Announcements

MDPI, the leading Open Access (OA) publisher, announced on Monday that it opened its Korean branch office on 29th April 2024. With this addition, MDPI now operates 21 offices in 12 countries worldwide. Claude Seo, with over 20 years of experience in the academic journal publishing industry, including Nature Publishing Group (NPG), has been appointed as the Office Manager of the Seoul office.

With the establishment of a Seoul office, MDPI aims to actively support Korea scientific communities to further promote the publication of OA journals in the region. As of the end of 2023, Korea ranked sixth worldwide in both submissions and publications of MDPI research papers. MDPI is the number one OA publisher in Korea.

Sungkyunkwan University Joins MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program

In addition, MDPI announced that Sungkyunkwan University joined MDPI’s Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP). This program offers free access to MDPI online submission system for the institutions and APC discounts to affiliated authors. Thirteen major Korean universities, including Sungkyunkwan University, Kyung Hee University, Chung-Ang University and Catholic University of Korea, have adopted IOAP in Korea.

OA aims to break down barriers that have traditionally restricted access to science, ensuring that knowledge is available to all, regardless of financial situation or institutional affiliations. Authors, academia, and scientific communities are rapidly moving toward OA. MDPI has been at the forefront of reshaping the academic publishing landscape, with OA surpassing subscription-based publishing in 2020.

MDPI CEO Visits Seoul, Korea

In March, Stefan Tochev, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MDPI, visited Korea and met with various stakeholders including government agencies, research and academic institutions, universities. During his visit, Stefan highlighted that MDPI continues to pave the way for a world where science is accessible to all, supporting a global community of inclusive innovation and collaborative solutions.

Stefan expressed excitement about the new venture, stating, "Today marks a significant milestone for MDPI as we celebrate the opening of our new office in Seoul, Korea. This expansion is more than just an increase in our physical footprint, it is a pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to making scientific knowledge more accessible, participatory, and inclusive across the globe."

Claude Seo, reflecting on his new role, commented, "I am delighted to have been offered this position of trust within MDPI, the no. 1 scholarly OA publisher. As we establish our presence in Korea, we are dedicated to integrating into the local community and contributing to its vibrant culture. Our commitment goes beyond business growth; it is about creating a more informed and innovative society by embracing and promoting diversity within the scientific community.”

For further inquiries, please contact our Seoul office directly.

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 3.3 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 diligent, well-trained staff members, and an in-house article submission platform that was designed to ensure efficient processes within its 430 fully OA titles.

We are pleased to share the following ten Editor's Choice Articles published in Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907). These papers were selected by our Editors-in-Chief from the most notable papers published in Volume 15, Issues 1‒3. All these papers are of particular interest or importance to readers and have been well received by researchers.

1. “Effects of Climate Change on Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) Growth across Europe: Decrease of Tree-Ring Fluctuation and Amplification of Climate Stress”
by Jakub Brichta, Václav Šimůnek, Lukáš Bílek, Zdeněk Vacek, Josef Gallo, Stanisław Drozdowski, José Alfredo Bravo-Fernández, Bill Mason, Sonia Roig Gomez, Vojtěch Hájek et al.
Forests 2024, 15(1), 91; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010091
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/1/91

2. “Spruce Protection against Ips typographus with Anti-Attractant Blend of Tree-Based Semiochemicals: From Small Experimental Plots to Stand Scales”
by Rastislav Jakuš, Aleksei Trubin, Vivek Vikram Singh, Khodabakhsh Zabihi, Anna Jirošová, Roman Modlinger, Andrej Majdák, Nataliya Korolyova, Antonioni Acacio Campos Moliterno, Jaroslav Kašpar et al.
Forests 2024, 15(2), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020356
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/2/356

3. “Due Diligence for Deforestation-Free Supply Chains with Copernicus Sentinel-2 Imagery and Machine Learning”
by Ivan Reading, Konstantina Bika, Toby Drakesmith, Chris McNeill, Sarah Cheesbrough, Justin Byrne and Heiko Balzter
Forests 2024, 15(4), 617; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040617
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/4/617

4. “Nature-Based Tourism in National and Natural Parks in Europe: A Systematic Review”
by Delia S. Donici and Diana E. Dumitras
Forests 2024, 15(4), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15040588
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/4/588

5. “Economic Profitability of Carbon Sequestration of Fine-Aroma Cacao Agroforestry Systems in Amazonas, Peru”
by Malluri Goñas, Nilton B. Rojas-Briceño, Darwin Gómez Fernández, Daniel Iliquín Trigoso, Nilton Atalaya Marin, Verónica Cajas Bravo, Jorge R. Díaz-Valderrama, Jorge L. Maicelo-Quintana and Manuel Oliva-Cruz
Forests 2024, 15(3), 500; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030500
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/3/500

6. “Unearthing Current Knowledge Gaps in Our Understanding of Tree Stability: Review and Bibliometric Analysis”
by Emmanuel Chukwudi Ekeoma, Mark Sterling, Nicole Metje, John Spink, Niall Farrelly and Owen Fenton
Forests 2024, 15(3), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030513
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/3/513

7. “Characterization of Change in Tree Cover State and Condition over the Conterminous United States”
by Francis K. Dwomoh and Roger F. Auch
Forests 2024, 15(3), 470; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030470
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/3/470

8. “Potential Distribution Projections for Senegalia senegal (L.) Britton under Climate Change Scenarios”
by Jiaqi Fang, Jianfei Shi, Ping Zhang, Minghao Shao, Na Zhou, Yongdong Wang and Xinwen Xu
Forests 2024, 15(2), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020379
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/2/379

9. “Driving Efficiency and Competitiveness: Trends and Innovations in ERP Systems for the Wood Industry”
by Karla Vukman, Kristina Klarić, Krešimir Greger and Ivana Perić
Forests 2024, 15(2), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15020230
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/2/230

10. “Three Censuses of a Mapped Plot in Coastal California Mixed-Evergreen and Redwood Forest”
by Gregory S. Gilbert, Sarah G. Carvill, Alexander R. Krohn and Alexander S. Jones
Forests 2024, 15(1), 164; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010164
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/15/1/164

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

If you want to learn more about the contributions published in Editor’s Choice Articles, please click here.

Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal on forestry and forest ecology published monthly online by MDPI. To expand our contribution to forestry research, Forests is recruiting researchers to join our Editorial Boards of the following Sections:

• “Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science”;
• “Forest Operations and Engineering”;
• “Natural Hazards and Risk Management”;
• “Urban Forestry”;
• “Forest Hydrology”.

The primary responsibilities of Editorial Board Members include the following:

• Pre-screening and making decisions on new submissions related to their research interests;
• Leading a Special Issue related to their research interests (or participating as co-Guest Editor in Special Issues related to their research field) when available;
• Providing input or feedback regarding journal policies;
• Helping to promote the journal among their peers or at conferences;
• Attending Board meetings to suggest journal development strategies;
• Reviewing manuscripts in their area of interest when available.

The benefits of being an Editorial Board Member include the following:

• Publication of one paper free of charge per year in Forests and potential discounts for additional papers that they invite;
• A recognition certificate as an Editorial Board Member of Forests;
• Additional sponsorships for conferences organized by Editorial Board Members;
• The opportunity to take advantage of the website or the Board to announce conferences (which Forests can sponsor) and disseminate news, position openings, or any message useful to the scientific community.

The requirements for applying to the Editorial Board Member position include the following:

• Enthusiasm for journal work and being able to assume the responsibilities required of Editorial Board Members;
• Those with experience as a Special Issue Guest Editor or reviewer will receive priority.

If you are interested in becoming an Editorial Board Member of Forests, please send your full academic CV and a short cover letter that shows your interest and enthusiasm for the position to the Forests Editorial Office. We look forward to working with you in the future.

1. Could you introduce your current research focus and provide an update on your progress?

Nowadays, my group is focused on solving the key scientific and technological problems in the development and industrialization of bamboo-based green, environment-friendly and sustainable building materials under the support of the National Key R&D Program of China (‘Research on key technology development and industrialization demonstration of high-strength bamboo-based structural materials based on innovative synergy of unit and adhesive’).

Through this project, a key technical system along with a full set of corresponding parameters for producing flattened bamboo board-based structural materials should be established, including a novel technology for saturated steam softening and floating crack-free flattening of bamboo, a novel type of environment-friendly adhesive with high wettability which is suitable for assembly, lengthening, hot-pressing and gluing of flattened bamboo boards, and the corresponding innovative bamboo lengthening and assembly methods. The environmental impact and carbon footprint analysis model and method of material creation process based on life cycle assessment will be developed to guide the extensive application of bamboo-based structural materials in green and environment-friendly buildings.

2. Have you encountered any challenges in your research? How did you overcome them? Could you share your experience?

My Ph.D. major is materials physics and chemistry, not forest engineering. The corresponding thesis is on the application research of inorganic materials in biosensors. Thus, when I began investigating bamboo processing, I was not a professional. This was the biggest challenge when I began working at Nanjing Forestry University. However, I have found that joining a professional team and receiving guidance from industry experts was a shortcut for me to overcome the challenges caused by disciplinary differences and achieve rapid improvement. Since 2018, I have been engaged in research related to bamboo processing and modification, bamboo flattening, and bamboo restructuring under the leadership of Professor Li Yanjun, a national leading talent in the field of bamboo in China. Under Professor Li's guidance, I have gradually improved my overall understanding of bamboo and wood materials.

3. Looking ahead, what do you believe will be the hot topics in the field of forest research in the next few years? Please share the topics and your reasoning.

In my opinion, bamboo processing and design of bamboo-based structural materials with the advantage of being green, environment-friendly and high-strength should be the hot topics in the field of forest research in the next few years.

As we know, bamboo has the natural carbon fixation ability. Being that they store carbon, bamboo buildings have obvious advantages and environmental benefits. Their important role in energy saving and emission reduction is increasingly noted by society. Compared with steel and concrete materials, bamboo building material has a lower carbon emission factor, so the carbon emission is low during construction, use and demolition stages. Promoting the development of bamboo structures and buildings according to local conditions is of great practical significance in reducing energy consumption and carbon emissions. However, the development of bamboo structure buildings is slow, which is due to a couple of factors: 1) Natural bamboo is difficult to be used directly as a structural material in high-rise buildings. The traditional sheet processing method greatly damaged the natural structure of bamboo, resulting in large amounts of glue, high cost, and low physical and mechanical properties; 2) The fluidity, wettability and permeability of traditional adhesives in bamboo are not good, resulting in poor bonding performance, and the extensive use of phenolic resin has adverse effects on the environment.

4. As a member of the IECF 2024 committee, could you briefly describe what kind of meeting you are hoping for？

I am looking forward to the meeting in which ground-breaking ideas from experts and young researchers in the field of forests can be shared. I hope that this meeting can provide a unique opportunity to connect with the brightest minds in the field, engage in discussions to shape new strategies and influence the future of forests.

5. With numerous conferences being organized each year, do you have any suggestions for making our conference more meaningful for scholars and students?

1) Develop professional themes; 2) strictly control the submitted abstracts, and 3) invite more well-known authoritative experts to share their research results and wisdom with everyone.

6. Could you share some of your past conference experiences? Did these conferences assist you in promoting your research results, expanding your network, finding potential collaborators, or advancing your career, etc.?

The most impressive international conference experience has been attending the SWST (Society of Wood Science and Technology) conference over the years. During these conferences, authoritative experts and renowned scholars in the field of wood science and technology from around the world were gathered. The conference set up a variety of themes and carried out various exchange activities. Everyone exchanged the latest research results during the conference, generating many meaningful research ideas.

7. What are your thoughts on the current trends and developments of open access publishing?

Open access for publishing papers can facilitate faster and wider dissemination of one's research findings. However, as an open access journal publisher, it is necessary to establish stricter standards and management in many aspects such as manuscript selection, solicitation, and review.

For more information about the 4th International Electronic Conference on Forests, please visit the following website: https://sciforum.net/event/IECF2024.

We are pleased to share the following 10 top cited papers with excellent graphical abstracts published in Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907). These papers were selected based on the highest number of citations and excellent graphical abstracts published in 2022. All of these papers are of particular interest or importance to our readers, and all have been well received by researchers. Please note that the number of downloads, abstract views and citations of articles was calculated on 6 March 2024.

1. “Twelve Years into Genomic Selection in Forest Trees: Climbing the Slope of Enlightenment of Marker Assisted Tree Breeding”
by Dario Grattapaglia
Forests 2022, 13(10), 1554; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13101554
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/10/1554
Views: 4594; Abstract views: 3921; Citations: 21

2. “Warming Responses of Leaf Morphology Are Highly Variable among Tropical Tree Species”
by Aloysie Manishimwe, Bonaventure Ntirugulirwa, Etienne Zibera, Brigitte Nyirambangutse, Myriam Mujawamariya, Mirindi E. Dusenge, Elias Bizuru, Donat Nsabimana, Johan Uddling and Göran Wallin
Forests 2022, 13(2), 219; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020219
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/2/219
Views: 3306; Abstract views: 2959; Citations: 11

3. “Water in Wood: A Review of Current Understanding and Knowledge Gaps”
by Emil Engelund Thybring, Maria Fredriksson, Samuel L. Zelinka and Samuel V. Glass
Forests 2022, 13(12), 2051; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122051
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/12/2051
Views: 9211; Abstract views: 8218; Citations: 9

4. “Oak Decline Caused by Biotic and Abiotic Factors in Central Europe: A Case Study from the Czech Republic”
by Markéta Macháčová, Oto Nakládal, Michal Samek, Daniel Baťa, Václav Zumr and Vítězslava Pešková
Forests 2022, 13(8), 1223; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13081223
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/8/1223
Views: 2386; Abstract views: 1959; Citations: 9

5. “Importance of Dead Wood in Virgin Forest Ecosystem Functioning in Southern Carpathians”
by Șerban Chivulescu, Diana Pitar, Bogdan Apostol, Ștefan Leca and Ovidiu Badea
Forests 2022, 13(3), 409; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13030409
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/3/409
Views: 2241; Abstract views: 1690; Citations: 9

6. “Human Health and Outdoor Adventure Recreation: Perceived Health Outcomes”
by Ryan Zwart and Alan Ewert
Forests 2022, 13(6), 869; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060869
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/2/160
Views: 4594; Abstract views: 3921; Citations: 8

7. “The Current and Future Potential Geographical Distribution and Evolution Process of Catalpa bungei in China”
by Shengqi Jian, Tiansheng Zhu, Jiayi Wang and Denghua Yan
Forests 2022, 13(1), 96; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13010096
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/1/96
Views: 1841; Abstract views: 1499; Citations: 8

8. “n-Heptadecane-Impregnated Wood as a Potential Material for Energy-Saving Buildings”
by Ahmet Can and Jure Žigon
Forests 2022, 13(12), 2137; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13122137
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/12/2137
Views: 1342; Abstract views: 1087; Citations: 8

9. “Drivers of Flammability of Eucalyptus globulus Labill Leaves: Terpenes, Essential Oils, and Moisture Content”
by Fabián Guerrero, Camilo Carmona, Carla Hernández, Mario Toledo, Andrés Arriagada, Lorena Espinoza, Jan Bergmann, Lautaro Taborga, Karen Yañez, Yulián Carrasco et al.
Forests 2022, 13(6), 908; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13060908
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/6/908
Views: 3764; Abstract views: 3281; Citations: 7

10. “Plant Diversity and Soil Nutrients in a Tropical Coastal Secondary Forest: Association Ordination and Sampling Year Differences”
by Muhammad Yaseen, Gaopan Fan, Xingcui Zhou, Wenxing Long and Guang Feng
Forests 2022, 13(3), 376; https://doi.org/10.3390/f13030376
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/13/3/376
Views: 2942; Abstract views: 2194; Citations: 7

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

MDPI will be attending the EGU General Assembly 2024 in Vienna, Austria, which will take place from 14 to 19 April 2024 at booth #57. The EGU General Assembly 2024 is organized by the European Geosciences Union, and this is the 22nd conference. It brings together geoscientists from all over the world to one meeting covering all disciplines of the Earth, planetary, and space sciences. The EGU 2024 aims to provide a forum where scientists, especially early-career researchers, can present their work and discuss their ideas with experts in all fields of geoscience.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Remote Sensing;
• Water;
• Hydrology;
• Meteorology;
• Sustainability;
• Atmosphere;
• Climate;
• Earth;
• Land;
• Minerals;
• Geographies;
• IJGI;
• Resources;
• Gases;
• Forests;
• Oceans;
• Quaternary;
• Geotechnics;
• Mining;
• Geomatics;
• Drones;
• Geosciences;
• Nitrogen;
• Soil Systems.

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 website: https://www.aag.org/events/aag2024/.

We would also like to congratulate the winners of the Geosciences 2024 Travel Award and the 2023 Outstanding Reviewer Award. Professor Olivier Lacombe, Section Editor-in-Chief of Geosciences, will present prizes on-site to Dr. Andrea Maffeis from Università di Torino, Dr. Simone Bello from University G. d’Annunzio, and Dr. Yuchen Wang from Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology.

Join us on 16 April 2024 (17:30–17:45 CET) for the award ceremony at booth #57. If you are interested in travel support or learning about other MDPI awards, please visit our booth during the conference where our conference representatives will be available to assist you.

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Giacomo Alessandro Gerosa has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of our journal Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907). With an extensive background in scientific research and publishing, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to this role.

The following is an interview with Prof. Dr. Giacomo Alessandro Gerosa, who shared his academic background, his involvement with Forests, and his vision for the journal:

1. Could you please tell us a little bit about yourself and your academic background and what are your current interests?

I received an M.Sc. in environmental sciences and then a Ph.D. in agricultural ecology with a research focus on ozone fluxes in agricultural and forest ecosystems. After the Ph.D., I worked for 15 years as a researcher at the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy, dealing with ecophysiology and the effects of air pollutants on plants. Once employed at the Italian National Scientific Habilitation as a professor of ecology, agricultural chemistry, and physics of the earth system, I was appointed associate professor of the latter subject by the Catholic University of Brescia, Italy. Then, following the second habilitation as full professor, I was promoted to my current position as a full professor of physics of the earth system, and was in charge of teaching micrometeorology, atmospheric physics, and ecology.

Even though my academic career may seem quite heretical for a forest scientist, I have worked with forests and forest trees. At the beginning, my research was aimed at studying the effects of air pollution on single forest trees, by means of fumigations and experiments in a controlled environment. Then, my interests turned to nature and forest ecosystems as a whole, particularly to monitor their matter exchange with the atmosphere. Measurements were taken in the Mediterranean holm oak forests, Mediterranean shrub maquis, Alpine larix forests, oak-hornbeam plain forests, both in Italy and in Europe, as well as in poplar plantations. I made significant contributions with these measurements and analyses to different national and European forest monitoring programs.  

My current research interests are the detailed characterization of the exchange processes of matter and energy between the atmosphere and ecosystems, with particular regards to the forests, both from an experimental and a modelist perspective. My current field work consists of the installation of micrometeorological towers in forest ecosystems to measure the vertical fluxes of many matter compounds, relating them with climate, plant, and soil parameters. My collaborators and I manage an ICOS (Integrated Carbon Observation System)-associated forest site in Northern Italy, where fluxes of carbon dioxide, water, ozone, nitrogen oxides, and particles are continuously measured. Our effort is to obtain as long a time series of measurements as possible in order to assess the interannual variation of fluxes and to calibrate models. An 11-year long series is already available for the ozone, water, and carbon dioxide.

2. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?

My answer is influenced by my interests. However, I think that the assessment of the combined effects of climate change and air pollution on forest ecosystems will be of paramount importance in the future, along with the studies of the best adaptation strategies. This could be addressed with experimental research in the field or in a controlled environment and by developing coupled land–atmosphere models as mechanistically as possible. The dynamics of different carbon sinks and sources in forests should be fully elucidated, along with their interactions with nutrient cycles such as nitrogen. Projections about the future are necessary, and forest scientists and ecologists will need to interact much more closely with atmospheric scientists in the near future. The spread of the IoT (Internet of Things) will allow for the more extensive, dense, and economical monitoring of forest ecosystems, and the same applies to UAV and satellite measurements. Interdisciplinarity could be a good strategy to push the limits of knowledge in forestry research.

3. As the Editor-in-Chief, what are your thoughts on the journal Forests, and what expectations do you have for the future?

The journal Forests has significantly increased its impact factor in recent years and has acquired a good reputation in the forest-related research community. Currently, it is ranked Q1 in forestry research. It is important to maintain and enhance this reputation in the future through the promotion and selection of the most innovative and high-quality research, thus increasing the number of external citations per article.

4. In your opinion, what can authors expect when they submit to Forests?

Authors can expect fair and rigorous reviews of their work, along with a rapid evaluation process. In my opinion, these are the benefits of this journal. Moreover, they have the opportunity to publish in an open-access journal of good reputation and IF.

We wish Prof. Dr. Giacomo Alessandro Gerosa every success in his new position as the Editor-in-Chief, and we greatly look forward to his contributions.

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Lei Deng, a professor at the Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China, has been appointed Section Editor-in-Chief of the Section “Forest Soil” in Forests (ISSN: 1999-4907).

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Lei Deng, who shared his vision for the journal with us, as well as his views of the research area and open access publishing:

1. Can you please give a brief introduction of yourself to the readers?
I am mainly focused on the effects of vegetation restoration on soil carbon budgets. I have been conducting research in this field for 15 years. During this process, I established the evaluation method of the carbon sequestration benefit of China’s “Grain for Green” project and predicted the carbon sequestration potential of the project. At the same time, I explored the dynamic evolution process of soil carbon sequestration and its stabilization time following vegetation restoration and conducted research on the driving mechanism of soil carbon sequestration by plants, soil, and microorganisms. I have achieved a series of research results. At present, I have published more than 100 SCI-indexed papers in PNAS, Global Change Biology, Soil Biology & Biochemistry and other journals.

2. What attracted you to scientific editing for Forests?
Forestry research has been booming in recent years, especially in China, where the number, depth, and influence of innovative achievements are increasing. The Forests journal is a good carrier for solving important frontier problems in forestry research. I am delighted to have this opportunity to contribute to its development. I am full of hope and enthusiasm for its prospects and firmly believe that Forests can become an open-source archive of world-class academic achievements, a highly trusted source of innovative information and technology, and a new platform for academic exchange and knowledge dissemination in forests and related disciplines around the world.

3. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
Global climate change and human activities have always been important factors affecting the development of forest health, so in the next few years, I think the research in the field of forestry research will still be inseparable from these two aspects. Specifically, the impacts of land use change, forest management, climate change, N subsidence, and even various disasters and forest protection on forest structure and function will remain the focus of forestry research. In addition, the biological and abiotic driving mechanisms of these changes should be analyzed in detail.

4. What advice would you offer to a new editor of a journal?
I have three pieces of advice for new editors. First, adhere to lifelong learning and improve your knowledge reserve and skill level. Second, actively participate in academic exchanges and other social welfare activities to improve your comprehensive service capabilities and industry influence. Third is to undertake the due responsibilities of the Editorial Board, strictly regarding manuscripts, and put forward good suggestions for the development of the journal.

5. Forests is an open access journal. How do you think open access impacts authors?
Open access is conducive to the dissemination of papers and can result in more people seeing the papers published. I think it is a great business model.

We wish him every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.