Protection and Management of Urban Parks and Nature Reserves

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

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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.