Linking Forest and Geodiversity Management

Dear Colleagues,

Effective and sustainable management of forest ecosystems in the context of climate change and increasing environmental pressures requires an integrated approach that encompasses not only biological diversity but also geodiversity as a key component of landscape heterogeneity. Geodiversity—including the variability of geological substrates, geomorphological structures, soil types, and hydrological regimes—significantly influences ecological processes, species composition, and the functional stability of forest stands.

Consequently, with this Special Issue we aim to highlight research that studies the integration of forestry planning with geoscientific data to optimize management interventions, enhance ecosystem resilience, and support the ecological functions of forest environments in the context of surrounding landscapes. Geoarchaeological research also plays an important role, serving as a tool for understanding the long-term interactions between human cultures and natural ecosystems, and their relevance to contemporary forest management. Modern remote sensing technologies and the application of geoinformation systems (GISs) for geodiversity mapping and subsequent geospatial modelling are also an essential research field within this thematic focus.

The overarching goal of all contributions should be to propose a framework for interdisciplinary collaboration among forest management, geology, soil science, and landscape ecology, enabling sustainable and comprehensive management of forest ecosystems with respect to their geological and geomorphological conditions and diversity.

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

• Geodiversity determining soil diversity and biodiversity of forest ecosystems;
• Geodiversity as part of the concept of integrating geoscientific data into sustainable forestry planning with respect to the abiotic conditions of forest environments;
• Geodiversity as a component of the hydrological regime of forest soils;
• Mapping geodiversity using state-of-the-art geoinformation technologies and its practical application in forest management;
• Geodiversity as one of the key factors ensuring ecological stability and supporting ecosystem services in forest environments;
• Geodiversity determining geohazards that influence ecosystem development and limit forestry management options;

Geodiversity studies (especially those aspects of them that pertain to forest soils) that enable reconstruction of the human environment of past cultures and the identification and interpretation of anthropogenic forest and landscape interventions as a tool for deeper understanding of long-term human–environment interactions.

Dr. Marie Balková
Dr. Aleš Bajer
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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