Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.4
2.4
Journals
Forests
Special Issues
Forest Wildlife Biology and Habitat Conservation
share announcement

Forest Wildlife Biology and Habitat Conservation

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2024) | Viewed by 3549

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kristijan Tomljanović

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Institute of Forest Protection and Wildlife Management, University of Zagreb, Svetošimunska Cesta 23, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia
Interests: wildlife management; wildlife conservation; wildlife biology, wild animal ecology
Dr. Hubert Potočnik

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Biotehniška Fakulteta, Univerza v Ljubljani, Jamnikarijeva 101, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Interests: conservation; ecology; wildlife ecology; wildlife conservation; conservation biology; animal ecology; conservation ecology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests and ecological systems formed by forests, together with forest wildlife, are an important link in the chain of maintenance and preservation of nature on a global level. The management of forest wildlife is not regulated on a global level, so there are numerous examples where various negative impacts have led to a significant reduction in and in some cases to the complete disappearance of certain forest wild animals from an area. Often, one of the reasons for the disappearance of a species from a forest area can be insufficient knowledge of the ecological-biological requirements of the species, which, in correlation with negative anthropogenic or other influences, leads to a decrease in abundance or disappearance. Today, the stability of forest ecosystems is threatened by deforestation, home range fragmentation, the appearance and spread of invasive species, forest fires, hydro melioration interventions, climate change and other negative anthropogenic influences. These influences can be instant or cumulative. Certain interactions of forest factors are intertwined with each other, and it is sometimes difficult to explain or determine them.

In order to contribute to a better understanding of the complex relationships within forest ecosystems, this Special Issue aims to improve the knowledge of endangered and rare forest wild animals and the relationship between wildlife and habitat, to discover the possibilities of improving this relationship and preserving forest habitats for wildlife.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Forest wildlife biology and ecology;
  • Forest wildlife conservation;
  • Forest exploitation–wildlife interactions;
  • Wildlife habitat conservation;
  • Forest wildlife management.

Dr. Kristijan Tomljanović
Dr. Hubert Potočnik
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Forests is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • forest wildlife
  • wildlife biology wildlife ecology
  • conservation
  • wildlife habitat management

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

23 pages, 6046 KiB  
Article
sUAS-Based High-Resolution Mapping for the Habitat Quality Assessment of the Endangered Hoolock tianxing Gibbon
by Mengling Xu, Yongliang Zhu, Lixiang Zhang, Peng Li, Qiangbang Gong, Anru Zuo, Kunrong Hu, Xuelong Jiang, Ning Lu and Zhenhua Guan
Forests 2025, 16(2), 285; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16020285 - 7 Feb 2025
Viewed by 629
Abstract
The endangered Gaoligong hoolock gibbon (Hoolock tianxing) faces significant threats from habitat degradation and loss, making accurate habitat assessment crucial for effective conservation. This study explored the effectiveness of high-resolution small unoccupied aerial system (sUAS) imagery for evaluating habitat quality, comparing [...] Read more.
The endangered Gaoligong hoolock gibbon (Hoolock tianxing) faces significant threats from habitat degradation and loss, making accurate habitat assessment crucial for effective conservation. This study explored the effectiveness of high-resolution small unoccupied aerial system (sUAS) imagery for evaluating habitat quality, comparing its performance against Sentinel-2 satellite data. Focusing on the critically fragmented habitat of this primate in Yingjiang County, China, we aimed to (1) assess habitat quality at the patch level using a sUAS; (2) apply the InVEST Habitat Quality (IHQ) model; and (3) compare the effectiveness of sUAS and Sentinel-2 imagery, across different resolutions, for habitat quality evaluation. We utilized sUAS imagery (0.05 m resolution) obtained from a DJI Mavic 3 drone and Sentinel-2 data (10 m resolution) for a comparative analysis. The InVEST IHQ model was then used to analyze nine habitat patches, examining how data resolution impacts habitat quality assessments. Our results showed that habitat quality varied considerably across space, with lower quality observed near villages due to agricultural activity and infrastructure development. The sUAS imagery proved superior at capturing detailed landscape features and delineating small, fragmented patches compared to Sentinel-2. Furthermore, the sUAS achieved higher classification accuracy. Although both data sources indicated generally high habitat quality, Sentinel-2 tended to overestimate both habitat quality and degradation compared to the sUAS. High-resolution sUAS imagery therefore provides a clear advantage for detailed habitat quality assessment and targeted conservation planning, especially in fragmented landscapes. Integrating sUAS data with other remote sensing methods is essential to improve the protection of endangered primate habitats. This research emphasizes the value of sUAS for fine-scale habitat analysis, providing a strong scientific basis for developing targeted habitat restoration strategies and guiding conservation management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Wildlife Biology and Habitat Conservation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

20 pages, 3259 KiB  
Article
National Park Double Boundary Delimitation: A Synergy-Based Approach Integrating Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services—An Example of Proposed Ailaoshan–Wuliangshan National Parks in China
by Mengxiao Ge, Junze Liu and Jun Qi
Forests 2024, 15(12), 2159; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15122159 - 6 Dec 2024
Viewed by 817
Abstract
The demarcation of national park boundaries is crucial for comprehensive planning, effective management, and maintaining the integrity of ecosystems and biodiversity. This research uses the proposed ‘Ailaoshan–Wuliangshan’ National Park (AWNP) in Yunnan Province, China, as the study area and adheres to the principles [...] Read more.
The demarcation of national park boundaries is crucial for comprehensive planning, effective management, and maintaining the integrity of ecosystems and biodiversity. This research uses the proposed ‘Ailaoshan–Wuliangshan’ National Park (AWNP) in Yunnan Province, China, as the study area and adheres to the principles of systematic conservation planning (SCP). It employs the Marxan 2.43, MaxEnt 3.4.4, and InVEST 3.14.2 models to predict suitable distribution areas for key endangered species within the AWNP, identifies core ecological source areas, priority conservation areas, and conservation gaps, and constructs a double boundary protection framework. The study’s findings indicate that the potentially suitable habitats for the major rare and endangered species, as predicted by the MaxEnt model, are predominantly located in the Ailaoshan and Wuliangshan areas, with a smaller portion distributed in the Konglonghe area. The InVEST model assessment of habitat quality revealed that the total area of the core ecological source areas is 4775.26 km2, accounting for 35.34% of the total study area. The Marxan model identified a total area of 1064.22 km2 as priority conservation areas, constituting 7.90% of the total study area. Additionally, it revealed conservation gaps of 302.1 km2, which represent 2.20% of the total area. Ultimately, by integrating biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services, the boundaries of the AWNP were optimized into a double boundary delineation model: the inner boundary, characterized by rigid control, spans an area of 1076.20 km2, while the outer boundary, characterized by elastic management, covers an area of 3056.92 km2. Corresponding management recommendations are proposed for the different areas. The double boundary delineation method proposed in this study can, to a certain extent, reconcile the conflict between biodiversity conservation and resource utilization, providing an appropriate reference for the demarcation and dynamic management of national park boundaries in China. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Wildlife Biology and Habitat Conservation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

19 pages, 11225 KiB  
Article
Habitat Suitability Evaluation and Ecological Corridor Construction for Asian Elephants: The Case of Jiangcheng, a New Range for Elephants in Southwestern China
by Lanzhong Zhang, Churui Li, Cairong Yue, Hongbin Luo, Xin Li, Qiongfen Yu, Jia Li, Jian Shen, Song Yang and Fei Chen
Forests 2024, 15(7), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15071195 - 10 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1586
Abstract
In recent years, the northward migration of elephant herds in China’s Yunnan Province has attracted unprecedented public attention to the conservation of Asian elephants, with habitat fragmentation and human disturbance thought to be key factors. In this study, we used Jiangcheng, a new [...] Read more.
In recent years, the northward migration of elephant herds in China’s Yunnan Province has attracted unprecedented public attention to the conservation of Asian elephants, with habitat fragmentation and human disturbance thought to be key factors. In this study, we used Jiangcheng, a new distribution site for Asian elephants in southwest China, as an example, combined the available remote sensing and monitoring data with the MaxEnt3.4.1 model, to analyze the factors affecting the activities of Asian elephants under the conditions of human disturbance and habitat degradation. The Least Cumulative Resistance model was utilized to construct the potential ecological dispersal corridors, and the key corridors were identified through the gravity model to explore the ecological security pattern of the habitat of Asian elephants in Jiangcheng County. The results show that the habitat of Asian elephants in Jiangcheng County is fragmented, showing a north–south strip distribution, never moving to the northeast. The existing suitable habitat is located in the low-elevation area (<1500 m), which is close to water sources and roads, and there is no nature reserve in this area. The land is mainly occupied by scrub or grassland near mountainous forests, but part of it is also under cultivation, which leads to conflicts between humans and elephants occur frequently. There are 14 ecological source areas, which are mainly distributed in the two regions of Zhengdong and Kangping, and there are 92 ecological corridors, of which 3 are important corridors and 89 are general corridors. This study comprehensively analyzes the current status and connectivity of Asian elephant habitat in Jiangcheng County at the regional scale, which helps to optimize the pattern of suitable habitat, promotes the dispersal of Asian elephants and habitat connectivity, and provides realistic guidance and basic information for the conservation planning of isolated populations of this species and their habitats. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Wildlife Biology and Habitat Conservation)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop