A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 July 2019) | Viewed by 24780

Special Issue Editor

School of Forest Resources and Conservation, PO Box 110410, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-0410, USA
Interests: tree ecophysiology; forest biology; silviculture; stand dynamics; carbon sequestration; water relations

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Articles will be requested from a call for contributions to this Special Issue "A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing", which was inspired as part of the decennial celebrations for the journal Forests. The purpose of the event was to reflect on the past decade's progress in research on forests and forestry, and to identify emerging issues to address over the coming decade. The Special Issue set out to draw on the insights that emerged at this decennial event, and is in line with the aim and scope of Forests: From forest ecology and management to forest ecophysiology, from urban forestry to human dimensions and everything in between. Such a context invites a broad array of potential contributions from Editorial Board Members of Forests and prestigious scholars and practitioners.

Prof. Dr. Timothy A. Martin
Guest Editor

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 ecology and management
  • forest ecophysiology
  • urban forestry
  • human dimensions

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

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25 pages, 1591 KiB  
Article
Examining the Sustainability of Tropical Island Forests: Advances and Challenges in Measurement, Monitoring, and Reporting in the U.S. Caribbean and Pacific
by Kathleen A. McGinley, Guy C. Robertson and Kathleen S. Friday
Forests 2019, 10(11), 946; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10110946 - 24 Oct 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3184
Abstract
Forests across the U.S. and U.S. affiliated islands of the Caribbean and Pacific constitute rich and dynamic social-ecological systems that, while heterogeneous in many ways, share certain characteristics and trends that underscore the utility of sustainability assessments that go beyond single jurisdictional efforts. [...] Read more.
Forests across the U.S. and U.S. affiliated islands of the Caribbean and Pacific constitute rich and dynamic social-ecological systems that, while heterogeneous in many ways, share certain characteristics and trends that underscore the utility of sustainability assessments that go beyond single jurisdictional efforts. This paper summarizes a recent effort to assess the sustainability of tropical island forests of and politically affiliated with the U.S. using the Montréal Process criteria and indicator framework (MP C&I), which address ecological, social, economic, and institutional dimensions of forests. Forests cover 45 percent of the total area and more than 50 percent of each island jurisdiction, except Hawaii (36 percent). Forest cover is generally stable over much of the area in terms of recent reference conditions. The history of human occupation and land alteration is a prominent determinant of current conditions throughout the islands, which exhibit relatively high rates of threatened species in comparison to mainland counterparts and particularly where endemism is high. The islands also harbor significant areas of new or novel assemblages of native and non-native forest species, predominately on abandoned agricultural lands cleared of native forests long ago, which have been shown to contribute to the restoration of these degraded lands and provide many other ecosystem services at levels as high as and in some cases higher than native forests. Although industrial-level commercial timber harvest is small to nonexistent on most islands, socioeconomic and cultural linkages to forests are extensive but difficult to quantify. Amassing a foundation of data sufficient to address the MP C&I was challenging, in part due to the heterogeneity of the islands, island geography, and limited reporting capacities. We document significant improvements in the availability of data important for sustainability assessments in the last decade or so, especially with the extension of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program to the islands. Likewise, we find the MP C&I to be a useful tool for organizing and presenting information important for assessing forest sustainability. Nevertheless, considerable data gaps remain in the areas of biodiversity, forest functions and processes, and socioeconomic conditions of forests, which are critical elements to track across the islands, particularly in the context of climate change and ongoing anthropogenic pressures. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing)
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17 pages, 6948 KiB  
Article
Forests’ First Decade: A Bibliometric Analysis Overview
by Juan Uribe-Toril, José Luis Ruiz-Real, Julia Haba-Osca and Jaime de Pablo Valenciano
Forests 2019, 10(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10010072 - 19 Jan 2019
Cited by 28 | Viewed by 4087
Abstract
Forests is a Swiss open access journal in the field of forestry and forest ecology founded in 2010. Currently, the journal celebrates its 10th anniversary. Therefore, the purpose of this research for the special issue A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing is [...] Read more.
Forests is a Swiss open access journal in the field of forestry and forest ecology founded in 2010. Currently, the journal celebrates its 10th anniversary. Therefore, the purpose of this research for the special issue A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing is to present a whole bibliometric overview of the journal and highlight the state of the art of forestry as an interdisciplinary knowledge area. A bibliometric analysis of 2094 articles, reviews, editorials and corrections was conducted using two different scientific information platforms which publish indexes in online databases: Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. The most influential countries and their relationship with funding institutions, the most leading and outstanding authors and the most significant articles published in Forests have been analyzed. A complete keyword concurrence network with a graphical visualization and a cluster analysis are adopted for identifying the main trends and opening issues to address in the coming decade, such as genetic diversity, forest productivity, resistance or resilience. This article has identified climate change, remote sensing, biomass and forest management as the main trends in forestry research during the last ten years. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing)
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Review

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50 pages, 8583 KiB  
Review
Non-Destructive Evaluation Techniques and What They Tell Us about Wood Property Variation
by Laurence Schimleck, Joseph Dahlen, Luis A. Apiolaza, Geoff Downes, Grant Emms, Robert Evans, John Moore, Luc Pâques, Jan Van den Bulcke and Xiping Wang
Forests 2019, 10(9), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10090728 - 24 Aug 2019
Cited by 79 | Viewed by 8664
Abstract
To maximize utilization of our forest resources, detailed knowledge of wood property variation and the impacts this has on end-product performance is required at multiple scales (within and among trees, regionally). As many wood properties are difficult and time-consuming to measure our knowledge [...] Read more.
To maximize utilization of our forest resources, detailed knowledge of wood property variation and the impacts this has on end-product performance is required at multiple scales (within and among trees, regionally). As many wood properties are difficult and time-consuming to measure our knowledge regarding their variation is often inadequate as is our understanding of their responses to genetic and silvicultural manipulation. The emergence of many non-destructive evaluation (NDE) methodologies offers the potential to greatly enhance our understanding of the forest resource; however, it is critical to recognize that any technique has its limitations and it is important to select the appropriate technique for a given application. In this review, we will discuss the following technologies for assessing wood properties both in the field: acoustics, Pilodyn, Resistograph and Rigidimeter and the lab: computer tomography (CT) scanning, DiscBot, near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy, radial sample acoustics and SilviScan. We will discuss these techniques, explore their utilization, and list applications that best suit each methodology. As an end goal, NDE technologies will help researchers worldwide characterize wood properties, develop accurate models for prediction, and utilize field equipment that can validate the predictions. The continued advancement of NDE technologies will also allow researchers to better understand the impact on wood properties on product performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing)
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12 pages, 703 KiB  
Review
A Decade of Forest Engineering: Achievements and Future Directions
by Raffaele Spinelli, Rien Visser and Han-Sup Han
Forests 2019, 10(9), 724; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10090724 - 23 Aug 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5209
Abstract
Research highlights: Through a broad review of literature and practices, this paper has helped confirm Forest Engineering as a unique discipline by providing definition, highlighting achievements of the last decade and suggesting future directions. Background and Objectives: Forest Engineering is a study program [...] Read more.
Research highlights: Through a broad review of literature and practices, this paper has helped confirm Forest Engineering as a unique discipline by providing definition, highlighting achievements of the last decade and suggesting future directions. Background and Objectives: Forest Engineering is a study program offered by many universities worldwide. It is also the main subject of three international scientific journals, three important scientific conferences and a division of the International Union of Forestry Research Organizations. That points at a strong interest, a general common understanding and a strong local diversification. The paper aims to suggest generally valid definitions, while offering a description of the main achievements and a hypothesis about future directions. Results: The review identified examples that include higher-level mechanization, commencement of automation and system optimization, and specifically the emerging field of biomass and bioenergy integration as examples of major forest engineering achievements of the last decade. Higher levels of automation including autonomous machine operation, and integration of intelligent and linked technology are examples of future directions. Conclusions: As with other disciplines, most Forest Engineering teaching, research or applications are multi-disciplinary. However, the review has highlighted specific achievements and future directions that helps define Forest Engineering as a unique discipline and one that can make a major contribution to the broader field of forest management practices. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing)

Other

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8 pages, 901 KiB  
Commentary
Open Access Publishing Trends in the Forest Sciences
by Kevin L. O’Hara
Forests 2019, 10(3), 238; https://doi.org/10.3390/f10030238 - 08 Mar 2019
Viewed by 2881
Abstract
Open access models for academic publishing offer an alternative to traditional subscription-based journals. In the open access model, the author generally retains the copyright and the published articles are available free on the internet. Publication costs are either borne by the author as [...] Read more.
Open access models for academic publishing offer an alternative to traditional subscription-based journals. In the open access model, the author generally retains the copyright and the published articles are available free on the internet. Publication costs are either borne by the author as article processing charges, or are free for some journals published by societies or institutions. Traditional subscription-based journals are funded by subscription costs to libraries and individuals, the publisher retains the copyright, and these journals are generally not freely available to the public. This traditional model has created two problems: (1) many for-profit publishers control access in a form of oligopoly and impose high costs to subscribers; and (2) it limits access of scientific information to the public which disproportionately affects poorly funded research institutions and developing countries. Other subscription-based journals are published by scientific and professional societies but are not “for-profit”. In the forest sciences, several open access journals emerged in the last 10–15 years. These open access journals are published by for-profit publishing companies, research institutions, and professional societies. Some of these journals have been successful at attracting manuscript submissions, becoming indexed by various indexation services, and have seen metrics representing their importance increase over time. This paper documents these trends and assesses the viability of the open access model in the forest sciences and compares them to other types of journals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue A Decade of Forests Open Access Publishing)
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