Announcements

MDPI is honored to announce the recipients of the 2025 Best Paper Awards, celebrating exceptional research for its scientific merit and broad impact. After a rigorous evaluation process conducted by Academic Editors, this year’s awards showcase papers that stand out for their innovation, relevance, and high-quality presentation.

Out of a highly competitive pool, 396 winning papers have been recognized for their exceptional contributions. We congratulate these authors for pushing the boundaries of their respective disciplines.

At MDPI, we are dedicated to broadening the reach of innovative science. To learn more about the award-winning papers and explore research projects in your field of study, please visit the following links:

• Biology and Life Sciences;
• Business and Economics;
• Chemistry and Materials Sciences;
• Computer Sciences and Mathematics;
• Engineering;
• Environmental and Earth Sciences;
• Medicine and Pharmacology;
• Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;
• Physical Sciences;
• Public Health and Healthcare.

About MDPI Awards:

To reward the global research community and enhance academic dialogue, MDPI journals regularly host award programs across diverse scientific disciplines. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and whose work drives the advancement of their fields.

Explore the Best Paper Awards open for participation, please click here.

We are delighted to share with you a reprint of the Special Issue published in March 2026 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), comprising 11 articles. You can access more Land Special Issue reprints at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/books/search.

If you are interested in editing a Special Issue, please apply here.

We are delighted to share some papers on forest management and landscape ecology research that were published in our journal Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2024 and 2025. In addition, some Special Issues related to this topic are currently open for submission.

The following is a list of articles and Special Issues that we believe will interest you:

1. “Forest Tales? Unravelling Divergent Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) Maps and State Narratives in Vietnam’s Northern Uplands”
by Thinh An Nguyen, Hung Le, Patrick Slack, Margaret Kalacska and Sarah Turner
Land 2024, 13(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010071

2. “Policy Evaluation and Monitoring of Agricultural Expansion in Forests in Myanmar: An Integrated Approach of Remote Sensing Techniques and Social Surveys”
by Su Mon San, Navneet Kumar, Lisa Biber-Freudenberger and Christine B. Schmitt
Land 2024, 13(2), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020150

3. “A 20-Year Ecotone Study of Pacific Northwest Mountain Forest Vulnerability to Changing Snow Conditions”
by Todd R. Lookingbill, Jack DuPuy, Ellery Jacobs, Matteo Gonzalez and Tihomir S. Kostadinov
Land 2024, 13(4), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040424

4. “Impacts of Land Ownership and Forest Fragmentation on Water-Related Ecosystem Services Provision, Dynamics and Their Economic Valuation in Kentucky”
by Yang Bai, Jian Yang, Thomas O. Ochuodho and Bobby Thapa
Land 2024, 13(7), 984; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070984

5. “Typhoon-Induced Forest Damage Mapping in the Philippines Using Landsat and PlanetScope Images”
by Benjamin Jonah Perez Magallon and Satoshi Tsuyuki
Land 2024, 13(7), 1031; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071031

6. “Windthrow Impact on Alpine Forest Humipedon: Soil Microarthropod Communities and Humus Dynamics Five Years after an Extreme Windstorm Event”
by Francesca Visentin, Sara Remelli, Augusto Zanella and Cristina Menta
Land 2024, 13(9), 1458; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091458

7. “Mapping an Indicator Species of Sea-Level Rise along the Forest–Marsh Ecotone”
by Bryanna Norlin, Andrew E. Scholl, Andrea L. Case and Timothy J. Assal
Land 2024, 13(10), 1551; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13101551

8. “Forest Enclave Potential Assessment for Nature Conservation and Recreation in City with Dysfunctional Natural System”
by Agata Ćwik, Tomasz Wójcik and Gabriela Przydział
Land 2024, 13(11), 1776; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111776

9. “Facilitated Forest Restoration Using Pioneer Seed Dispersers in Madagascar: The Example of Microcebus spp.”
by Jörg U. Ganzhorn, Jean-Basile Andriambeloson, Sylvia Atsalis, Lis M. Behrendt, Marina B. Blanco, An Bollen, Stéphanie M. Carrière, Lounès Chikhi, Melanie Dammhahn, Giuseppe Donati et al.
Land 2024, 13(12), 1971; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13121971

10. “Driving Factors of Post-Fire Vegetation Regrowth in Mediterranean Forest”
by Catarina de Almeida Pinheiro, Bruno Martins, Adélia Nunes, António Bento-Gonçalves and Manuela Laranjeira
Land 2025, 14(3), 448; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030448

11. “Exploring the Multifaceted Aspects of Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.) Forests in Portugal”
by Maria Nazaré Coelho Pinheiro, Filomena Gomes, Goreti Botelho, Ivo Rodrigues, Ruslan Mariychuk and Lyudmyla Symochko
Land 2025, 14(3), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030468

12. “Advancements in Forest Monitoring: Applications and Perspectives of Airborne Laser Scanning and Complementarity with Satellite Optical Data”
by Costanza Borghi, Saverio Francini, Giovanni D’Amico, Ruben Valbuena and Gherardo Chirici
Land 2025, 14(3), 567; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030567

13. “Complex Deforestation Patterns in and Around the Protected Areas of Madagascar from 2015 to 2023”
by F. Ollier D. Andrianambinina, Jörg Ulrich Ganzhorn, Patrick O. Waeber and Lucienne Wilmé
Land 2025, 14(4), 698; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040698

14. “Spatial Representation of Soil Erosion and Vegetation Affected by a Forest Fire in the Sierra de Francia (Spain) Using RUSLE and NDVI”
by Gloria Fernández, Leticia Merchán and José Ángel Sánchez
Land 2025, 14(4), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14040793

15. “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

Special Issues:

• “Monitoring Forest Dynamics Using Remote Sensing and Spatial Data”
  Guest Editor: Wonhee Cho, Min Kim, Bora Lee and Nanghyun Cho
  Submission deadline: 31 May 2026

• “Urban Green Spaces for Climate Change Mitigation and Resilient Cities”
  Guest Editors: Dimitra Tsirigoti, Stylianos Pardalopoulos, Theodoros Rousakis, Athina Kantzioura and Aleksandra M. Djukić
  Submission deadline: 30 June 2026

• “Using Remote Sensing to Assess and Monitor Changes in Forest Ecosystems”
  Guest Editor: Ioannis P. Kokkoris
  Submission deadline: 30 September 2026

Conference: the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC)
Date: 28 June–3 July 2026
Location: Xishuangbanna, China

MDPI will attend the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation (ATBC) as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Xishuangbanna, China, from 28 June to 3 July 2026. 

Guided by the theme “Achieving a Shared Ecological Civilization for Long-Term Resilience”, ATBC2026 will bring together scientists, students, conservation professionals, policymakers, and local communities from across the globe. Together, we will explore advances in tropical biology and conservation, exchange innovative ideas, and highlight the essential role of the tropics in shaping our collective future. Be part of this inspiring gathering in Xishuangbanna—where rich biodiversity, cultural heritage, and international collaboration meet!

The following open access journals will be represented:

• Diversity;
• Ecologies;
• Plants;
• Taxonomy;
• Birds;
• JZBG;
• Conservation;
• Biosphere;
• Land;
• Wild.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at our booth and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.atbc2026.org/.

As a pioneer in open access publishing, MDPI maintains rigorous publication standards. This mission relies on the dedication and expertise of our reviewers, who invest their time and knowledge to ensure the quality and integrity of the research we publish.

In 2025, over 209,000 reviewers contributed to the peer-review process at MDPI, providing more than 1.3 million review reports for our journals. To express our gratitude, MDPI’s Reviewer Recognition Program highlights reviewers across over 400 journals, featuring those who have assessed at least one manuscript and agreed to be acknowledged.

In addition, MDPI has identified its Top 1000 Reviewers of 2024 to recognize those whose expertise, dedication, and thoughtful evaluations were particularly outstanding.

Many journals have also established Outstanding Reviewer Awards to honor our reviewers’ commitment to publication excellence. Together with the Exceptional Reviewer List, we showcase the importance of reviewers’ work and their time and dedication.

These initiatives serve to express our deepest appreciation and gratitude towards the whole reviewer community. In recognition of their contributions, we also welcome new researchers to join this community. If you would like to contribute to open access publishing, learn more about the reviewers’ benefits and sign up to join us.

In March 2012, the UN General Assembly proclaimed the 21 March as the International Day of Forests, urging countries, international organizations, and the citizen sector to celebrate the value of all types of forests and raise global awareness of their irreplaceable ecological and economic significance. “Forests and Economies” is the theme for the International Day of Forests 2026, which highlights the pivotal role of forests in driving sustainable economic prosperity across the globe.

The International Day of Forests 2026 spotlights how forests underpin not only income and employment from renewable forest product production and trade but also sustain family and community agriculture, boost agricultural productivity, and safeguard healthy watersheds, all while offering nature-based solutions for a sustainable bioeconomy and mitigating climate change impacts. This year’s campaign advocates for the sustainable management of forests, uniting governments, researchers, forestry practitioners, and the public to unlock the dual ecological and economic value of forests for present and future generations together.

We hope that established MDPI journals in the field of Environmental & Earth Science will provide a valuable platform for the exchange of innovative ideas regarding sustainable forest management, forest-based climate change mitigation, and the development of forest-driven green economies.

Invited Speakers:

Dr. Himlal Baral, Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Indonesia	Dr. Natasha Ribeiro, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique

Free to register for this webinar here!

“Water Surface Loss and Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon Biome by Farming Expansion and Weak Legislation”
by Anderson Targino da Silva Ferreira, Maria Carolina Hernandez Ribeiro, Regina Célia de Oliveira, Maurício Lamano Ferreira and Cassiano Gustavo Messias
Earth 2025, 6(3), 108; https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6030108

“Valorization of Forest Biomass Through Biochar for Static Floating Applications in Agricultural Uses”
by Óscar González-Prieto, Luis Ortiz Torres and María Esther Costas Costas
Biomass 2025, 5(3), 44; https://doi.org/10.3390/biomass5030044

“Applications of Machine Learning Methods in Sustainable Forest Management”
by Rogério Pinto Espíndola, Mayara Moledo Picanço, Lucio Pereira de Andrade and Nelson Francisco Favilla Ebecken
Climate 2025, 13(8), 159; https://doi.org/10.3390/cli13080159

“Trends and Applications of Principal Component Analysis in Forestry Research: A Literature and Bibliometric Review”
by Gabriel Murariu, Lucian Dinca and Dan Munteanu
Forests 2025, 16(7), 1155; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16071155

“Landscape Ecological Integrity Assessment to Improve Protected Area Management of Forest Ecosystem”
by Mingquan Yu and Yizhen Liu
Ecologies 2025, 6(2), 38; https://doi.org/10.3390/ecologies6020038

“Perception from a Public Survey of the Social–Ecological Effects of Wildfires in the Chiquitania Region of Bolivia”
by Oswaldo Maillard, Patricia Herrera, Nicolas Mielich and Claudia Venegas
Earth 2025, 6(2), 32; https://doi.org/10.3390/earth6020032

“Advancements in Artificial Intelligence Applications for Forest Fire Prediction”
by Hui Liu, Lifu Shu, Xiaodong Liu, Pengle Cheng, Mingyu Wang and Ying Huan
Forests 2025, 16(4), 704; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16040704

“Harnessing Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning for Sustainable Forestry Management and Conservation: Transformative Potential and Future Perspectives”
by Taojing Wang, Yinyue Zuo, Teja Manda, Delight Hwarari and Liming Yang
Plants 2025, 14(7), 998; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants14070998

“Forest Soil Microbiomes: A Review of Key Research from 2003 to 2023”
by Aurelia Onet, Paola Grenni, Cristian Onet, Vlad Stoian and Vlad Crisan
Forests 2025, 16(1), 148; https://doi.org/10.3390/f16010148

“Forest Attribute Dynamics in Secondary Forests: Insights for Advancing Ecological Restoration and Transformative Territorial Management in the Amazon”
by Carlos H. Rodríguez-León, Armando Sterling, Amelia Trujillo-Briñez, Yerson D. Suárez-Córdoba and Lilia L. Roa-Fuentes
Diversity 2025, 17(1), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17010039

“Forest Loss Drivers and Landscape Pressures in a Northern Moroccan Protected Areas’ Network: Introducing a Novel Approach for Conservation Effectiveness Assessment”
by Hamid Boubekraoui, Zineb Attar, Yazid Maouni, Abdelilah Ghallab, Rabah Saidi and Abdelfettah Maouni
Conservation 2024, 4(3), 452-485; https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation4030029

“Remote Sensing Technologies for Monitoring Argane Forest Stands: A Comprehensive Review”
by Mohamed Mouafik, Abdelghani Chakhchar, Mounir Fouad and Ahmed El Aboudi
Geographies 2024, 4(3), 441-461; https://doi.org/10.3390/geographies4030024

“High-Resolution Canopy Height Mapping: Integrating NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) with Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data”
by Cesar Alvites, Hannah O’Sullivan, Saverio Francini, Marco Marchetti, Giovanni Santopuoli, Gherardo Chirici, Bruno Lasserre, Michela Marignani and Erika Bazzato
Remote Sens. 2024, 16(7), 1281; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16071281

“Aboveground Biomass and Carbon Storage in Mangrove Forests in Southeastern Mexico”
by Carlos Roberto Ávila-Acosta, Marivel Domínguez-Domínguez, César Jesús Vázquez-Navarrete, Rocío Guadalupe Acosta-Pech and Pablo Martínez-Zurimendi
Resources 2024, 13(3), 41; https://doi.org/10.3390/resources13030041

“Silvicultural Practices for Forest Health, Function, and Resilience” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Zhongkui Jia, Prof. Dr. Luyi Ma and Prof. Dr. Zhong Chen Submission deadline: 20 June 2026	“Forestry Economy Sustainability and Ecosystem Governance” Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. Fanbin Kong and Dr. Caiyao Xu Submission deadline: 30 September 2026
“Microhabitat Diversity and Beetle Conservation in Managed Forests” Guest Editor: Dr. Francesco Parisi Submission deadline: 31 December 2026	“Strategic Forest-Based Sector Planning and Management in the Era of Bioeconomy, 2nd Edition” Guest Editors: Dr. Nikolay Neykov and Prof. Dr. Mariana Sedliačiková Submission deadline: 31 December 2026

MDPI will be attending the 6th ESP Europe Conference, which will be held from 18 to 22 May 2026 in Prague, Czech Republic.

The theme of the 6th ESP Europe conference is “Advancing ecosystem services knowledge for achieving a nature and people positive Europe”. The conference will bring together scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and other stakeholders to explore how ecosystem services can be harnessed to reduce social inequalities, strengthen climate resilience, and drive sustainable development. In light of ongoing implementation of new policies at national and EU levels, discussions will also examine how shifts in governance frameworks influence the integration of ecosystem services into decision-making, policy implementation, and cross-sectoral collaboration.

The following open access journals will be represented at this conference:

If you are planning to attend this event, please feel free to visit our booth and speak to our representatives. We look forward to meeting you in person and will assist you with any queries that you may have.

For more information about this conference, please visit the official website via https://www.espconference.org/europe2026/home.

We are delighted to share with you a reprint of the Special Issue published in January 2026 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), comprising 10 articles. You can access more Land Special Issue reprints at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/books/search.

If you are interested in editing a Special Issue, please apply at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/land.

To commemorate the International Day of Forests 2026, MDPI is honored to host a special webinar dedicated to celebrating and raising awareness of the importance of all types of forests. This global observance reminds us of the vital role that forests play in combating climate change, sustaining our economies, and driving economic prosperity.

With the theme “Forests and Economies”, we aim to bring together researchers, educators, and practitioners to share insights, best practices, and collaborative solutions that can enhance the relationship between forests and economic development.

Join us as we celebrate the International Day of Forests 2026 and inspire action for a greener, healthier and more sustainable future for our forests and economies.

Date: 20 March 2026 at 10:00 a.m. CET | 5:00 p.m. CST Asia

Register now for free!

Program

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway, and we will let you know when the recording is available to watch.

Invited Speakers:

• Dr. Himlal Baral, Center for International Forestry Research and World Agroforestry (CIFOR-ICRAF), Indonesia;
• Dr. Natasha Ribeiro, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique.

Relevant Journal Cluster:
MDPI’s Journal Cluster of Ecosystem and Resource Management
MDPI’s journal cluster of ecosystem and resource management contains journals that focus on individual ecosystems (e.g., Forests) as well as ecology on a broader scale. The demand for biodiversity and conservation research is growing as the world shifts to more extreme climates, and MDPI’s journals on diversity and conservation will play a larger role in making scientific discoveries more accessible to all researchers across the world.

Relevant Special Issues:

“Silvicultural Practices for Forest Health, Function, and Resilience”
Guest Editors: Zhongkui Jia, Luyi Ma and Zhong Chen
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2026

“Plant Biodiversity in Forest and Urban Ecosystems Under Climate Change: Monitoring, Environmental Impacts, Threats, Conservation, Management, and Economic Directions”
Guest Editors: Alexandra D. Solomou, Panagiotis Kouleli, Nikolaos Proutsos and Stefanos Tsiaras
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026

“Forestry Economy Sustainability and Ecosystem Governance”
Guest Editors: Fanbin Kong and Caiyao Xu
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026

“Using Remote Sensing to Assess and Monitor Changes in Forest Ecosystems”
Guest Editor: Ioannis P. Kokkoris
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026

“Intelligent Forest Fire Prediction and Detection: 2nd Edition”
Guest Editors: Demin Gao, Shuo Zhang and Cheng He
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026

“Advances in Vegetation Structure Modeling to Support Acquisition of Sustainable Development Goals Through Forest Management (Second Edition)”
Guest Editors: María Teresa Lamelas and Dario Domingo
Deadline for manuscript submissions:31 December 2026

“Microhabitat Diversity and Beetle Conservation in Managed Forests”
Guest Editor: Francesco Parisi
Deadline for manuscript submissions:31 December 2026

We are delighted to share with you a reprint of the Special Issue published in February 2026 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), comprising 8 articles. You can access more Land Special Issue reprints at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/books/search.

“Towards Healthy and Sustainable Human Settlement: The Ecological and Cultural Connation of Landsenses” Edited by Jiang Liu, Yuhan Shao and Xin-Chen Hong ISBN 978-3-7258-6820-9 (Hardback) ISBN 978-3-7258-6821-6 (PDF) Book DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/books978-3-7258-6821-6 (registering) Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/books/reprint/12337-towards-healthy-and-sustainable-human-settlement

If you are interested in editing a Special Issue, please apply at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/land.