Forest Biomass Utilization: Implications for Global Sustainable Development

Dear Colleagues,

Forest biomass utilization has significant implications for global sustainable development across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Utilizing forest biomass sustainably presents both opportunities and challenges in the transition towards renewable and low-carbon energy sources. From an environmental perspective, responsible forest biomass utilization can contribute to mitigating climate change by substituting fossil fuels with biomass-derived energy, and/or using mass timber products as carbon sequesters. Economically, forest biomass utilization creates jobs in the forestry, processing, and bioenergy sectors. On a social level, biomass utilization can enhance energy security and access, particularly in rural and remote areas where conventional sources may be limited. The main challenges include ensuring biomass extraction does not exceed forest regeneration rates, protecting biodiversity, and addressing land-use conflicts. Policy frameworks are crucial to promoting sustainable practices, including robust regulations, incentives for sustainable forestry, and investment in research and development for efficient forest biomass utilization technologies. This Special Issue aims to provide an overview of the most recent advances in the field of forest biomass and their applications in diverse areas, keeping in mind the concept of global sustainable development.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Mass timber products and developments;
• Biochar applications;
• Sustainable Forestry;
• Bioenergy;
• Biomass forestry applications in rural areas;
• Forest ecosystem for sustainable forest biomass;
• Carbon sequestration and carbon credits;
• Sustainable management of forest resources ;
• Future perspectives for forest biomass.

Dr. Gloria Oporto
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.