Protection and Management of Urban Parks and Nature Reserves
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Forestry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 26 February 2026 | Viewed by 11
Special Issue Editors
Interests: landscape
Interests: urban forest; structural diversity; ecosystem function; landscape ecological remote sensing; ecological conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: landscape ecology; ecosystem function; landscape ecological remote sensing; environmental impact assessment; ecological conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Urban biodiversity conservation and sustainable green space management are critical challenges in an era of rapid urbanization. Urban parks, nature reserves, and peri-urban forests play a vital role in preserving wildlife habitats, mitigating environmental pollution, and enhancing human well-being. These green spaces not only support ecological resilience but also provide essential recreational and health benefits for urban populations.
However, human exploitation continues to compete for natural space. Therefore, in the urban environment, the boundaries of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature should be studied as much as possible. The impact on ecosystems and biodiversity brought about by human encroachment on land resources, various types of pollution, and fragmentation of landscape patterns should be clearly measured. Against this background, this Special Issue explores strategies for the effective protection and management of urban green spaces, including forests, parks, and nature reserves. Key themes include
- Biodiversity conservation in urban and peri-urban ecosystems, including forests and woodlands;
- Ecological thresholds and indicators for sustainable green space management;
- Human–nature coexistence, focusing on balancing recreational use with habitat preservation;
- Innovative management approaches for urban forests, parks, and protected areas;
- Climate resilience and ecosystem services provided by urban and peri-urban green infrastructure;
- Use of cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, to accurately analyze biodiversity and anthropogenic impacts in urban environments;
- Impacts of light and sound pollution on biodiversity and related mitigation strategies;
- Case studies demonstrating how urban green spaces and biodiversity contribute to human well-being;
- Best practices for managing urban green spaces to promote biodiversity conservation.
Dr. Xiaoqing Xu
Prof. Dr. Lei Wang
Prof. Dr. Yunlong Yao
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
- green space
- urban parks
- urban biodiversity
- biodiversity conservation
- environmental pollution
- urban ecosystems
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