Ecosystem Services of Urban Forests—2nd Edition

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1549

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
2. Department of Microbiology and Ecological Biotechnologies, Faculty of Plant Protection and Agroecology, Agricultural University, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: urban ecology; urban vegetation; biomonitoring; environmental pollution; oxidative stress; soil ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Ecology and Environmental Conservation, Faculty of Biology, Plovdiv University “Paisii Hilendarski”, 4000 Plovdiv, Bulgaria
Interests: environmental pollution; soils science; bioaccumulation and biomonitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Urban forests, and urban vegetation more generally, offer multiple resources and environmental benefits to society, and trees are regarded as the key elements of urban green infrastructure, as they have the largest effect on urban ecosystems. The functions and services they provide, such as air quality improvement, carbon sequestration, temperature reduction, etc., are directly influenced by the composition of species, the number and locations of the trees themselves, their biological properties, their adaptive mechanisms, and so forth. The first step in improving the management of urban green spaces and in enhancing their potential for ecosystem services is, therefore, to evaluate the current structure and benefits of urban forests. This Special Issue plans to provide an overview of the most recent advances in the field of ecosystem service assessment in urban areas, with a focus on urban trees and urban vegetation, as well as their valorization.

Areas of interest include, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Air pollutant removal;
  • Carbon sequestration;
  • Microclimate regulation;
  • Temperature reduction;
  • Biodiversity support;
  • Pollinator support;
  • Disservices of urban trees (pollens, volatile compounds, etc.).

Dr. Slaveya Petrova
Dr. Bogdan Nikolov
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 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.

Keywords

  • urban resilience
  • air pollution mitigation
  • precipitation runoff limitation
  • urban heat island mitigation
  • carbon sequestration
  • ecosystem services

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 (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

24 pages, 3927 KB  
Article
Urbanisation Shapes the Diversity, Composition, and Functional Profile of Endophytic Bacteriome in Common Urban Tree Species
by Mariana Petkova, Stefan Shilev, Bogdan Nikolov and Slaveya Petrova
Forests 2026, 17(3), 313; https://doi.org/10.3390/f17030313 - 1 Mar 2026
Viewed by 421
Abstract
Urbanisation is a major driver of ecological change, altering the composition and functioning of ecosystems through land use conversion, pollution, and environmental fragmentation. Although some authors reported that air pollutants could be absorbed and detoxified by the endophytic microbiome of urban trees, the [...] Read more.
Urbanisation is a major driver of ecological change, altering the composition and functioning of ecosystems through land use conversion, pollution, and environmental fragmentation. Although some authors reported that air pollutants could be absorbed and detoxified by the endophytic microbiome of urban trees, the specific mechanisms by which urban air pollution shapes the endophytic microbiome and, consequently, the trees’ capacity for pollutant degradation, remain largely unexplored. The aim of the present study was to: (1) analyse the structure of endophytic bacteriome of the phyllosphere of three widely planted ornamental tree species—Tilia tomentosa, Fraxinus excelsior, and Pinus nigra, growing at four locations within the city of Plovdiv, Bulgaria, with different anthropogenic load; and (2) assess the effects of host species and urban environmental exposure on bacteriome diversity, taxonomic composition, and functional capacity. Functional profiling based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed enrichment of the metabolic pathways associated with nitrogen cycling, carbon metabolism, and hydrocarbon degradation, particularly in samples originating from more urbanised or polluted locations. These predicted functional traits suggest that endophytic bacteria may actively contribute to detoxification processes within plant tissues. Tilia tomentosa and Fraxinus excelsior were enriched in nitrogen and carbon cycling pathways, including denitrification, methanol oxidation, and methanotrophy—functions associated with oxidative stress mitigation and nutrient regulation. In contrast, Pinus nigra showed higher relative abundance of chemoheterotrophy, ureolysis, and sulphur respiration, indicating a more conservative and stress-tolerant microbiome. Although the study involved only one settlement, these results suggest that endophytic communities may contribute to urban tree sustainability by supporting ecosystem functions under stress conditions. By integrating microbial ecology with urban environmental assessment, this research provides new insights into the adaptive potential of endophytic microbiota in urban forests and highlights their importance in the sustainable management of green infrastructure through microbiome-informed strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services of Urban Forests—2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

25 pages, 774 KB  
Article
Understanding How Generation Z Students in Forest Sciences and Landscape Architecture Perceive Ecosystem Services in Urban Garden Forests
by Hoi-Eun Roh, Jang-Hwan Jo, Yu-Ji Jang and Jung-Won Sung
Forests 2025, 16(10), 1587; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16101587 - 16 Oct 2025
Viewed by 757
Abstract
This study investigates how university students perceive the ecosystem services provided by gardens, utilizing Q methodology to categorize subjective viewpoints and analyze distinct perception types. Thirty-two students majoring in forest and landscape architecture at Wonkwang University (Iksan, Republic of Korea) participated, sorting 30 [...] Read more.
This study investigates how university students perceive the ecosystem services provided by gardens, utilizing Q methodology to categorize subjective viewpoints and analyze distinct perception types. Thirty-two students majoring in forest and landscape architecture at Wonkwang University (Iksan, Republic of Korea) participated, sorting 30 Q-statements each for provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services. Principal component analysis identified three factors for provisioning and regulating services, and two factors for cultural and supporting services. The findings reveal that students’ perceptions are primarily based on generalized, idealized expectations, while their understanding of specific practices, such as food production, distribution, and community economic integration, remains insufficient. This indicates that their perceptions are more conceptual than practical, reflecting themes such as eco-friendly resource sharing, environmental regulation, nature experience, biodiversity enhancement, and sustainability. These results suggest the need for enhanced educational efforts to improve students’ understanding of the role of ecosystem services in urban contexts. The study highlights the importance of bridging the gap between theoretical knowledge and practical recognition to foster more comprehensive perceptions, ultimately informing future garden design, management strategies, and environmental education programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Ecosystem Services of Urban Forests—2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop