Erosion and Forests: Drivers, Impacts, and Management

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Natural Hazards and Risk Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 108

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry (TESAF), University of Padua, 35020 Legnaro, PD, Italy
Interests: debris flow; geomorphology; land erosion; forests; natural disturbances; remote sensing

E-Mail
Guest Editor
Department of Geography, Catchments, and Coasts Research Group, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
Interests: sediment transport; fluvial geomorphology; forestry; large infrequent disturbances; riparian vegetation; large wood

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Land, Environment, Agriculture and Forestry, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
Interests: geomorphology; rivers; morphological change; fluvial geomorphology; sediment transport; sediment management; large wood dynamics and characteristics; fluvial island dynamics and characteristics; riparian vegetation; gravel bed rivers; river restoration; mountain and piedmont streams and basins; human impact

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests play a crucial role in stabilizing slopes by preventing soil erosion, regulating the water cycle, and enhancing soil structure. Land degradation, deforestation, natural disturbances, and climate changes are increasing forest destabilization and, in some cases, the complete removal of the forest cover. These phenomena consequently lead to erosion processes, such as soil losses, reduced water quality, increase in sediment production and large wood delivery to the channel network, and biodiversity decline. Understanding the complex interactions between forests and erosion is essential for detecting the most critical areas and, consequently, adopting immediate and sustainable land and forest management strategies.

This Special Issue invites original research and review articles on the causes, impacts, and rehabilitation of forest-related erosion. We welcome studies on the effects of deforestation, land-use change, natural disturbances, and extreme weather events on erosion dynamics and the modelling of sediment fluxes and large wood recruitment, considering in-channel and/or slope processes. Additionally, contributions on innovative approaches for improving forest stability and restoration techniques, including afforestation, bioengineering, and sustainable land-use practices, are encouraged.

Key topics:

  • Mechanisms and drivers of forest erosion;
  • Impacts of climate change on erosion in forested landscapes;
  • Remote sensing and modeling approaches for predicting and assessing erosion;
  • Sustainable forestry practices for preventing erosion;
  • Case studies on successful restoration strategies.

Dr. Tommaso Baggio
Dr. Giacomo Pellegrini
Dr. Lorenzo Picco
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

  • forests
  • erosion
  • sediment fluxes
  • large wood recruitment
  • remote sensing
  • soil degradation
  • forest restoration

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.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

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

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop