Ecosystem Services, Sustainable Rural Development and Protected Areas

Dear Colleagues,

Enhancing social and economic development while preserving nature is one of the major challenges for humankind in the current century. The Millennium Ecosystem Assessment showed an alarming degradation of ecosystems and exacerbated poverty for many groups of people across the world due to unprecedented changes in ecosystems caused by human activities in the 20th century. Sustainable Rural Development is key to maintaining active local communities in rural and semi-natural areas, avoiding depopulation, and preserving high-ecological-value sites, including protected areas. Designation of an area as a ‘protected’ area is the first strategy applied to conserve biodiversity around the world, as it ensures the supply of ecosystem services. However, depending how it affects economic opportunities and the access to natural resources, it can either attract or repel human settlements. The convergence of development and conservation requires decision-making processes capable of aligning the needs and expectations of rural communities and the goals of biodiversity conservation. However, the complexity and multi-functionality of rural socioecological systems make decision-making in these areas difficult. Therefore, it is crucial to develop innovative strategies, approaches, methods, and models to jointly improve the welfare of rural communities and achieve the objectives of nature conservation. The purpose of this Special Issue is to invite academics and researchers to submit proposals for papers oriented to enhancing the sustainable rural development and protection of natural areas. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• evaluation methods and techniques for supporting choices in sustainable land planning in rural areas;
• criteria and indicators for sustainable rural development;
• criteria and indicators for monitoring ecosystem services in protected areas;
• innovative models for identifying and solving conflicts between groups of stakeholders;
• innovative tools for land planning and management in protected and other conservation areas;
• strategies for improving the sustainable supply of ecosystem services in rural areas; and
• protection, management, and safeguarding of natural areas.

Dr. Mónica de Castro-Pardo
Dr. Joao C. Azevedo
Dr. Pascual Fernández
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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