Announcements

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Landscape Ecology” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “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
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/150

2. “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
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/424

3. “Spatial Heterogeneity Impacts of Urbanisation on Open Space Fragmentation in Hong Kong’s Built-Up Area”
by Peiheng Yu, Yan Zhang, Mingqing Han, Esther H. K. Yung, Edwin H. W. Chan and Yiyun Chen
Land 2024, 13(4), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040457
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/457

4. “Integration of Acceptability Analyses into an Adaptive Landscape Co-Design and Management Approach—The Acceptability and Landscape Design Cycle (ALDC)”
by Maria Busse, Jana Zscheischler, Nico Heitepriem and Rosemarie Siebert
Land 2024, 13(4), 513; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040513
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/513

You can find more information about Land and the “Landscape Ecology” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Landscape_Ecology.

Land Editorial Office

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “How Can Drones Uncover Land Degradation Hotspots and Restoration Hopespots? An Integrated Approach in the Mount Elgon Region with Community Perceptions”
by Hosea Opedes, Shafiq Nedala, Caspar A. Mücher, Jantiene E. M. Baartman and Frank Mugagga
Land 2024, 13(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010001
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/1

2. “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
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/71

3. “Research on the Spatial Disparities and Convergence of Guangdong’s Urban Economy Based on Industrial Agglomeration and Industrial Proximity”
by Xiaojin Huang, Renzhong Guo, Weixi Wang, Xiaoming Li and Yong Fan
Land 2024, 13(1), 73; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010073
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/73

4. “Inequalities and Injustices of Urban Green Regeneration: Applying the Conflict Analysis Perspective”
by Annegret Haase
Land 2024, 13(3), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030296
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/296

5. “Land Fragmentation and Heirs Property: Current Issues and Policy Responses”
by Kurt Smith and Frederick Cubbage
Land 2024, 13(4), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/459

6. “The Importance of Spatial Configuration When Restoring Intensive Production Landscapes for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Service Multifunctionality”
by Daniel Richards, Thomas R. Etherington, Alexander Herzig and Sandra Lavorel
Land 2024, 13(4), 460; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040460
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/460

7. “A Review on the Use of Geodesign Processes in Managing Flood Vulnerability”
by Bo Pang and Brian Deal
Land 2024, 13(6), 723; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060723
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/723

You can find more information about Land and the “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Socio-Economic.

Land Editorial Office

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “A Proposed Typology of Farming Systems for Assessing Sustainable Livelihood Development Pathways in the Tien Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan”
by Azamat Azarov, Roy C. Sidle, Dietrich Darr, Vladimir Verner and Zbynek Polesny
Land 2024, 13(2), 126; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020126
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/126

2. “Seminatural Grasslands: An Emblematic Challenge for Nature Conservation in Protected Areas”
by Daniela Gigante, Simone Angelucci, Federica Bonini, Federico Caruso, Valter Di Cecco, Domizia Donnini, Luciano Morbidini, Mariano Pauselli, Bernardo Valenti, Andrea Tassi et al.
Land 2024, 13(3), 386; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030386
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/386

3. “Structure and Carbon Capture of a Temperate Mixed Forest across Altitudinal Gradients in Northern Mexico”
by Luis U. Castruita-Esparza, Raúl Narváez-Flores, Mélida Gutiérrez, Aldo S. Mojica-Guerrero, Gerónimo Quiñones-Barraza and Javier Hernández-Salas
Land 2024, 13(4), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040461
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/461

4. “Impacts of Soil Management and Sustainable Plant Protection Strategies on Soil Biodiversity in a Sangiovese Vineyard”
by Sara Del Duca, Stefano Mocali, Francesco Vitali, Arturo Fabiani, Maria Alexandra Cucu, Giuseppe Valboa, Giada d’Errico, Francesco Binazzi, Paolo Storchi, Rita Perria et al.
Land 2024, 13(5), 599; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050599
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/599

5. “Quality and Establishment of Some Water-Conserving Turfgrass Species for Sustainable Development and Some Ecosystem Services in Arid Urban Environments”
by Fatemeh Kazemi, Mahmood Reza Golzarian and Seyedeh Maliheh Rabbani Kheir Khah
Land 2024, 13(6), 721; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060721
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/721

6. “Evaluating the Cost-Effectiveness of Green Infrastructure for Mitigating Diffuse Agricultural Contaminant Losses”
by Yvonne S. Matthews, Paula Holland, Fleur E. Matheson, Rupert J. Craggs and Chris C. Tanner
Land 2024, 13(6), 748; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060748
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/748

7. “Conservation Management Practices for Biodiversity Preservation in Urban Informal Green Spaces: Lessons from Central European City”
by Piotr Archiciński, Arkadiusz Przybysz, Daria Sikorska, Marzena Wińska-Krysiak, Anderson Rodrigo Da Silva and Piotr Sikorski
Land 2024, 13(6), 764; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060764
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/764

You can find more information about Land and the “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/land_biodiversity_human_wellbeing.

Land Editorial Office

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “Ecosystem Services-Based City Ranking in Italy: A Tool to Enhance Sustainable Thinking in Regeneration Strategies”
by Angela Pilogallo, Francesco Scorza and Beniamino Murgante
Land 2024, 13(6), 891; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060891
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/891

2. “A Multicriteria Decision Analysis Model for Optimal Land Uses: Guiding Farmers under the New European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (2023–2027)”
by Asimina Kouriati, Anna Tafidou, Evgenia Lialia, Angelos Prentzas, Christina Moulogianni, Eleni Dimitriadou and Thomas Bournaris
Land 2024, 13(6), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060788
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/788

3. “Assessment and Monitoring of Local Climate Regulation in Cities by Green Infrastructure—A National Ecosystem Service Indicator for Germany”
by Ralf-Uwe Syrbe, Sophie Meier, Michelle Moyzes, Claudia Dworczyk and Karsten Grunewald
Land 2024, 13(5), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050689
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/689

4. “Effects of Affordable Housing Land Supply on Housing Prices: Evidence from 284 Cities in China”
by Xue Han and Changchun Feng
Land 2024, 13(5), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050580
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/580

5. “Community-Scale Classification and Governance Policy Implications for Demographic, Economic, and Land-Use Linkages in Mega-Cities”
by Yonghong Mao, Jie Fan, Daojing Zhou, Yao He, Meng Yuan and Huixin Zhang
Land 2024, 13(4), 441; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040441
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/441

6. “Envisaging the Intrinsic Departure from Zipf’s Law as an Indicator of Economic Concentration along Urban–Rural Gradients”
by Adele Sateriano, Giovanni Quaranta, Rosanna Salvia, Francisco Escrivà Saneugenio, Alvaro Marucci, Luca Salvati, Barbara Zagaglia and Francesco Chelli
Land 2024, 13(4), 415; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040415
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/415

7. “Your Favourite Park Is Not My Favourite Park: A Participatory Geographic Information System Approach to Improving Urban Green and Blue Spaces—A Case Study in Edinburgh, Scotland”
by Charlotte Wendelboe-Nelson, Yiyun Wang, Simon Bell, Craig W. McDougall and Catharine Ward Thompson
Land 2024, 13(3), 395; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030395
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/395

8. “Counteract Soil Consumption through Ecosystem Services and Landscape Restoration for an Efficient Urban Regeneration”
by Celestina Fazia, Kh Md Nahiduzzaman, Baqer Al-Ramadan, Adel Aldosary and Francesca Moraci
Land 2024, 13(3), 323; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030323
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/323

You can find more information about Land and the “Urban Contexts and Urban–Rural Interactions” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/urban_contexts.

Land Editorial Office

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Land Innovations: Data and Machine Learning” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “A Proposed Methodology for Determining the Economically Optimal Number of Sample Points for Carbon Stock Estimation in the Canadian Prairies”
by Preston Thomas Sorenson, Jeremy Kiss and Angela Bedard-Haughn
Land 2024, 13(1), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010114
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/114

2. “A Land Administration Data Exchange and Interoperability Framework for Kenya and Its Significance to the Sustainable Development Goals”
by Clifford Okembo, Javier Morales, Christiaan Lemme, Jaap Zevenbergen and David Kuria
Land 2024, 13(4), 435; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040435
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/435

3. “Bridging Sustainable Development Goals and Land Administration: The Role of the ISO 19152 Land Administration Domain Model in SDG Indicator Formalization”
by Mengying Chen, Peter Van Oosterom, Eftychia Kalogianni, Paula Dijkstra and Christiaan Lemmen
Land 2024, 13(4), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040491
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/491

4. “Extracting Features from Satellite Imagery to Understand the Size and Scale of Housing Sub-Markets in Madrid”
by Gladys Elizabeth Kenyon, Dani Arribas-Bel and Caitlin Robinson
Land 2024, 13(5), 575; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050575
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/575

5. “Towards a Comprehensive Framework for Regional Transportation Land Demand Forecasting: Empirical Study from Yangtze River Economic Belt, China”
by Ke Wang, Li Wang and Jianjun Zhang
Land 2024, 13(6), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060847
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/847

You can find more information about Land and the “Land Innovations: Data and Machine Learning” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/land_innovations_data_machine_learning.

Land Editorial Office

We are delighted to present a list of papers that were published in the Section “Soil–Sediment–Water Systems” in the first half of 2024 in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) and have received extensive attention.

1. “Predicting Soil Properties for Agricultural Land in the Caucasus Mountains Using Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy”
by Elton Mammadov, Michael Denk, Amrakh I. Mamedov and Cornelia Glaesser
Land 2024, 13(2), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020154
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/154

2. “Modeling Landscape Influence on Stream Baseflows for Watershed Conservation”
by Timothy O. Randhir and Kimberly B. Klosterman
Land 2024, 13(3), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030324
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/324

3. “Spatiotemporal Analysis of Soil Quality Degradation and Emissions in the State of Iowa (USA)”
by Elena A. Mikhailova, Hamdi A. Zurqani, Lili Lin, Zhenbang Hao, Christopher J. Post, Mark A. Schlautman and Gregory C. Post
Land 2024, 13(4), 547; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040547
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/547

4. “Soil and Vegetation Characteristics of Grassland Have a Greater Influence on the Abundance and Diversity of Earthworms than the Mowing Intensity in a Managed Nature Reserve”
by Günther Kerschbaumer, Gerhard Karrer, Edith Gruber and Johann G. Zaller
Land 2024, 13(5), 627; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050627
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/627

5. “Modeling Irrigation of Tomatoes with Saline Water in Semi-Arid Conditions Using Hydrus-1D”
by Sabri Kanzari, Jiří Šimůnek, Issam Daghari, Anis Younes, Khouloud Ben Ali, Sana Ben Mariem and Samir Ghannem
Land 2024, 13(6), 739; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060739
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/739

You can find more information about Land and the “Soil–Sediment–Water Systems” Section at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/sections/Soil-Sediment-Water-System.

Land Editorial Office

In May, MDPI Romania held three author training sessions – one endorsing an external event and two stand-alone sessions.

The National Session of Scientific Student Communications took place at Technical University Cluj on 17 and 18 May 2024. MDPI Romania sponsored this event and contributed an author training session on the production of research papers and case study analyses. JRS Norbert Kiss gave a presentation called The World of Open Access to explain different open access publishing models and the benefits of open access publishing. His presentation highlighted the impact of open access publishing on scientific progress and innovation.

On 29 May 2024, MDPI Romania hosted an author training session for Ph.D. students, early career researchers, and professors at the Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy. In collaboration with Prof. Andreea Arsene, JRS Ioana Paunescu prepared two presentations: The Steps of the Publishing Process and Elaboration of a Peer Review Report. In her first presentation, she delved into MDPI’s history and mission, MDPI’s editorial process, and MDPI journals of various scopes that are accepting submissions. Her second presentation outlined the types of peer review, the contents of a peer review report by an MDPI reviewer, and the responsibilities of an MDPI reviewer.

MDPI Romania also hosted an author training session at the Iasi University of Life Sciences on 29 May 2024. JRSs Laurentiu Preda and Cosmin Artan gave four presentations: Efficient Writing of an ISI-Indexed Scientific Article, Benefits of Publishing in the Open Access Model, Various Methods of Open Access Publishing, and MDPI Guide for the Article Review Process. The first three presentations offered guidance on how to improve academic writing, the fourth focused on how to write peer review reports. A highly interactive discussion followed the presentations, during which the JRSs provided extensive answers to attendees’ questions.

MDPI is grateful for all the attendees, speakers, and organizers involved in these events. Through their enthusiasm and dedication, these events were great successes.

In order to further enhance the international influence of our journal Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), promote the academic exchange of young scientists, and support the Editorial Board with additional expertise, Land is inviting interested and eligible early career researchers to apply for Early Career Editorial Board (ECEB) membership.

We plan to recruit a total of 30 Early Career Editorial Board Members. Early Career Editorial Board Members will hold the position for two years, with the possibility of renewal for a second term.

Application Eligibility:

• Completed their doctorate/Ph.D. degree in the past 10 years (considering exceptions for career interruptions, including medical and family leave);
• The candidate must have served as the first author of at least two peer-reviewed and published manuscripts;
• Researchers who have published extensively and had a broad impact in the fields of land system science;
• Researchers who currently (at the time of application) work as an assistant professor, research assistant professor, associate research scientist, post-doctoral fellow, or an equivalent early career position;
• Researchers that are active and engaged in their community (e.g., experienced at presenting at academic conferences or involved in professional organizations).

Benefits of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• A certificate of appointment as an Early Career Editorial Board Member will be provided;
• The achievements of Early Career Editorial Board Members are publicized on our journal’s media platforms to improve academic visibility;
• An opportunity to be promoted to Editorial Board Member based on contributions;
• The journal will regularly acknowledge those who have participated in the peer-review process on the journal website;
• Opportunities to participate in or host annual meetings and online seminars organized by the Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board Members.

Responsibilities of an Early Career Editorial Board Member:

• Publicizing and promoting the journal at academic conferences and among peers;
• Selecting high-quality articles and preparing bilingual media content for promotion;
• Reviewing at least four manuscripts per year;
• Providing input on any new initiatives of journal development;
• Inviting submissions from local and overseas world-leading scientists in respective research fields.

Applications:
Please download the application form here. 

Please send the application form and your academic resume to [email protected] with the subject of “Land Early Career Editorial Board Application + Name + Institute + Research Expertise”.

Application deadline: 31 December 2024.

Selection Process and Announcement:
The selection process: initial screening of application materials → selection by the Editor-in-Chief and Editorial Board Members → email notification → issuing a certificate of appointment.

The selection will be made within one month of the application deadline, and the results will be announced on the journal website.

Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to land, observation and monitoring, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) from 2022 to 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office

Editor's Choice Articles are selected based on suggestions from Land’s Academic Editors. The Editors select a small number of recently published articles that they consider particularly interesting to our readers or important in their respective fields of research. You are welcome to read the Editor's Choice Articles related to land, biodiversity, and human wellbeing, a curated list of high-quality articles published in Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2023. The full list of Editor's Choice Articles can be viewed at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land/editors_choice.

The list of relevant papers can be seen below:

You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Land via the following link:

https://www.mdpi.com/journal/land.

Land Editorial Office