Forest Ecosystems Under Climate Pressure: Protection, Fire Management and Socio-Economic Dimensions

Dear Colleagues,

Forests play a critical role in maintaining ecological balance, acting as carbon sinks, preserving biodiversity, and supporting the livelihoods of millions of people worldwide. However, the accelerating impacts of climate change are placing unprecedented pressure on these ecosystems. Rising global temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, prolonged droughts, and an increase in extreme weather events are disrupting forest dynamics, leading to habitat degradation, species loss, and increased vulnerability to disturbances such as wildfires and pest outbreaks. Wildfires in particular have become more frequent and severe in many regions, posing a significant threat to forest health, air quality, and human communities. Fire regimes are shifting due to climate-induced changes in temperature and humidity, necessitating new fire management approaches. Traditional suppression-based strategies are proving insufficient in many cases, leading to calls for integrated fire management that combines prevention, early detection, controlled burns, and community engagement.

Beyond ecological concerns, forests also hold immense socio-economic significance. They provide essential resources, such as timber, fuelwood, and medicinal plants, while also supporting recreation, tourism, and cultural heritage. The livelihoods of indigenous and rural communities are often directly tied to forest resources, making it crucial to integrate socio-economic dimensions into conservation and management efforts. Policies that balance economic development with sustainable forest use can enhance resilience and mitigate the negative impacts of climate change on both ecosystems and human populations.

This Special Issue, “Forest Ecosystems Under Climate Pressure: Protection, Fire Management and Socio-Economic Dimensions”, seeks to address these pressing challenges by bringing together cutting-edge research on forest protection strategies, adaptive fire management, and the socio-economic implications of forest conservation. By fostering interdisciplinary dialogue, this Special Issue aims to advance scientific understanding and inform policies that enhance the resilience of forest ecosystems in a rapidly changing climate.

The goal of this Special Issue is to synthesize papers (original research articles and review papers) to provide insights into the following:

- Climate Change Impacts on Forest Ecosystems: how rising temperatures, shifting precipitation patterns, and extreme weather events affect forest structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem services.

- Forest Protection and Conservation Strategies: innovative approaches to enhance forest resilience, including reforestation, afforestation, ecological restoration, and biodiversity conservation.

- Fire Management in a Changing Climate:  the role of climate change in altering fire regimes, the effectiveness of current fire suppression techniques, and the need for adaptive fire management, including prescribed burns and community-based strategies.

- Socio-Economic Dimensions of Forest Management: how forest-dependent communities, indigenous groups, and economic sectors are affected by climate change, and how sustainable policies can balance environmental and human needs.

- Policy and Governance for Sustainable Forests: the role of national and international policies, governance frameworks, and stakeholder collaborations in mitigating climate risks and ensuring long-term forest sustainability.

By integrating these perspectives, this Special Issue aims to provide a holistic understanding of how climate pressures are reshaping forests and how science, policy, and community action can be combined to protect these vital ecosystems.

This Special Issue welcomes manuscripts that link the following themes:

1. Climate Change and Forest Ecosystem Dynamics

- The effects of temperature rise, altered precipitation, and extreme weather on forest health;

- Shifts in species composition, biodiversity loss, and ecosystem function;

- The carbon sequestration potential of forests under climate stress.

2. Forest Protection and Conservation Strategies

- Ecological restoration, afforestation, and reforestation efforts;

- The role of biodiversity in enhancing forest resilience;

- Technological and remote sensing applications in forest monitoring.

3. Fire Management in a Changing Climate

- Changing fire regimes and their ecological and socio-economic impacts;

- Innovations in fire prediction, prevention, and suppression;

- The role of prescribed burning and traditional ecological knowledge in fire management.

4. Socio-Economic and Human Dimensions of Forest Management

- The impacts of climate change on forest-dependent communities;

- The economic valuation of forest services and sustainable livelihoods;

- The role of indigenous knowledge and community-based forest management.

5. Policy, Governance, and Global Strategies for Sustainable Forests

- National and international policies for forest conservation under climate change;

- The role of governance, law enforcement, and financial mechanisms in sustainable forest management;

- Cross-sectoral collaboration and stakeholder engagement in forest protection.

These themes will ensure that this Special Issue offers a comprehensive and interdisciplinary perspective on challenges and solutions for forests under climate pressure.

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

Prof. Dr. Olga Christopoulou
Dr. Stergios Tampekis
Dr. Stavros Sakellariou
Dr. Fani Samara
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.

• forest ecosystem resilience
• forest conservation
• reforestation and afforestation
• ecological restoration
• sustainable forest management
• biodiversity conservation
• wildfire regimes
• fire ecology
• fire risk assessment
• fire suppression strategies
• climate-driven wildfires
• forest-dependent communities
• indigenous knowledge
• socio-economic impacts
• sustainable livelihoods
• forest policy and governance
• forest law and governance
• climate adaptation policies
• stakeholder engagement
• community-based conservation
• forest finance and incentives