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Forests
Special Issues
Urban Forest Landscapes and Forest Therapy
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Urban Forest Landscapes and Forest Therapy

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Urban Forestry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 24 May 2025 | Viewed by 6175

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rocco Pace

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Renewable Energy, EURAC Research, 39100 Bolzano, Italy
Interests: urban forestry; ecosystem services; ecological modeling; tree ecophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Francesco Meneguzzo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Bioeconomy, National Research Council of Italy, 10 Via Madonna del Piano, I-50019 Florence, Italy
Interests: biogenic volatile organic compounds; forest therapy; extraction of natural products; bioactive compounds
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alessandro Paletto

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA), 38123 Trento, Italy
Interests: sustainable forest management; ecosystem services; stakeholder analysis; public participation in natural resources management
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue delves into the relationships among urban forest landscapes, their ecosystem services, and the therapeutic effects of trees and woodlands on the well-being of citizens. As urbanization continues to reshape our environment, urban and peri-urban forests play a crucial role in mitigating negative impacts by improving air and soil quality, regulating temperatures and the hydrological cycle, promoting urban biodiversity, and providing recreational spaces for residents.

Furthermore, urban forests positively impact mental and physical well-being, as the presence of green spaces and activities such as "forest bathing" often represent, especially for disadvantaged citizens, the sole opportunity for contact with nature. The biophysical assessment, economic evaluation, and potential for environmental justice through the ecosystem services provided by urban forest landscapes, including the enhancement of psychophysical well-being through forest therapy and forest bathing, and the perception and awareness of the benefits offered by trees in cities, are the focal points of this Special Issue.

The goal is to offer a collection of interdisciplinary studies contributing to a deeper understanding of how urban forest landscapes contribute to urban populations’ well-being and quality of life, comparing this to remote forest environments. Fostering the integration of urban and peri-urban forests into heavily urbanized environments and ensuring their ecological connection with surrounding forests aims to ensure greater environmental justice and improve citizens' quality of life, promoting continuous contact with nature through direct exposure to green environments.

Dr. Rocco Pace
Dr. Francesco Meneguzzo
Dr. Alessandro Paletto
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. Forests 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

  • ecosystem services
  • forest bathing
  • environmental justice
  • forest medicine
  • human well-being

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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23 pages, 5911 KiB  
Article
Rethinking Cultural Ecosystem Services in Urban Forest Parks: An Analysis of Citizens’ Physical Activities Based on Social Media Data
by Hao Zhang, Jiahua Yu, Xinyang Dong, Xiangkun Zhai and Jing Shen
Forests 2024, 15(9), 1633; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091633 - 16 Sep 2024
Viewed by 832
Abstract
Urban forest parks play a vital role in promoting physical activities (PAs) and providing cultural ecosystem services (CESs) that enhance citizens’ well-being. This study aims to reevaluate CESs by focusing on the physical activity experiences of park visitors to optimize park management and [...] Read more.
Urban forest parks play a vital role in promoting physical activities (PAs) and providing cultural ecosystem services (CESs) that enhance citizens’ well-being. This study aims to reevaluate CESs by focusing on the physical activity experiences of park visitors to optimize park management and enhance citizen satisfaction. This study utilized social media data and employed natural language processing techniques and text analysis tools to examine experiences related to physical activities in Beijing Olympic Forest Park, Xishan Forest Park, and Beigong Forest Park. A specialized sports activity dictionary was developed to filter and analyze comments related to PA, emphasizing the impact of natural environments on enjoyment and participation in PA. The importance–performance analysis (IPA) method was used to assess the service characteristics of each park. The findings reveal that urban forest parks are highly valued by citizens, particularly for their natural landscapes, leisure activities, and the emotional fulfillment derived from PA, with 82.58% of comments expressing positive sentiments. Notably, appreciation for natural landscapes was exceptionally high, as evidenced by the frequent mentions of key terms such as ‘scenery’ (mentioned 2871 times), ‘autumn’ (mentioned 2314 times), and ‘forest’ (mentioned 1439 times), which significantly influence park usage. However, 17.11% of the reviews highlighted dissatisfaction, primarily with the management of facilities and services during sports and cultural activities. These insights underscore the need for performance improvements in ecological environments and sports facilities. This study provides a novel perspective on assessing and optimizing urban forest parks’ functions, particularly in supporting active physical engagement. The rich CESs offered by these parks enhance physical activity experiences and overall satisfaction. The findings offer strategic insights for park managers to better meet citizens’ needs and improve park functionality. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forest Landscapes and Forest Therapy)
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16 pages, 11541 KiB  
Article
The Economic Value of Forest Bathing: An Example Case of the Italian Alps
by Alessandro Paletto, Sandra Notaro, Carlotta Sergiacomi and Francesca Di Mascio
Forests 2024, 15(3), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15030543 - 15 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1675
Abstract
In the mid-1980s, forest bathing was established in Japan to improve citizens’ physical and mental health. In the literature, many studies have investigated the role of forest bathing in decreasing people’s stress and anxiety as well as in reducing hypertension and coronary artery [...] Read more.
In the mid-1980s, forest bathing was established in Japan to improve citizens’ physical and mental health. In the literature, many studies have investigated the role of forest bathing in decreasing people’s stress and anxiety as well as in reducing hypertension and coronary artery disease. Forest bathing is also a practice with important social and economic implications at a local level. This study investigated the economic value of forest bathing in a case study in northern Italy (i.e., the Parco del Respiro, in Trentino-Alto Adige) using the Zonal Travel Cost Method. To achieve this aim, 243 forest bathers in the study area were interviewed in the summer of 2022. The findings highlighted that an actively managed forest with an average–low amount of deadwood and clean open areas is the scenario preferred by participants. In addition, the results of the Zonal Travel Cost Method showed a relevant annual consumer surplus of EUR 8700 for the forest bathing activity in the study area, corresponding to EUR 35.80 per visit per person. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forest Landscapes and Forest Therapy)
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Review

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23 pages, 2536 KiB  
Review
From Virtual Trees to Real Forests: Public Participation in Virtual Forest Realization Projects in China
by Wenrui Zhang, Jiameng Yang and Zhiguang Zhang
Forests 2024, 15(10), 1741; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15101741 - 2 Oct 2024
Viewed by 838
Abstract
With the rapid development of Internet technology, the channels for the public to participate in forest protection and ecological construction have been expanded. In China, virtual forest realization projects have successfully heightened environmental awareness among the public. However, these projects have also faced [...] Read more.
With the rapid development of Internet technology, the channels for the public to participate in forest protection and ecological construction have been expanded. In China, virtual forest realization projects have successfully heightened environmental awareness among the public. However, these projects have also faced a “green gap”, characterized by a substantial disconnect between environmental intentions and actual participation behaviors. Based on 69 articles about virtual forest realization projects in China, this paper aims to reveal the roots of the intention–behavior gap, influencing factors, and potential mitigation strategies. Our findings indicate the following: (1) While virtual forest realization initiatives have made progress, they still face multiple challenges such as governmental inefficiencies and platform traffic bottlenecks. (2) The factors influencing public participation in virtual forest realization projects can generally be categorized into three types: external situational factors, internal psychological factors, and demographic variables. Initially, external influences like online word-of-mouth and gamified platforms played a crucial role in attracting the public. Over time, internal factors such as public trust in the platform and perceived enjoyment have become more prominent. Inconsistent findings regarding demographic variables suggest a need for further research. (3) Current solutions primarily focus on macro policies and have not fully addressed existing challenges. This study reveals the reasons and influencing factors of the intention–behavior gap, with the goal of offering valuable insights for future public engagement and project optimization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forest Landscapes and Forest Therapy)
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24 pages, 2358 KiB  
Review
Forest Therapy Research in Europe: A Scoping Review of the Scientific Literature
by Elena Mazzoleni, Davide Donelli, Federica Zabini, Francesco Meneguzzo and Michele Antonelli
Forests 2024, 15(5), 848; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15050848 - 12 May 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1873
Abstract
This scoping review aims to outline key discoveries, gaps in knowledge, and potential future directions in the field of forest therapy research in Europe. Clinical studies investigating the effects of forest therapy sessions in Europe were systematically screened through PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, [...] Read more.
This scoping review aims to outline key discoveries, gaps in knowledge, and potential future directions in the field of forest therapy research in Europe. Clinical studies investigating the effects of forest therapy sessions in Europe were systematically screened through PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), and Google Scholar (search date: January 2024). This review encompasses 26 selected studies, collectively engaging 2775 participants across various European countries, including Italy, Poland, Spain, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Sweden, Iceland, and Switzerland. These studies predominantly measured psychological outcomes such as mood states, affect, attention levels, subjective wellbeing, and quality of life. Additionally, physiological assessments were conducted, covering vital signs, salivary cortisol, body composition, and blood count. Notably, most of the investigation sites were covered by evergreen forests. Forest therapy practices in Europe demonstrated significant benefits in psychological aspects, including relaxation, mood enhancement, and improved wellbeing, accompanied by physiological improvements, particularly in asthma patients. While a fair-to-good methodological quality was identified in randomized controlled trials, the acknowledged weaknesses point towards a need for more rigorous and standardized research approaches. In conclusion, this comprehensive scoping review provides valuable insights into the current landscape of forest therapy research in Europe, highlighting its potential to positively impact both physical and mental wellbeing. The findings underscore the need for further research addressing methodological limitations and exploring gaps in understanding, thereby contributing to the continued advancement of forest therapy as a holistic wellbeing intervention within the European context. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Urban Forest Landscapes and Forest Therapy)
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