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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: 31 August 2024 | Viewed by 1968

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Rocco Pace

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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

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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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
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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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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
Viewed by 458
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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