Announcements

We are excited to present a selection of featured Special Issues from Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907). These Special Issues cover a wide range of cutting-edge topics in forestry research, aiming to foster academic exchange and innovative studies. Below are the selected Special Issues:

1. “Forest Dieback and Tree Mortality Risks from Environmental Changes”
Edited by Michele Colangelo and Jesús Julio Camarero
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/tree_mortality
Viewed by 41418

2. “Improvement of Forest Ecosystem Functions in Karst Desertification Control”
Edited by Kangning Xiong, Mingsheng Zhang and Junbing Pu
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/5ZRIUJ27T4
Viewed by 27303

3. “Forest Harvesting, Operations and Management”
Edited by Eduardo Tolosana
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/Forest_Harvesting_Operations
Viewed by 26719

4. “Spatial Distribution and Growth Dynamics of Tree Species”
Edited by José Ciro Hernández-Díaz, José Ángel Prieto-Ruíz, Christian Wehenkel and Emilio Badalamenti
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/Distribution_Dynamics_Tree
Viewed by 25760

5. “Rare, Non-native and Invasive Plant Species: Structure, Properties and Potential Applications”
Edited by Maks Merela
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/non-native_species
Viewed by 25233

6. “Forest Soil Carbon Cycle in Response to Global Change”
Edited by Maokui Lyu, Jingsheng Xie and Minhuang Wang
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/Forests_Soil_Carbon
Viewed by 20691

7. “Wood as Cultural Heritage Material”
Edited by Nicola Macchioni and Elisa Pecoraro
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/wood_heritage
Viewed by 20022

8. “Advances in Resilient Adaptation to Climate Change in the Forest Sector”
Edited by Chul-Hee Lim and Moonil Kim
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/YRR1BVKNAQ
Viewed by 18491

9. “Advances in Forest Growth and Biomass Estimation”
Edited by Szymon Bijak
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/forest_growth_biomass_estimation
Viewed by 13741

10. “Global Change and Forest Plant Community Dynamics”
Edited by Dylan Fischer
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/forests/special_issues/plant_community
Viewed by 8995

The above view data are as of 16 July 2024. We invite researchers and professionals to read these Special Issues, which feature groundbreaking research from senior scientists from around the world. Your contributions and readership will help drive progress and innovation in forestry science.

We are pleased to share the following 10 Editor's Choice Articles published in Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907). These papers were selected by the journal’s Editor-in-Chief from the most notable papers published in Volume 15, Issues 4‒6. All of the selected papers are of particular interest or importance to readers and are all well received by researchers.

1. “Wood Basic Density in Large Trees: Impacts on Biomass Estimates in the Southwestern Brazilian Amazon”
by Flora Magdaline Benitez Romero, Thais de Nazaré Oliveira Novais, Laércio Antônio Gonçalves Jacovine, Eronildo Braga Bezerra, Rosana Barbosa de Castro Lopes, Juliana Sousa de Holanda, Edi Flores Reyna and Philip Martin Fearnside
Forests 2024, 15(5), 734; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050734
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/734

2. “The Nitrogen Cycle of a Cool-Temperate Deciduous Broad-Leaved Forest”
by Ruoming Cao, Siyu Chen, Shinpei Yoshitake, Takeo Onishi, Yasuo Iimura and Toshiyuki Ohtsuka
Forests 2024, 15(4), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040725
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/4/725

3. “Temporal Dynamics of Canopy Properties and Carbon and Water Fluxes in a Temperate Evergreen Angiosperm Forest”
by Alexandre A. Renchon, Vanessa Haverd, Cathy M. Trudinger, Belinda E. Medlyn, Anne Griebel, Daniel Metzen, Jürgen Knauer, Matthias M. Boer and Elise Pendall
Forests 2024, 15(5), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050801
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/801

4. “Drought Impact on Eco-Physiological Responses and Growth Performance of Healthy and Declining Pinus sylvestris L. Trees Growing in a Dry Area of Southern Poland”
by Barbara Benisiewicz, Sławomira Pawełczyk, Francesco Niccoli, Jerzy Piotr Kabala and Giovanna Battipaglia
Forests 2024, 15(5), 741; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050741
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/741

5. “Monitoring Forest Dynamics and Conducting Restoration Assessment Using Multi-Source Earth Observation Data in Northern Andes, Colombia”
by Carlos Pedraza, Nicola Clerici, Marcelo Villa, Milton Romero, Adriana Sarmiento Dueñas, Dallan Beltrán Rojas, Paola Quintero, Mauricio Martínez and Josef Kellndorfer
Forests 2024, 15(5), 754; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050754
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/754

6. “Estimating Economic and Livelihood Values of the World’s Largest Mangrove Forest (Sundarbans): A Meta-Analysis”
by Akbar Hossain Kanan, Mauro Masiero and Francesco Pirotti
Forests 2024, 15(5), 837; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050837
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/837

7. “Riparian Forests as Nature-Based Solutions within the Mediterranean Context: A Biophysical and Economic Assessment for the Koiliaris River Watershed (Crete, Greece)”
by Mauro Masiero, Giorgia Bottaro, Caterina Righetti, Nikolaos P. Nikolaidis, Maria A. Lilli and Davide Pettenella
Forests 2024, 15(5), 760; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050760
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/760

8. “Physical and Mechanical Properties of Fiberboard Made of MDF Residues and Phase Change Materials”
by Gustavo E. Rodríguez, Cecilia Bustos Ávila and Alain Cloutier
Forests 2024, 15(5), 802; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050802
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/802

9. “Dynamic Height Growth Equations and Site Index-Based Biomass Models for Young Native Species Afforestations in Spain”
by Rafael Calama, Guillermo Madrigal, Miren del Río, Eduardo López-Senespleda, Marta Pardos, Ricardo Ruiz-Peinado and María Menéndez-Miguélez
Forests 2024, 15(5), 827; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050827
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/5/827

10. “Use of a Consumer-Grade UAV Laser Scanner to Identify Trees and Estimate Key Tree Attributes across a Point Density Range”
by Michael S. Watt, Sadeepa Jayathunga, Robin J. L. Hartley, Grant D. Pearse, Peter D. Massam, David Cajes, Benjamin S. C. Steer and Honey Jane C. Estarija
Forests 2024, 15(6), 899; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15060899
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/6/899

We would like to thank all of the research groups behind these exceptional papers for their contribution to Forests. We would greatly appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues or within your network.

If you would like to learn more about the contributions published in Editor’s Choice Articles, please visit here.

MDPI will be attending the 14th European Conference on Ecological Restoration (SERE2024) in Tartu, Estonia, which will take place from 26 to 30 August 2024. Ecological restoration is a topic that holds a prominent place on both political and scientific agendas. The decline in biodiversity demands our urgent attention, and degraded ecosystems around the world require an effective and knowledge-driven path to recovery. The SERE2024 will cover topics ranging from the theory and practice of restoring various ecosystems (wetlands, grasslands, forests, rivers, agroecosystems, urban and marine ecosystems) to the socioeconomic and political contexts of ecological restoration.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Diversity;
• Land;
• Animals;
• Clean Technologies;
• Conservation;
• Ecologies;
• Environments;
• Forests;
• Geosciences.

If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://sere2024.org/.

MDPI will attend the RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024, which will take place in London and online, from the evening of Tuesday 27 August to Friday 30 August 2024.

The RGS-IBG Annual International Conference 2024 will be chaired by Professor Stephen Legg (University of Nottingham, UK). The Chair’s theme for this year's conference is mapping. The conference will explore mapping in all its forms, in a world that is saturated with maps, from historical cartography to the newest technologies and digital practices. Maps trace invasions, financial crises, pandemics and environmental disasters, and our responses to them. They plot and coordinate surveillance, and counter-plot evasion and resistance. They chart jet streams, oceanic oscillations and ozone holes, heatwaves, droughts, and drizzles. Maps map territory and sovereignty, but also evidence indigenous land claims and historical landscapes of meaning.

The following MDPI journals will be represented at the conference:

• Land;
• Sustainability;
• IJGI;
• Forests;
• Atmosphere;
• Remote Sensing;
• Earth;
• Quaternary;
• Geomatics;
• Geosciences;
• Geographies.

If you are planning on attending this conference, please do not hesitate to stop by our booth #8 and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.rgs.org/research/annual-international-conference.

MDPI will be attending The Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America 2024 held in Long Beach, USA, from 4 to 9 August 2024.

The annual meeting of the Ecological Society of America invites all ecologists to come together and share new knowledge, learn from one another, meet old friends and make new ones, and grow professionally. This year’s meeting will emphasize society’s mission of supporting ecologists throughout their careers. The emphasis recognizes the need for us to continually invest in all the people who advance the science and practice of ecology. Among many aspects of professional development, we are planning programming and invite contributions that consider the transformational potential of effective mentorship.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Land;
• Sustainability;
• Forests;
• Environments;
• Nitrogen;
• Diversity;
• Biology;
• Oceans;
• Resources;
• Ecologies;
• Remote Sensing;
• Hydrology.

If you plan on attending this conference, feel free to stop by our booth at #110. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please see the following link: https://www.esa.org/longbeach2024/.

Five new journals covering multiple subjects have launched their inaugural issue in June 2024. We are excited to be able to share with you the newest research rooted in the value of open access.

We would like to express our deepest appreciation to all the Editorial Board Members and each journal will ensure its high-quality output using excellent editorial and rigorous peer review processes, to ensure that the articles achieve high impact and visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Marco Ranucci, IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	anaesthetic medications; blood and fluid management; pain management; critical care; critical illness | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Giovanni E. Cacciamani, University of Southern California, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	surgical/procedural complications; complications; perioperative adverse events; postoperative adverse events | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr.  Gassan Hodaifa, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Spain | Editorial | view inaugural issue	laboratory management; laboratory safety; protective equipment; laboratory problems and challenges; laboratory Innovation | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Jan S. Suchodolski, Texas A&M University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	companion animals health and disease; veterinary care and nutrition; genetics and genomics; behavior and welfare; human-animal relations | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Pierfrancesco De Paola, University of Naples Federico II, Italy | Editorial | view inaugural issue	real estate appraisal; economic and financial valuation of real estate projects; sustainable real estate; housing and urban economics | view journal scope | submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com) if you would like to create more new journals.

MDPI is pleased to announce the inclusion of 237 journals in the 2024 release of the Journal Citation Reports (JCR) and share the key results (see above).

This year, journals covered in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) received category ranks together with journals in the Science Citation Index Expanded (SCIE) and Social Sciences Citation Index (SSCI). Overall, 139 MDPI journals indexed in ESCI are included in the new unified rankings for the first time.

Enhanced Comparability of Data

According to Clarivate, "the creation of unified category rankings [provides] a simpler and more complete category view for the evaluation of journal performance. [...] The category-first approach simplifies journal performance assessment with a holistic view of all journals in each subject category."

We are thrilled to announce that 72% of our ranked MDPI journals (171 of 237) are above average, in Q1 or Q2. Twenty-nine of our journals received their first Impact Factor this year, accounting for more than 5% of the journals accepted into the Web of Science last year.

MDPI Journals Ranked in JCR

The following data includes all MDPI journals indexed in SCIE, SSCI, ESCI and AHCI.

Source: 2023 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2024)

About MDPI

A pioneer in scholarly, open access publishing, MDPI has supported academic communities since 1996. MDPI is leading the transition to open science by making more research free and accessible to everyone. Over 3.5 million researchers have entrusted MDPI with publishing their scientific discoveries. MDPI’s editorial process is bolstered by a network of dedicated reviewers, a team of 6000 professional, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 440 fully open access titles.

From 14 to 19 April 2024, the EGU General Assembly 2024, a highly anticipated event in the global earth sciences community, was held at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in Austria. The conference not only provided a platform for earth scientists from around the world to exchange the latest research findings and discuss academic frontiers, but also witnessed several thrilling moments. In particular, the Outstanding Reviewer Award and Travel Award ceremony for Geosciences journal (ISSN: 2076-3263) stood out as a significant highlight of the conference.

During the week-long event, MDPI had a dedicated exhibition booth, showcasing its diverse range of journals and unique publishing characteristics. Concurrently, Geosciences journal organized an award ceremony, during which Section Editor-in-Chief (SEiC) Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe presented the Outstanding Reviewer Award to Dr. Simone Bello, who was represented by Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis in receiving the honor, and Dr. Yuchen Wang, and the Travel Award to Dr. Andrea Maffeis.

Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe, the SEiC of Geosciences journal, served as the guest presenter at the award ceremony. Not only is he a dedicated supporter and contributor to the journal, but he has also achieved remarkable accomplishments in the field of earth sciences. He presented the winners with their certificates and expressed high recognition and praise for their academic achievements.

Prof. Dr. Rita de Nardis; Dr. Andrea Maffeis; Ms. Bojana Mijanovic; Mrs. Oana Irina Karadag; Prof. Dr. Olivier Lacombe; Dr. Yuchen Wang (From left to the right)

The Outstanding Reviewer Award recognizes reviewers who have demonstrated excellence in their peer-review work for the journal and made significant contributions to the academic quality. These reviewers, with their profound academic knowledge and rigorous reviewing attitude, have provided valuable support for the journal's development. The Travel Award, on the other hand, aims to encourage young scholars to actively participate in international academic exchanges and enhance their research capabilities. The awarded young scholars have demonstrated remarkable research potential and academic pursuit in the field of earth sciences.

During the award ceremony, the winners shared their research insights and academic aspirations. They expressed that receiving recognition and encouragement from Geosciences journal is a great affirmation of their academic achievements and a driving force for them to continue moving forward.

In addition to the award ceremony, our representatives actively participated in various conference activities, engaging in in-depth exchanges and discussions with scholars from around the world. They not only shared the latest research findings and academic progress, but also had lively discussions on cutting-edge issues in the field of earth sciences. These exchanges broadened their academic horizons and provided new ideas and directions for their future research.

Dr. Stefano Luigi Gariano

Dr. Paolo Madonia

Dr. Olga Petrucci

Dr. Doris Folini

Dr. Silvia Kohnova

Dr. Samuele Segoni

Dr. Cheng-Yu Ku

Dr. Annalisa Cappello

Dr. Raffaele Albano

Dr. Linda Lee

Prof. Paolo Reggiani

More MDPI Moments:

The successful conclusion of the EGU General Assembly 2024 and the triumphant award ceremony for Geosciences journal not only showcased the latest achievements and academic style in the field of earth sciences, but also provided a platform for global scholars to communicate and collaborate. It is believed that in the future, MDPI will continue to uphold its mission of “promoting the development of earth sciences and fostering academic exchanges and cooperation”, contributing significantly to the prosperity and advancement of the earth sciences field.

Conference: XX International Botanical Congress—IBC 2024
Organization: International Association for Botanical and Mycological Societies (IABMS)
Date: 21–27 July 2024
Place: FEMA Madrid, Avda del Partenón, 5. 28042 Madrid, Spain

MDPI journals will be attending IBC 2024 as exhibitors. This meeting will be held in Madrid, Spain, from 21 to 27 July 2024.

The IBC takes place every six years under the supervision of the International Association for Botanical and Mycological Societies (IABMS). Rooted in the tradition of systematic botany, the IBCs have enlarged their scope over more than a century to become an integrated forum for knowledge on the plant and mycological worlds. The topics include the following: systematics; phylogenetics; biogeography and evolution; ecology, environmental, and global change, including invasive species and plant-animal interactions; biodiversity and conservation; structure, physiology, and development, including evo-devo genetics, genomics, and bioinformatics; and plants and society.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Plants;
• International Journal of Plant Biology (IJPB);
• Biology;
• Taxonomy;
• Agronomy;
• Diversity;
• Forests;
• Life;
• Ecologies;
• Journal of Zoological and Botanical Gardens (JZBG);
• Journal of Fungi (JoF);
• Conservation.

If you will be attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://ibcmadrid2024.com/.

On UNESCO’s 2024 Oceans Day, MDPI encourages the scientific community to increase the accessibility of ocean research to accelerate ocean conservation.

Basel, Switzerland, June 7, 2024: MDPI, a leading open access (OA) publisher, is proud to announce its active support for World Oceans Day 2024, celebrated under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade framework. MDPI’s CEO, Stefan Tochev hopes that “the latest ocean research can be made freely accessible to help empower scientists and communities at large to save our oceans,” under UNESCO’s Ocean Decade until 2030.

Open Access: A Catalyst for Ocean Action

MDPI’s presence at the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference 2024 highlights our unwavering commitment to using OA to advance ocean science, support research communities, and promote sustainable ocean management.

"Our involvement in the UNESCO Ocean Decade Conference underscores MDPI's commitment to the underfunded Ocean SDG. By promoting OA to scientific articles and books on SDGs, we aim to inspire critical actions," said Tochev. "Our initiatives, like the World Sustainability Award and Emerging Sustainability Award, further demonstrate our dedication to advancing sustainability.”

Showcasing MDPI’s Contributions to Ocean Research

Over the past three years, MDPI has published 30,000 papers focused on ocean research and related topics. Key MDPI journals contributing to this body of work include:

• Journal of Marine Science and Engineering (4.9k papers)
• Remote Sensing (2.6k papers)
• Sustainability (2k papers)
• International Journal of Molecular Sciences (IJMS) (1.7k papers)
• Marine Drugs (1.5k papers)
• Water (1.5k papers)

These publications highlight MDPI’s contributions to ocean science, reinforcing our role in the broader sustainability agenda by promoting blue innovation and economy.

Additionally, MDPI has launched Oceans, an international, peer-reviewed forum specifically aimed at publishing studies related to all branches of oceanography with an emphasis on the functioning of the ocean and the sustainable use of its resources and ecosystem services.

Affirming MDPI’s Commitment to Ocean Science

MDPI’s commitment to OA is pivotal in addressing critical global challenges, from climate change to ocean sustainability. Our efforts resonate with Outcome 4 of the UNESCO Ocean Decade action roadmap: an accessible ocean with open and equitable access to data, information, technology, and innovation. By aligning with UNESCO’s goals, MDPI continues to contribute to shaping a sustainable future for our oceans, reinforcing our position as a forward-thinking publisher dedicated to environmental stewardship and scientific excellence.

For more information, contact Rui Duarte at rui.duarte@mdpi.com or +41764313242.

About MDPI