Social and Cultural Benefits of Forests Contributing to Human Health and Well-Being

Dear Colleagues,

As an indispensable and important component of terrestrial ecosystems, forests provide diverse ecosystem services and products to human society. For those areas where important forest management has been implemented, such as karst desertification control areas, the relationship between forest ecosystems and human society is even more complex and close. Numerous research studies have been carried out on forest ecosystem functions, but mostly from an ecological perspective, neglecting the social and cultural contributions. Therefore, we look forward to some comprehensive analysis on how forest ecosystems have profound impacts on human health and well-being from a social and cultural perspective. This Special Issue welcomes studies bringing new data and methods about (1) social and cultural values of forest ecosystem services; (2) forest ecosystem health development; (3) forest governance strategies under the social–ecological system framework; (4) mechanisms of forests for community resilience; (5) mechanisms of coupling forest ecosystems and human well-being; and (6) pathways for forest eco-industry development and enhancement. Based on this, it is hoped that this Special Issue will provide a solid foundation for these theoretical insights by collecting and analyzing rich empirical data and case studies, so as to provide policy makers, practitioners, and the public with a new understanding of the value of forests.

Prof. Dr. Kangning Xiong
Dr. Xiaofang Zhou
Guest Editors

Dr. Mingjun Li
Guest Editor Assistant

Manuscript Submission Information

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