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Forests
Special Issues
Forest Management: Planning, Decision Making and Implementation
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Forest Management: Planning, Decision Making and Implementation

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 5063

Special Issue Editors

Dr. António Manuel de Sousa Xavier

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Guest Editor
Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: forest management; agricultural economics; natural resources economics; applied geography; multiple criteria decision analysis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Rui Manuel de Sousa Fragoso

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Guest Editor
Center for Advanced Studies in Management and Economics, University of Évora, 2, 7004-516 Évora, Portugal
Interests: supply chain management; agribusiness; entrepreneurship and innovation; natural and environmental economics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maria De Belém Costa Freitas

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Guest Editor
MED-Instituto Mediterrâneo para a Agricultura, Ambiente e Desenvolvimento, University of Algarve, 8005-139 Faro, Portugal
Interests: supply chain management; agribusiness; entrepreneurship and innovation; natural and environmental economics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forests present great ecological value and provide a wide range of ecosystem services, which are essential for natural and human activities. Therefore, forest management requires a good knowledge of both the ecological and economic processes. Sustainable forest management is concerned with the enhancement of various forest-related functions and, regardless of the purpose given to a forest and its products and services, it is undeniable that the end result should generate maximum utility. Managers’ choices are conditioned by economy and often change the ability of forests to produce resources for future generations, which should be maintained. Moreover, several risks, including forest fire occurrence, must be considered.

Most of the technical and scientific information generated over the last few decades seems to present several gaps regarding effective forest management. The development of decision support systems for forest management and fire prevention, and the inclusion of multiple criteria decision analysis techniques are crucial. This Special Issue encourages the submission of studies from several fields for contributions regarding forest management. These contributions may include methodological papers, practical applications, decision making issues, etc. In addition to this, we would like to receive studies that promote the integration of different ecosystem services into forest management, decision-making processes through quantitative models, multiple criteria decision analysis, and group decision-making models.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Sustainable forest management;
  • Forest economics;
  • Forest industry analysis;
  • Ecosystem services provided by forests;
  • Forestry and climate change;
  • Models for forest management;
  • Decision support systems;
  • Economic valuation;
  • Forest fire management;
  • Multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA);
  • Group decision models for forest management.

Dr. António Manuel de Sousa Xavier
Dr. Rui Manuel de Sousa Fragoso
Dr. Maria De Belém Costa Freitas
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

  • forest management
  • forest policy
  • decision support systems
  • ecosystem services
  • forest economics
  • ecosystem services
  • models
  • multiple criteria decision analysis

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 15638 KiB  
Article
Unveiling the Secrets: How Landscape Patterns Shape Habitat Quality in Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park
by Xishihui Du, Ying Chen and Zhaoguo Wang
Forests 2024, 15(11), 1889; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15111889 - 26 Oct 2024
Viewed by 722
Abstract
The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) is a critical habitat for the endangered Amur tiger and Amur leopard, making it a global biodiversity hotspot. This study explores how changes in landscape patterns have influenced habitat quality in the park, aiming [...] Read more.
The Northeast China Tiger and Leopard National Park (NCTLNP) is a critical habitat for the endangered Amur tiger and Amur leopard, making it a global biodiversity hotspot. This study explores how changes in landscape patterns have influenced habitat quality in the park, aiming to develop strategies for enhancing biodiversity conservation and ensuring the park’s long-term sustainability. From 2012 to 2017, habitat quality in the NCTLNP experienced a significant decline; however, the launch of the national park pilot program in 2017 resulted in improvements, particularly in core protected areas, where habitat quality increased and landscape fragmentation decreased. These findings indicate that the national park initiative reduced the degradation of habitat quality. Key landscape metrics, especially the Shannon Diversity Index (SHDI), were found to significantly affect habitat quality. Additionally, the interaction between SHDI and landscape contagion (CONTAG) played a pivotal role in shaping habitat quality over time. Areas with high SHDI and low CONTAG showed declines in habitat quality, pointing to the need for focused conservation efforts. This study offers valuable insights for policymakers seeking to improve habitat quality through targeted landscape management practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Planning, Decision Making and Implementation)
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16 pages, 2977 KiB  
Article
Prediction of the Potential Distribution and Conservation Strategies of the Endangered Plant Tapiscia sinensis
by Mei Liu, Xiaoyu Li, Liyong Yang, Keyi Chen, Zixi Shama, Xue Jiang, Jingtian Yang, Guanghua Zhao and Yi Huang
Forests 2024, 15(9), 1677; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15091677 - 23 Sep 2024
Viewed by 882
Abstract
Tapiscia sinensis Oliv. (T. sinensis), known as the Yingjiao tree, belongs to the Staphyleaceae family. It is a deciduous tree species endemic to China and represents an ancient species from the Tertiary glacial relics, possessing significant ecological and economic value. This [...] Read more.
Tapiscia sinensis Oliv. (T. sinensis), known as the Yingjiao tree, belongs to the Staphyleaceae family. It is a deciduous tree species endemic to China and represents an ancient species from the Tertiary glacial relics, possessing significant ecological and economic value. This study is based on 154 effective distribution points of T. sinensis in China and 12 environmental factors. Using integrated modeling and ArcGIS software (v10.8), the potential geographic distribution of T. sinensis under climate change was predicted to assess its future impact on distribution and ecological niche. Additionally, on-site surveys were conducted to compare the characteristics of T. sinensis forest communities across different habitability zones. The study also proposes conservation strategies based on the influence of climate change on the distribution of T. sinensis and the characteristics of its forest communities. The results indicate that (1) the current highly suitable areas for T. sinensis are primarily located in the municipal regions where Chongqing, Hubei, Hunan, and Guizhou provinces meet, covering an area of 20.44 × 104 km2. (2) In three suitable community categories, T. sinensis is consistently a subdominant species, with the community in moderately suitable areas being the most diverse and exhibiting higher stability and evenness. (3) Under future climate change scenarios, the potential distribution area for T. sinensis will gradually decrease with rising temperatures. It will shift toward northern higher latitude regions, with the degree of ecological niche migration also increasing. (4) Conservation measures for T. sinensis primarily involve in situ and ex situ protection approaches. These results provide a theoretical basis for the scientific management and resource conservation of T. sinensis. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Planning, Decision Making and Implementation)
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17 pages, 6772 KiB  
Article
Spatial Distribution Patterns of the Key Afforestation Species Cupressus funebris: Insights from an Ensemble Model under Climate Change Scenarios
by Jingtian Yang, Yi Huang, Miaomiao Su, Mei Liu, Jingxuan Yang and Qinggui Wu
Forests 2024, 15(8), 1280; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15081280 - 23 Jul 2024
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 982
Abstract
Cupressus funebris Endl. (C. funebris) is an evergreen tree endemic to China that is classified as a national second-class endangered plant. This species plays critical roles in soil and humidity conservation, climate regulation, and ecological restoration. It is also important in [...] Read more.
Cupressus funebris Endl. (C. funebris) is an evergreen tree endemic to China that is classified as a national second-class endangered plant. This species plays critical roles in soil and humidity conservation, climate regulation, and ecological restoration. It is also important in silvicultural production, which is crucial for maintaining the stability of the ecosystem in Southwest China. In this study, an integrated modeling approach was used to integrate 10 species distribution models to simulate the potential distribution of C. funebris and predict the impact of future climate change on its distribution and ecological niche. Field surveys were conducted to compare the forest stands of C. funebris under different habitat suitability levels. The results showed that the most suitable areas for C. funebris were mainly located in Sichuan, Chongqing, and Guizhou, covering an area of approximately 15.651 × 104 km2. The productivity of the C. funebris forest stands in these highly suitable areas and was significantly higher than that in low and moderately suitable areas, although understory plant diversity did not show a competitive advantage. Under future climate scenarios, the potential distribution of C. funebris in China will expand and the geographical range of the niche will shift to higher latitudes in northern China as temperatures increase. The extent of this change in the niche’s geographical range intensified as warming increased. Specifically, under the 2090s-SSP585 climate scenario, the highly suitable area for C. funebris is projected to double, suggesting a significant expansion of the geographical range of the niche under this climate model, with more than half of the niche experiencing separation. In summary, the potential distribution of C. funebris may continue to expand and shift to higher latitudes in the context of global warming and its ecological niche’s geographical range will be adjusted accordingly. These findings provide a theoretical basis and practical guidance for in situ conservation, ex situ conservation, and rational utilization of C. funebris genetic resources by conducting niche modeling and climate suitability assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Planning, Decision Making and Implementation)
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21 pages, 3606 KiB  
Article
Brazilian Forest-Based Sector Perceptions and Contributions to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)—Developing Strategies Using the Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA) Approach
by Renata Aguayo Lopes da Silva, Leandro Duarte dos Santos, Renato Cesar Gonçalves Robert and Thomas Purfürst
Forests 2024, 15(1), 198; https://doi.org/10.3390/f15010198 - 19 Jan 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1557
Abstract
The Brazilian forest-based sector (FBS) has a complex and important role in leading local and global bioeconomy and sustainable development initiatives. Among these tasks is the improvement and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, key actors in the FBS still have [...] Read more.
The Brazilian forest-based sector (FBS) has a complex and important role in leading local and global bioeconomy and sustainable development initiatives. Among these tasks is the improvement and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, key actors in the FBS still have different perspectives regarding their contributions to the implementation and achievement of the SDGs, and this shortage of understanding and complex problem structure may result in misleading strategic planning, which must be improved to increase and strengthen their participation. This study proposes a participatory assessment to comprehend the perceptions of the Brazilian forest-based sector’s key actors and their contributions to achieving the SDGs by using a problem structuring method (PSM). Strategic Options Development and Analysis (SODA), a method from PSM and soft operational research, was used to support the strategic decisions and assist in formulating the strategies. Following the SODA approach, this study interviewed 13 key actors from different forest sector institutions in Brazil and listed strategies to improve their contributions to the SDGs. As a result, 29 main goals and 68 strategic options were mapped. The goals reflect the key actor’s understanding of the main contributions of the Brazilian FBS to the SDGs, and the strategic options represent the main strategies that can be implemented to strengthen the participation and positioning of these institutions in Agenda 2030. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forest Management: Planning, Decision Making and Implementation)
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