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Forests
Special Issues
Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics
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Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (25 May 2026) | Viewed by 3780

Editor

Prof. Dr. Jinlong Liu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, Renmin University of China, Beijing 100872, China
Interests: forest policy; local governance; natural resource management; poverty alleviation and community building

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to gather a selection of the most significant research works presented at the International Symposium on Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics, which was successfully held in Beijing, China, from October 8 to 11, 2025. This symposium brought together notable figures in this interdisciplinary field, and this Special Issue aims to further extend its academic impact by compiling cutting-edge findings.

It will cover a wide range of relevant subjects, including, but not limited to, the following: multi-level forest governance mechanism optimization; effectiveness evaluation and improvement of forest-related policies; economic mechanisms for sustainable forestry; ecological compensation system construction; REDD+ implementation and practice; stakeholder coordination in forest management; value chain optimization of forest products; and the balance between forest ecological protection and economic development.

All key topics discussed at the symposium will be featured, with contributions from both scientists and industry experts in order to ensure comprehensive, multi-perspective coverage. The papers will offer readers—including scientists, consultants, industry experts, practitioners, government officials, and students—a valuable platform that showcases the latest developments in integrative forest governance, policy, and economics.

Submissions are also open to studies that were not presented at the symposium, provided that their subject matter aligns with the core themes outlined above. This Special Issue is guest-edited by a strong team of reputable scientists in the discipline, led by Professor Liu as Guest Editor-in-Chief.

Prof. Dr. Jinlong Liu
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-anonymized 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

  • integrative forest governance
  • forest policy
  • forest economics
  • forest management
  • stakeholder coordination
  • sustainable forestry

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

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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30 pages, 13258 KB  
Article
Co-Creating Governance for Community-Based Forest Orchid Cultivation and Ecotourism: Lessons from Lore Lindu National Park, Indonesia
by Teguh Kurniawan, Syifa Amania Afra, Ega Wahyudi, Yohani Ebiantari, Imam Fajri and Raynilda Siringoringo
Forests 2026, 17(7), 837; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17070837 - 15 Jul 2026
Viewed by 684
Abstract
Lore Lindu National Park (LLNP), a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, is characterized by its significant biodiversity and ecotourism potential, including endemic forest orchids and rich cultural heritage. Despite its ecological importance, the park [...] Read more.
Lore Lindu National Park (LLNP), a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Biosphere Reserve in Central Sulawesi, Indonesia, is characterized by its significant biodiversity and ecotourism potential, including endemic forest orchids and rich cultural heritage. Despite its ecological importance, the park continues to face deforestation and illegal land use, partly driven by limited community involvement in conservation governance. In this study, we examine the co-creation of governance in community-based forest orchid cultivation and ecotourism initiatives in Karunia Village, where local communities have developed organic orchid cultivation practices since 2004. Drawing on the co-creation governance framework of Christopher Ansell, Eva Sørensen, and Jacob Torfing, we employ a qualitative case study approach based on a literature review, field observations, and in-depth interviews conducted over four months. Our findings reveal that each phase of co-creation is shaped by distinct institutional and socio-political dynamics. Initiation is strongly influenced by local economic pressures and social solidarity, while design encounters regulatory barriers related to licensing and conservation policy. Implementation remains constrained by fragmented coordination among multi-level stakeholders, and systematic evaluation mechanisms are largely absent. We propose the use of a Responsible, Accountable, Consulted, Informed (RACI) Matrix to clarify institutional roles and strengthen collaborative governance arrangements. This article contributes to the literature by expanding the empirical understanding of co-creation practices in the Global South and highlighting the importance of institutional and socio-political dimensions in community-based environmental governance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics)
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24 pages, 1890 KB  
Article
Evaluation of the Urban Forest Development Effectiveness in Chinese Cities: A Causal Inference Approach Based on Double Machine Learning
by Huanpeng Liu, Luning Wang, Feng Wei and Yameng Wang
Forests 2026, 17(6), 666; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17060666 - 30 May 2026
Viewed by 385
Abstract
In the context of rapid urbanization and climate change, evaluating urban forest development and the effectiveness of related policies is of great significance. This study takes Chinese prefecture-level cities as the research object and constructs an evaluation system for Urban Forest Development Effectiveness [...] Read more.
In the context of rapid urbanization and climate change, evaluating urban forest development and the effectiveness of related policies is of great significance. This study takes Chinese prefecture-level cities as the research object and constructs an evaluation system for Urban Forest Development Effectiveness (UFDE), encompassing forest networks, forest health, ecological welfare, and development coordination. The analytic hierarchy process–entropy weight method is employed to measure UFDE. On this basis, leveraging the quasi-natural experiment formed by the staggered implementation of the National Forest City Policy (NFCP), this paper applies double machine learning (DML) to identify the causal effects of the policy. The results show that NFCP significantly improves UFDE, and this conclusion remains robust across various model specifications and robustness checks. Meanwhile, the policy effects exhibit significant heterogeneity, being more pronounced in eastern and central regions, as well as in humid climate zones, while being relatively weaker in western and arid regions. Methodologically, this study introduces DML to enhance the precision of causal identification, and in terms of measurement, it achieves a multidimensional, comprehensive evaluation. It provides a new analytical framework for assessing environmental policy effectiveness and offers empirical evidence for optimizing urban ecological governance and promoting green development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics)
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29 pages, 3217 KB  
Article
Green Innovation, Industrial Upgrading, and Urban Environmental Improvement—Evidence from the Construction of National Forest Cities in China
by Yameng Wang, Mingyue Zhang, Zichen An, Mengyang Hou, Feng Wei and Weinan Lu
Forests 2026, 17(4), 462; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17040462 - 9 Apr 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 402
Abstract
Promoting the construction of National Forest Cities to enhance urban ecological environmental quality and foster green and sustainable development has become an important policy pathway in China’s ecological civilization agenda. This study employs panel data for 214 Chinese cities over the period 2003–2023 [...] Read more.
Promoting the construction of National Forest Cities to enhance urban ecological environmental quality and foster green and sustainable development has become an important policy pathway in China’s ecological civilization agenda. This study employs panel data for 214 Chinese cities over the period 2003–2023 and adopts a difference-in-differences (DID) approach to empirically examine the impact of National Forest City construction—a policy implemented in China since 2004—on urban ecological environments and its underlying mechanisms. The results indicate that National Forest City construction significantly improves urban ecological environmental quality. The findings remain robust after a series of robustness checks. Mechanism analysis shows that National Forest City construction primarily promotes urban environmental improvement by enhancing urban green innovation and optimizing adjustments to the urban industrial structure. Further heterogeneity analysis reveals that the environmental effects of the policy are more pronounced in non-resource-based cities, non-central cities, large cities, and cities with stronger governance capacity and higher levels of environmental concern. The conclusions provide policy implications and mechanistic insights from China’s experience for other cities around the world seeking to jointly address environmental pollution and climate change through comprehensive ecological interventions and to advance green and sustainable development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics)
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Review

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17 pages, 1715 KB  
Review
Nature-Based Solutions for Enhancing Ecosystem Services: Mechanisms, Benefits, and Challenges
by Jinyu Gong, Linxuan He, Luyao Cui, Shan Zhou, Xuemei Wang and Jingpin Lei
Forests 2026, 17(7), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17070804 - 9 Jul 2026
Viewed by 427
Abstract
As a key pathway to address climate change and biodiversity loss, and to promote sustainable development, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have increasingly emerged as a vital theoretical framework and practical tool in global environmental governance. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the primary [...] Read more.
As a key pathway to address climate change and biodiversity loss, and to promote sustainable development, Nature-based Solutions (NbS) have increasingly emerged as a vital theoretical framework and practical tool in global environmental governance. This study provides a comprehensive overview of the primary categories of NbS, including ecological restoration approaches, issue-specific ecosystem-related approaches, infrastructure-related approaches, ecosystem protection approaches, and ecosystem-based management approaches. It also reviews the many ecological, social, and economic benefits generated by NbS practices globally and in China, such as enhanced carbon sequestration, disaster risk reduction, water purification, livelihood improvement, and increased tourism revenue. The findings highlight that the effectiveness of NbS is influenced by a variety of factors, including climatic conditions, spatial patterns, socio-economic contexts, and governance capacity. In addition, the delayed ecological responses and potential trade-offs among ecosystem services present challenges for the long-term implementation and upscaling of NbS. To improve the scientific rigor and applicability of NbS, future efforts should focus on long-term ecological monitoring and dynamic evaluation, developing integrated performance assessment frameworks, and strengthening the integration of local knowledge with supportive policy mechanisms. This review offers theoretical insights and practical guidance for enhancing the implementation of NbS in ecosystem management and policy-making. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics)
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18 pages, 17187 KB  
Review
Ecological and Economic Synergies of Acacia melanoxylon and Eucalyptus Mixed Plantations: A Combined Bibliometric and Narrative Review
by Haoyu Gui, Xiaojie Sun, Hong Wei and Lichao Wu
Forests 2026, 17(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17010065 - 31 Dec 2025
Viewed by 1002
Abstract
Acacia melanoxylon R.Br. demonstrates strong biological nitrogen–fixation capacity and favourable economic returns, making it a promising candidate for the development of subtropical forestry in South Asia. It is a fast–growing leguminous tree species widely promoted for cultivation in China, and it is also [...] Read more.
Acacia melanoxylon R.Br. demonstrates strong biological nitrogen–fixation capacity and favourable economic returns, making it a promising candidate for the development of subtropical forestry in South Asia. It is a fast–growing leguminous tree species widely promoted for cultivation in China, and it is also one of the ideal tree species for improving soil fertility in forest lands. What are the synergistic mechanisms between A. melanoxylon-Eucalyptus stands and pure Eucalyptus spp.? Current theories regarding A. melanoxylon–Eucalyptus systems remain relatively fragmented due to the lack of effective silvicultural measures, resistance studies, and comprehensive ecological–economic benefit evaluations. The absence of an integrated analytical framework for holistic research on A. melanoxylon–Eucalyptus systems makes it difficult to summarise and comprehensively analyse their growth and development, thereby limiting the optimisation and widespread application of their models. This study employed CiteSpace bibliometric analysis and qualitative methods to explore ideal tree species combination patterns, elucidate their intrinsic eco–economic synergistic mechanisms, and reasonably reveal their collaborative potential. This study systematically reviewed silvicultural management, stress physiology, ecological security, and economic policy using the Chinese and English literature published from 2010 to 2025. The narrative synthesis results indicated that strip intercropping (7:3) is widely documented as an effective model for creating vertical niche complementarity, whereby canopy light and thermal utilisation by A. melanoxylon species improve subsoil nutrient cycling by enhancing stand structure. A conceptual full–cycle economic assessment framework was proposed to measure carbon sequestration and timber premiums. Correspondingly, this conversion of implicit ecological services into explicit market values acted as a critical tool for decision–making in assessing benefit. A three–dimensional “cultivation strategy–physiological ecology–value assessment” assessment framework was established. This framework demonstrated how to move from wanting to maximise the output of an individual component to maximising the value of the whole system. It theorised and provided guidance on resolving the complementary conflict between “ecology–economy” in the management of sustainable multifunctional plantations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Integrative Forest Governance, Policy, and Economics)
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