Land Use, Heritage and Ecosystem Services
A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Landscape Ecology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 November 2025 | Viewed by 13
Special Issue Editors
Interests: planning; management; conservation of natural areas and wildlife
Interests: landscape evolution; floods; wetlands and river spaces
Interests: physical geography; soil science; wildfire; forest restoration; land use impacts; ecosystem services
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Land use changes, driven by human activities such as urbanization, intensive agriculture, and climate change, have deep implications for natural and cultural heritage, as well as for ecosystem services that underpin human well-being. Preserving cultural landscapes, conserving natural areas, and ensuring the provision of services like water regulation, soil fertility, and biodiversity are critical challenges in a rapidly changing world. This research area is essential for developing territorial management strategies that balance economic development with environmental sustainability and heritage protection. Integrating geographic, ecological, and social approaches is key to addressing these issues, making this topic a priority for the scientific community and policymakers.
The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and reviews) that provide innovative insights into the interactions between land use, heritage, and ecosystem services. This topic aligns with Land’s focus on sustainable territorial management, promoting research that contributes to the conservation of natural and cultural resources amidst global challenges. We aim to advance interdisciplinary knowledge and propose practical solutions for territorial planning.
This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link to the following themes:
- Planning and management strategies for conserving natural areas and cultural heritage.
- Impacts of land use change on ecosystem services, such as soil quality, biodiversity, and water regulation.
- Effects of climate change on coastal landscapes, wetlands, and valleys, as well as their relation to natural and cultural heritage.
- Applications of geographic information systems (GISs) and territorial analysis for sustainable land management.
- Interactions between forest fires, land use, and ecosystem services.
- Coastal processes, beach erosion, and adaptation to climate-induced sea level increases, with an emphasis on coastal heritage conservation.
We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.
Dr. Gustavo Ballesteros-Pelegrín
Dr. Carlos Sánchez-García
Prof. Dr. Marcos Francos
Dr. Daniel Ibarra Marinas
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
- land use
- ecosystem services
- heritage conservation
- climate change
- coastal processes
- territorial management
- forest fires
- biodiversity
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.
