Biosphere Reserves in the Global South

Dear Colleagues,

In 1971, UNESCO launched the "Man and the Biosphere" (MAB) program to address the growing conflict between the global population, resources, environment, and economic development. At present, there are more than 700 biosphere reserves spread over 100 countries, including 22 transboundary sites worldwide. These biosphere reserves have developed into a crucial forum and link for exchanging biodiversity conservation knowledge, as well as a place to investigate regional responses to global challenges and sustainable development models.

This Special Issue focuses on the integrity and complexity of ecological and environmental problems and evaluates associated impacts on livelihoods across terrestrial and coastal ecosystems in the global south. It aims to provide scientific support for the formation of relevant solutions (e.g., nature-based solutions) while simultaneously raising public understanding and awareness of the concept of MAB and the value of the biosphere reserve. It is hoped that this special edition will be of interest to a wider group of people and help to create a new situation for the development of MAB and promote the construction of a community with a shared future for mankind.

We welcome original research, methods, systematic reviews, and critical discussion papers on new ideas from various perspectives, methodological investigations from across disciplines, and empirical research (including qualitative research such as case studies and quantitative research such as modeling) that deals with interlinked issues of biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the global south. The key topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Ecosystem-specific networks of biosphere reserves, e.g., mountains and wetlands;
• Climate change and protected areas;
• Wilderness conservation;
• Integrated governance frameworks and management plans.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Vincent Ralph Clark
Dr. Ruida Pool-Stanvliet
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. Land 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.