests 2021 Early Career Investigator Award”. This prize will be given to two early career investigators in recognition of their excellence in the field covered by Forests. All nominations will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee led by the Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Timothy A. Martin.

The Prize:

• An official certificate;
• 1000 CHF (Swiss francs);
• Option to publish two papers, after peer review, in Forests with a 50% discount on the article processing charge.

Eligibility and Requirements:

• Must have received a Ph.D. degree on, or after 1 January, 2017;
• Must have produced ground-breaking research and made a significant contribution to the advancement of Forests;
• Candidates must be nominated by senior scientists;
• Exemptions to the five years since Ph.D. criterion will be allowed for career interruptions, including caring responsibilities, disability, disaster management and recovery (excluding the COVID-19 pandemic), medical conditions, parental leave and unemployment. If you would like to apply for an exemption, please submit a statement clearly describing the details of the nature and duration of the disruption. Please include the name of a senior researcher who can verify the statement.

List of Documents for Nomination:

• Detailed curriculum vitae, including an updated publication list and a list of the researcher’s own research grants;
• Scanned copy of your doctorate certificate;
• Signed nomination letters from two established senior scientists;
• Statement of career interruption (if applicable).

Schedule:

• Nomination deadline: 31 December 2021;
• Winner announcement: 28 February 2022.

How to Submit Nominations?

• The nominations must be submitted online.

Please feel free to contact us at forests@mdpi.com with any questions.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the “Forests 2019–2020 Best Cover Awards”. In total, 24 cover stories published from 2019 to 2020 in Forests were considered for these awards.

The winners are as follows:

• “Non-Destructive Evaluation Techniques and What They Tell Us about Wood Property Variation”
  Forests, Volume 10, Issue 9 (September 2019)
  (doi: 10.3390/f10090728).

• “Identifying European Old-Growth Forests using Remote Sensing: A Study in the Ukrainian Carpathians”
  Forests, Volume 10, Issue 2 (February 2019)
  (doi: 10.3390/f10020127).

• “Variation in Deadwood Microsites in Areas Designated under the Habitats Directive (Natura 2000)”
  Forests, Volume 11, Issue 5 (May 2020)
  (doi: 10.3390/f11050486).

• “Vegetative and Edaphic Responses in a Northern Mixed Conifer Forest Three Decades after Harvest and Fire: Implications for Managing Regeneration and Carbon and Nitrogen Pools”
  Forests, Volume 11, Issue 10 (October 2020)
  (doi: 10.3390/f11101040).

• “DBH Distributions in America’s Urban Forests—An Overview of Structural Diversity”
  Forests, Volume 11, Issue 2 (February 2020)
  (doi: 10.3390/f11020135).

The winners of the “Forests 2019–2020 Best Cover Awards” will receive CHF 200 each.

Congratulations to the winners for their excellent research!

Forests Editorial Office

MDPI will support, and be attend, the 2021 SAF National Convention as a silver-level sponsor. The conference will be held in virtual form and will take place from the 3^rd to the 6^th of November, 2021.

The 2021 SAF Convention will highlight the critical role played by forests in providing life-giving ecosystem services and serving as green infrastructure to our communities. The conference will be offering a variety of educational, networking, and business development opportunities while reigniting fan favorites like the SAFter Party; People, Policy, & Popcorn; and much more!

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Forests (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests);
• Remote Sensing (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/remotesensing).

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference and our virtual booth, please visit: https://safstage.evareg.com/exhibitor/mdpi-forests.