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Land
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Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity
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Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Landscape Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (7 August 2025) | Viewed by 12850

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Guillermo Martinez-Pastur

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Ushuaia 9410, Argentina
Interests: forest ecology; forest management; ecosystem services; landscape ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Robert Baldwin

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Forestry and Environmental Conservation Department, 261 Lehotsky Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634, USA
Interests: biodiversity; landscape-scale conservation planning; wetland landscapes; habitat connectivity
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Mónica Del Rosario Toro-Manríquez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centro de Investigación en Ecosistemas de la Patagonia (CIEP), Coyhaique 5951369, Aysén, Chile
Interests: forest ecology; forest management; biodiversity conservation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Serban Chivulescu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry Marin Dracea (INCDS), 077190 Voluntari, Romania
Interests: forest management; conservation; ecosystem services
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The provision of ecosystem services over time in natural and anthropized landscapes requires the conservation of biodiversity, which ensures the functioning of ecosystems and their resilience to disturbances and natural and anthropogenic impacts. Currently, one of the greatest challenges is finding new ways to reconcile productive activities and urban growth with the provision of ecosystem services related to human well-being. Human well-being represents the ultimate measure in the evaluation of changes in ecosystem services (e.g., subsistence, health, goods), where the design and restoration of multifunctional landscapes represents one of the strategies used to face these challenges, e.g., using multi-objective forest planning at a landscape level. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to deepen studies on ecology at different scales of analysis, developing strategies and tools which are tailored to the specific requirements of the most sensitive or threatened areas. These tools need to be feasible for development and conservation strategies at the landscape scale, with implementation costs that are accessible and that utilize the scarce information available in developing countries. Tools such as remote sensing have rapidly developed in recent years, providing new opportunities for ecosystem monitoring and inventories.

This Special Issue, called “Sustainable Forest Landscape Management towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity”, aims to present and discuss the latest advances in the study of biodiversity in forests, both in natural and anthropized landscapes, via different productive activities, as well as following the main recommendations to improve their conservation and maintain the provision of the ecosystem services. It also aims to review current applications regarding the use of remote sensors and other platforms, their state of the art in natural ecosystems, and to analyze the utility and feasibility of these tools.

We will accept scientific papers and reviews in the following themes, but will also focus on forest management strategies based on the provision of ecosystem services and/or biodiversity conservation:

  1. Land-related issues in ecology, environmental/geosciences, economic (sustainability) sciences, and biodiversity research.
  2. Land-related aspects of biodiversity and forest management.
  3. Land management, including the application of ecosystem services, multifunctionality, or other concepts.
  4. Land-related trade-off analyses in resource management (e.g., biodiversity).
  5. Landscape and territorial planning, conservation, and management.
  6. New management proposals, e.g., variable retention forestry. 

Dr. Guillermo J. Martinez-Pastur
Prof. Dr. Robert Baldwin
Dr. Mónica Toro-Manríquez
Dr. Serban Chivulescu
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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.

Keywords

  • sustainable forestry
  • ecosystem services
  • biodiversity conservation
  • multi-objective forest planning
  • synergies and trade-offs
  • landscape management

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Related Special Issue

Published Papers (8 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

26 pages, 6044 KB  
Article
Mapping Tradeoffs and Synergies in Ecosystem Services as a Function of Forest Management
by Hazhir Karimi, Christina L. Staudhammer, Matthew D. Therrell, William J. Kleindl, Leah M. Mungai, Amobichukwu C. Amanambu and C. Nathan Jones
Land 2025, 14(8), 1591; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14081591 - 4 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1042
Abstract
The spatial variation of forest ecosystem services at regional scales remains poorly understood, and few studies have explicitly analyzed how ecosystem services are distributed across different forest management types. This study assessed the spatial overlap between forest management types and ecosystem service hotspots [...] Read more.
The spatial variation of forest ecosystem services at regional scales remains poorly understood, and few studies have explicitly analyzed how ecosystem services are distributed across different forest management types. This study assessed the spatial overlap between forest management types and ecosystem service hotspots in the Southeastern United States (SEUS) and the Pacific Northwest (PNW) forests. We used the InVEST suite of tools and GIS to quantify carbon storage and water yield. Carbon storage was estimated, stratified by forest group and age class, and literature-based biomass pool values were applied. Average annual water yield and its temporal changes (2001–2020) were modeled using the annual water yield model, incorporating precipitation, potential evapotranspiration, vegetation type, and soil characteristics. Ecosystem service outputs were classified to identify hotspot zones (top 20%) and to evaluate the synergies and tradeoffs between these services. Hotspots were then overlaid with forest management maps to examine their distribution across management types. We found that only 2% of the SEUS and 11% of the PNW region were simultaneous hotspots for both services. In the SEUS, ecological and preservation forest management types showed higher efficiency in hotspot allocation, while in PNW, production forestry contributed relatively more to hotspot areas. These findings offer valuable insights for decision-makers and forest managers seeking to preserve the multiple benefits that forests provide at regional scales. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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25 pages, 5461 KB  
Article
Spaceborne LiDAR Reveals Anthropogenic and Biophysical Drivers Shaping the Spatial Distribution of Forest Aboveground Biomass in Eastern Himalayas
by Abhilash Dutta Roy, Abraham Ranglong, Sandeep Timilsina, Sumit Kumar Das, Michael S. Watt, Sergio de-Miguel, Sourabh Deb, Uttam Kumar Sahoo and Midhun Mohan
Land 2025, 14(8), 1540; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14081540 - 27 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1083
Abstract
The distribution of forest aboveground biomass density (AGBD) is a key indicator of carbon stock and ecosystem health in the Eastern Himalayas, which represents a global biodiversity hotspot that sustains diverse forest types across an elevation gradient from lowland rainforests to alpine meadows [...] Read more.
The distribution of forest aboveground biomass density (AGBD) is a key indicator of carbon stock and ecosystem health in the Eastern Himalayas, which represents a global biodiversity hotspot that sustains diverse forest types across an elevation gradient from lowland rainforests to alpine meadows and contributes to the livelihoods of more than 200 distinct indigenous communities. This study aimed to identify the key factors influencing forest AGBD across this region by analyzing the underlying biophysical and anthropogenic drivers through machine learning (random forest). We processed AGBD data from the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) spaceborne LiDAR and applied filtering to retain 30,257 high-quality footprints across ten ecoregions. We then analyzed the relationship between AGBD and 17 climatic, topographic, soil, and anthropogenic variables using random forest regression models. The results revealed significant spatial variability in AGBD (149.6 ± 79.5 Mg ha−1) across the region. State-wise, Sikkim recorded the highest mean AGBD (218 Mg ha−1) and Manipur the lowest (102.8 Mg ha−1). Within individual ecoregions, the Himalayan subtropical pine forests exhibited the highest mean AGBD (245.5 Mg ha−1). Topographic factors, particularly elevation and latitude, were strong determinants of biomass distribution, with AGBD increasing up to elevations of 2000 m before declining. Protected areas (PAs) consistently showed higher AGBD than unprotected forests for all ecoregions, while proximity to urban and agricultural areas resulted in lower AGBD, pointing towards negative anthropogenic impacts. Our full model explained 41% of AGBD variance across the Eastern Himalayas, with better performance in individual ecoregions like the Northeast India-Myanmar pine forests (R2 = 0.59). While limited by the absence of regionally explicit stand-level forest structure data (age, stand density, species composition), our results provide valuable evidence for conservation policy development, including expansion of PAs, compensating avoided deforestation and modifications in shifting cultivation. Future research should integrate field measurements with remote sensing and use high-resolution LiDAR with locally derived allometric models to enhance biomass estimation and GEDI data validation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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21 pages, 4546 KB  
Article
The Spatiotemporal Dynamics of the Landscape of the Itombwe Nature Reserve and Its Periphery in South Kivu, the Democratic Republic of Congo
by Cléophace Bayumbasire Citwara, Trésor Mbavumoja Selemani, Julien Bwazani Balandi, Nadège Cizungu Cirezi, André Nduwimana, Léonard Mubalama Kakira, Kouagou Raoul Sambieni, Jean-Pierre Mate Mweru, Jean-François Bastin, Hervé Tchekote and Jan Bogaert
Land 2025, 14(4), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040907 - 21 Apr 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1103
Abstract
This study examines the evolution of anthropogenic pressures on the Itombwe Nature Reserve and its periphery over the period 1990–2024 using satellite imagery. Two landscape ecology indices were employed: the Percentage of Landscape (PLAND) and the Largest Patch Index (LPI). The PLAND quantifies [...] Read more.
This study examines the evolution of anthropogenic pressures on the Itombwe Nature Reserve and its periphery over the period 1990–2024 using satellite imagery. Two landscape ecology indices were employed: the Percentage of Landscape (PLAND) and the Largest Patch Index (LPI). The PLAND quantifies the overall extent of each habitat type, while the LPI provides insights into their spatial configuration. Eighty-three plots (each 2.5 km per side, i.e., 6.25 km2) were sampled in both the reserve and its periphery to generate robust landscape replications. Analysis focused on three key land use classes: forests, savannahs, and fields. Statistical comparisons using Kruskal–Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests revealed a decline in forest cover within the reserve and its periphery, accompanied by a steady increase in savannahs and fields. The decline in forest cover is particularly pronounced along the reserve’s periphery. For instance, in the reserve, forest cover decreased from 78.4% in 1990 to approximately 60.2% in 2024, whereas on the periphery, it dropped from 37.5% to about 21.4%. In contrast, the savannah areas increased from 17.7% to 29.5% within the reserve and maintained a marked predominance on the periphery (rising from 53.9% to 55.2%). Additionally, the area dedicated to fields exhibited notable expansion, rising from 3.70% to 10.22% in the reserve and from 7.54% to 21.98% along the periphery. These findings underscore the significant impacts of anthropogenic pressure on the forest ecosystems in both the reserve and its periphery. They highlight the urgent need for enhanced conservation measures within the reserve, as well as the implementation of sustainable land use practices (e.g., agroforestry and sustainable agriculture) in the peripheral zones to reduce the local population’s dependence on forest resources. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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23 pages, 4763 KB  
Article
Anthropogenic Disturbances in Northwestern Virunga Forest Amid Armed Conflict
by Charles Mumbere Musavandalo, Pyrus Flavien Ebouel Essouman, Serge Shakanye Ndjadi, Julien Bwazani Balandi, Timothée Besisa Nguba, Carlo Sodalo, Jean-Pierre Mate Mweru, Kouagou Raoul Sambieni and Jan Bogaert
Land 2025, 14(4), 732; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040732 - 29 Mar 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1286
Abstract
This study focuses on identifying and assessing the extent of anthropogenic disturbance factors directly affecting the forests of northwestern Virunga. It posits that the army camps within the forest are a hotspot for expanding human activities in the context of armed conflict. A [...] Read more.
This study focuses on identifying and assessing the extent of anthropogenic disturbance factors directly affecting the forests of northwestern Virunga. It posits that the army camps within the forest are a hotspot for expanding human activities in the context of armed conflict. A multiscalar approach was used to examine disturbances across multiple levels to capture their complex interaction and to avoid oversimplified interpretations. This approach included an analysis of the dynamics and spatial structure of the forest cover from 2016 to 2023, along with an inventory of the local disturbance factors. The study focused on seven study sites hosting army camps, namely Mikuha, Lahe, Pk26, and Ngite within Virunga National Park, as well as Mamundioma, PK2, and Kinziki in its periphery. The findings show that the installation of army camps did not lead to significant forest fragmentation. Except for Mamundioma, all the other sites showed an increase in forest areas, due to the aggregation of remaining forest patches during periods of insecurity. However, this trend toward passive forest restoration does not offset disturbances. It merely reflects a slowdown in the conversion of forest areas to other land uses. Nine anthropogenic factors contribute to forest disturbances, with cash crops (74.17%), food crops (72.50%), and trees cut down for energy (61.61%) being the most prominent. Other contributing factors include carbonization (31.67%), fire use (30.00%), sawn timber (26.67%), path creation (17.50%), exotic tree species introduction (10.00%), and the establishment of invasive species (11.67%). Spatial analysis provides a partial explanation for such forest disturbances. Its exhaustive description would require a mix of spatial data and field observations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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22 pages, 14497 KB  
Article
Phenological Divergences in Vegetation with Land Surface Temperature Changes in Different Geographical Zones
by Yu Tian and Bingxi Liu
Land 2025, 14(3), 562; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030562 - 7 Mar 2025
Viewed by 935
Abstract
Exploring the phenological divergences in vegetation caused by global climate change is of great significance for gaining a deeper understanding of the carbon cycling process in natural ecosystems. However, in many existing studies, the response of the start of the growing season (SOS) [...] Read more.
Exploring the phenological divergences in vegetation caused by global climate change is of great significance for gaining a deeper understanding of the carbon cycling process in natural ecosystems. However, in many existing studies, the response of the start of the growing season (SOS) and the end of the growing season (EOS) to temperature exhibited multi-scale inconsistencies. In view of this, we took 259 Chinese urban agglomerations and their rural regions as the study areas, using MODIS phenological products (MCD12Q2), land surface temperature (LST) datasets, altitude, and latitude as data, and explored the phenological divergences in vegetation with LST changes in different geographical zones through box plots, linear regression models, and Spearman’s correlation analysis. The mean SOS and EOS in urban areas were both the earliest on approximately the 100.06th day and 307.39th day, respectively, and were then gradually delayed and advanced separately along an urban–rural gradient of 0–25 km. The divergences in vegetation phenology were no longer significant in rural areas 10 km away from urban boundaries, with change amplitudes of less than 0.4 days. In high latitude (40–50° N) regions, the correlation coefficients between the SOS and EOS of various urban agglomerations and LST were −0.627 and 0.588, respectively, whereas in low latitude (18–25° N) regions, the correlation coefficients appeared to be the opposite, being 0.424 and −0.426, respectively. In mid- to high-altitude (150–400 m) areas, LST had a strong advanced effect on SOS, while in high-altitude (above 1200 m) areas, LST had a strong delayed effect on EOS, with the R2 values all being above 0.7. In summary, our study has revealed that within the context of varying geographical zones, the effects of LST on phenology exhibited significant spatial heterogeneity. This may provide strong evidence for the inconsistencies in the trends of phenology observed across previous studies and more relevant constraints for improving vegetation phenology prediction models. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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17 pages, 8272 KB  
Article
Retention Levels and Years-After-Harvesting Influence over Soil Microbial Activity and Biomass in Southern Patagonian Forests
by Santiago Toledo, Guillermo Martínez Pastur, Julián Rodríguez-Souilla and Pablo L. Peri
Land 2024, 13(11), 1963; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111963 - 20 Nov 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1402
Abstract
Variable retention harvesting (VRH) was designed for timber purposes and biodiversity conservation in natural forests. This system was globally tested, but few studies are related to soil microbial components. The objective was to evaluate different retention types (aggregated and dispersed retention) considering different [...] Read more.
Variable retention harvesting (VRH) was designed for timber purposes and biodiversity conservation in natural forests. This system was globally tested, but few studies are related to soil microbial components. The objective was to evaluate different retention types (aggregated and dispersed retention) considering different years-after-harvesting (6, 9, 16 YAH) on soil microbial community attributes compared with unmanaged primary forests (PF) in Nothofagus pumilio forests of Tierra del Fuego (Argentina). This study also evaluated the influence of climate, soil, and understory vegetation. Results showed that aggregated retention increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN), and soil basal respiration (SBR) compared to dispersed retention, but with similar values than PF. However, harvested areas decreased MBC/MBN values compared with PF. The results showed an overall decrease in microbial biomass and activity in 9 YAH stands, with a positive recovery at 16 YAH. Soil pH, mean annual temperature, and understory vegetation cover showed a positive relationship with MBC, MBN, and SBR. The recovery after 16 YAH reached to different microbial communities. Therefore, the maintenance of retention components in managed stands for longer periods is needed. The results highlight some advantages of VRH as a tool for conservation of forest-dwelling soil microorganisms, including microbial biomass and activity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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Review

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31 pages, 2983 KB  
Review
Sustainable Management of Willow Forest Landscapes: A Review of Ecosystem Functions and Conservation Strategies
by Florin Achim, Lucian Dinca, Danut Chira, Razvan Raducu, Alexandru Chirca and Gabriel Murariu
Land 2025, 14(8), 1593; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14081593 - 4 Aug 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1142
Abstract
Willow stands (Salix spp.) are an essential part of riparian ecosystems, as they sustain biodiversity and provide bioenergy solutions. The present review synthesizes the global scientific literature about the management of willow stands. In order to achieve this goal, we used a [...] Read more.
Willow stands (Salix spp.) are an essential part of riparian ecosystems, as they sustain biodiversity and provide bioenergy solutions. The present review synthesizes the global scientific literature about the management of willow stands. In order to achieve this goal, we used a dual approach combining bibliometric analysis with traditional literature review. As such, we consulted 416 publications published between 1978 and 2024. This allowed us to identify key species, ecosystem services, conservation strategies, and management issues. The results we have obtained show a diversity of approaches, with an increase in short-rotation coppice (SRC) systems and the multiple roles covered by willow stands (carbon sequestration, biomass production, riparian restoration, and habitat provision). The key trends we have identified show a shift toward topics such as climate resilience, ecological restoration, and precision forestry. This trend has become especially pronounced over the past decade (2014–2024), as reflected in the increasing use of these keywords in the literature. However, as willow systems expand in scale and function—from biomass production to ecological restoration—they also raise complex challenges, including invasive tendencies in non-native regions and uncertainties surrounding biodiversity impacts and soil carbon dynamics over the long term. The present review is a guide for forest policies and, more specifically, for future research, linking the need to integrate and use adaptive strategies in order to maintain the willow stands. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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28 pages, 2896 KB  
Review
Community Forest Management and REDD+: Pathways to Effective Implementation, Livelihood Improvement, and Climate Change Adaptation in Cambodia
by Chaly Y, Karen F. Hytten and Diane Pearson
Land 2025, 14(5), 1122; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14051122 - 21 May 2025
Viewed by 3135
Abstract
Community Forest Management (CFM) and REDD+ projects have emerged as key strategies for promoting environmental conservation and livelihood improvement. This review explores the effectiveness of incorporating free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), safeguard principles, grievance redress mechanisms, and benefit-sharing mechanisms into CFM and [...] Read more.
Community Forest Management (CFM) and REDD+ projects have emerged as key strategies for promoting environmental conservation and livelihood improvement. This review explores the effectiveness of incorporating free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC), safeguard principles, grievance redress mechanisms, and benefit-sharing mechanisms into CFM and REDD+ in Cambodia, with a focus on enhancing communities’ livelihoods and climate change adaptation. This paper synthesizes findings from recent literature on CFM and REDD+ in Cambodia and internationally, analyzing key case studies, policy frameworks, and community engagement strategies. Findings suggest that while REDD+ projects offer potential economic and ecological benefits, challenges related to land tenure, equity in benefit-sharing, and community participation remain. This review highlights the need for stronger community engagement, a robust conflict management structure, clear land tenure policies, equitable benefit-sharing mechanisms, and more climate change adaptation activities to ensure the success of CFM and REDD+ projects in Cambodia and the Global South. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainable Forest Landscape Management Towards Ecosystem Services and Biodiversity)
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