Integrated Assessment of Global Environmental Change and Forest Ecosystems

Dear Colleagues,

In recent decades, the global scientific community has increasingly recognized the critical role that forest ecosystems play in regulating climate, supporting biodiversity, and sustaining human livelihoods. As global environmental changes, such as climate shifts, land use transformations, and biodiversity loss accelerate, the need for an integrated approach to assess their impact on forest ecosystems becomes ever more urgent.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) that provide insights that advance the understanding of how these interconnected forces affect forests and, in turn, how forests may mitigate or exacerbate global environmental challenges. The integrated assessment of global environmental change and forest ecosystems requires a multidisciplinary approach, involving insights from ecology, climatology, economics, sociology, and policy studies. This Special Issue will bring together cutting-edge research that explores innovative models, empirical studies, and policy frameworks aimed at comprehending the complex relationships between forest ecosystems and global environmental change..

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link the following themes:

• Climate change impacts on forest structure and function: Understanding how rising temperatures, altered precipitation patterns, and how extreme weather events are reshaping forest ecosystems across diverse biomes.
• Forest carbon dynamics and climate mitigation potential: Exploring the role of forests as carbon sinks and sources, as well as assessing strategies for enhancing carbon sequestration through sustainable forest management and restoration efforts.
• Land use change and deforestation drivers: Investigating the socioeconomic and political drivers of land use change, deforestation, and forest degradation, with a particular focus on how these forces are influenced by global markets, policies, and governance structures.
• Biodiversity and ecosystem services under stress: Assessing the vulnerability of forest biodiversity and that of the ecosystem services they provide, from water regulation to soil stabilization, in the face of ongoing environmental stressors.
• Policy and management responses: Analyzing the effectiveness of policy instruments, conservation strategies, and management interventions aimed at safeguarding forest ecosystems in the context of global environmental change.

The articles presented in this Special Issue reflect the efforts of researchers and practitioners from across the globe, offering insights into the complex dynamics of forest ecosystems under pressure from global environmental change. By integrating perspectives from diverse disciplines, we hope this Special Issue contributes to a deeper understanding of both the threats and the opportunities that lie ahead for forest ecosystems.

We would like to extend our gratitude to the authors for their contributions, the reviewers for their critical insights, and the editorial team of Land for their support in bringing this Special Issue to fruition. We also thank the international community of researchers and policymakers who continue to push forward our understanding of the role that forests play in the global environmental system.

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

Dr. Susete Marques
Dr. Ana Maria Cuartas
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.