Announcements

We are delighted to share some papers on land management and decision-making research that were published in our journal Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2023 and 2024. In addition, some Special Issues related to this topic are currently open for submission.

The following is a list of articles and Special Issues that we believe will interest you:

1. “A Sensitivity Index to Perform the Territorial Sustainability in Uncertain Decision-Making Conditions”
by Francesco Sica, Francesco Tajani, Maria Rosaria Guarini and Rossana Ranieri
Land 2023, 12(2), 432; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12020432
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/2/432

2. “Development of a Decision-Making Model to Support the Strategic Environmental Assessment for the Revision of the Municipal Plan of Turin (Italy)”
by Giorgia Sugoni, Vanessa Assumma, Marta Carla Bottero and Giulio Mondini
Land 2023, 12(3), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030609
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/3/609

3. “Sustainability Consequences of Making Land Change Decisions Based on Current Climatology in the Brazilian Cerrados”
by Daniel S. Silva and Eugenio Y. Arima
Land 2023, 12(4), 914; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040914
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/914

4. “Computational Decision Support for Socio-Technical Awareness of Land-Use Planning under Complexity—A Dam Resilience Planning Case Study”
by Andreas Tolk, Jennifer A. Richkus, F. LeRon Shults and Wesley J. Wildman
Land 2023, 12(5), 952; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12050952
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/5/952

5. “A Decision-Support Tool to Augment Global Mountain Protection and Conservation, including a Case Study from Western Himalaya”
by Peter Jacobs, Clinton Carbutt, Erik A. Beever, J. Marc Foggin, Madeline Martin, Shane Orchard and Roger Sayre
Land 2023, 12(7), 1323; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12071323
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/7/1323

6. “A Scenario-Based Spatial Multi-Criteria Decision-Making System for Urban Environment Quality Assessment: Case Study of Tehran”
by Bahare Moradi, Rojin Akbari, Seyedeh Reyhaneh Taghavi, Farnaz Fardad, Abdulsalam Esmailzadeh, Mohammad Zia Ahmadi, Sina Attarroshan, Fatemeh Nickravesh, Jamal Jokar Arsanjani, Mehdi Amirkhani et al.
Land 2023, 12(9), 1659; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12091659
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/9/1659

7. “A Geospatial Decision Support System for Supporting the Assessment of Land Degradation in Europe”
by Piero Manna, Antonietta Agrillo, Marialaura Bancheri, Marco Di Leginio, Giuliano Ferraro, Giuliano Langella, Florindo Antonio Mileti, Nicola Riitano and Michele Munafò
Land 2024, 13(1), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010089
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/89

8. “Decision Support Systems in Forestry and Tree-Planting Practices and the Prioritization of Ecosystem Services: A Review”
by Neelesh Yadav, Shrey Rakholia and Reuven Yosef
Land 2024, 13(2), 230; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020230
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/230

9. “Evaluating the Sustainable Development Goals within Spatial Planning for Decision-Making: A Major Function-Oriented Zone Planning Strategy in China”
by Hongpeng Fu, Jiao Liu, Xiaotian Dong, Zhenlin Chen and Min He
Land 2024, 13(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030390
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/390

10. “Factors Affecting the Land Investment Decisions in the Old Members of the European Union: A Systematic Literature Review”
by Silvia Russo, Rino Ghelfi, Meri Raggi and Davide Viaggi
Land 2024, 13(4), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040527
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/527

11. “Decision-Making Mechanism of Farmers in Land Transfer Processes Based on Sustainable Livelihood Analysis Framework: A Study in Rural China”
by Hongbin Liu, Hebin Zhang, Yuxuan Xu and Ying Xue
Land 2024, 13(5), 640; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050640
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/640

12. “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

13. “Transitional and Post-Mining Land Uses: A Global Review of Regulatory Frameworks, Decision-Making Criteria, and Methods”
by Chrysoula Pagouni, Francis Pavloudakis, Ioannis Kapageridis and Athena Yiannakou
Land 2024, 13(7), 1051; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071051
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/7/1051

14. “Designing Food Hubs for Territories of Proximity: Assessing the Spatial, Ecological, and Cultural Potentials of Places through Multi-Criteria Decision Support Systems”
by Sara Favargiotti, Giulia Zantedeschi, Angelica Pianegonda, Matteo Brunelli and Michele Urbani
Land 2024, 13(8), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081131
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/8/1131

Special Issues:

“Application of Multi-Source Geographical Big Data in Land Use Decision-Making”
Guest Editors: Shi Shen, Antonio Miguel Martínez-Graña, Sijing Ye, Zhuolin Tao and Min Zhao
Submission deadline: 27 May 2025

“Application of the Ecosystem Service in Landscape Planning: From Cognition to Decision-Making”
Guest Editors: Xi Li, Kai Li, Yuejing Rong, Hao Xia and Ruhong Xin
Submission deadline: 31 May 2025

“Urban Risk and Climate Resilience Planning: Tools for Managing Land Use Under Uncertainty”
Guest Editors: Debora Anelli, Pierluigi Morano, Marco Locurcio and Francesco Tajani
Submission deadline: 10 October 2025

MDPI will be attending the 11th World Conference of the Ecosystem Services Partnership in Darwin, Australia, which will take place from 23 to 27 June 2025. The Ecosystem Services Partnership (ESP) is one of the largest network organizations in the field of ecosystem services worldwide. The 11th ESP World Conference will explore pathways to Nature-based Solutions (NbS), with a special focus on the insights that local and Indigenous peoples and their value systems can offer.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Diversity;
• Land;
• Sustainability;
• Urban Science;
• Agriculture;
• Conservation;
• Ecologies;
• Environments;
• Forests;
• Hydrology;
• Pollutants.

If you are attending the conference, we welcome you to visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.espconference.org/esp11/homepage.

It is our honor to present some highly cited papers published by Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2024. We would like to acknowledge the hardworking individuals and teams whose work inspires fellow researchers and influences the field of land system science. We invite you to read the outstanding works listed below.

1. “Earth Observation Data and Geospatial Deep Learning AI to Assign Contributions to European Municipalities Sen4MUN: An Empirical Application in Aosta Valley (NW Italy)”
by Tommaso Orusa, Annalisa Viani and Enrico Borgogno-Mondino
Land 2024, 13(1), 80; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010080
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/80

2. “The Coupling Coordination and Influencing Factors of Urbanization and Ecological Resilience in the Yangtze River Delta Urban Agglomeration, China”
by Qiaoli Chang, Yuying Sha and Yi Chen
Land 2024, 13(1), 111; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010111
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/111

3. “Application of Time Series INSAR (SBAS) Method Using Sentinel-1 for Monitoring Ground Deformation of the Aegina Island (Western Edge of Hellenic Volcanic Arc)”
by Ioanna-Efstathia Kalavrezou, Ignacio Castro-Melgar, Dimitra Nika, Theodoros Gatsios, Spyros Lalechos and Issaak Parcharidis
Land 2024, 13(4), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040485
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/485

4. “Exploring Urban Service Location Suitability: Mapping Social Behavior Dynamics with Space Syntax Theory”
by Saleh Qanazi, Ihab H. Hijazi, Isam Shahrour and Rani El Meouche
Land 2024, 13(5), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13050609
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/5/609

5. “Complex Methodology for Spatial Documentation of Geomorphological Changes and Geohazards in the Alpine Environment”
by Ľudovít Kovanič, Patrik Peťovský, Branislav Topitzer and Peter Blišťan
Land 2024, 13(1), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010112
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/112

6. “Susceptibility of Landslide Debris Flow in Yanghe Township Based on Multi-Source Remote Sensing Information Extraction Technology (Sichuan, China)”
by Hongyi Guo and A. M. Martínez-Graña
Land 2024, 13(2), 206; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020206
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/206

7. “A Systematic Review on Digital Soil Mapping Approaches in Lowland Areas”
by Odunayo David Adeniyi, Hauwa Bature and Michael Mearker
Land 2024, 13(3), 379; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030379
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/379

8. “Urban Geomorphology Methods and Applications as a Guideline for Understanding the City Environment”
by Alessia Pica, Luca Lämmle, Martina Burnelli, Maurizio Del Monte, Carlo Donadio, Francesco Faccini, Maurizio Lazzari, Andrea Mandarino, Laura Melelli, Archimedes Perez Filho et al.
Land 2024, 13(7), 907; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13070907
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/7/907

9. “Mangrove Ecotourism along the Coasts of the Gulf Cooperation Council Countries: A Systematic Review”
by Lara G. Moussa, Midhun Mohan, Nicola Burmeister, Shalini A. L. King, John A. Burt, Stefanie M. Rog, Michael S. Watt, Susantha Udagedara, Lara Sujud, Jorge F. Montenegro et al.
Land 2024, 13(9), 1351; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091351
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/9/1351

10. “Analysis of Changes in Ecological Environment Quality and Influencing Factors in Chongqing Based on a Remote-Sensing Ecological Index Mode”
by Yizhuo Liu, Tinggang Zhou and Wenping Yu
Land 2024, 13(2), 227; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020227
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/227

It is our honor to present some highly cited papers published by Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2024. We would like to acknowledge the hardworking individuals and teams whose work inspires fellow researchers and influences the field of land system science. We invite you to read the outstanding works listed below.

1. “Trend Analysis of MODIS Land Surface Temperature and Land Cover in Central Italy”
by Ebrahim Ghaderpour, Paolo Mazzanti, Francesca Bozzano and Gabriele Scarascia Mugnozza
Land 2024, 13(6), 796; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060796
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/796

2. “Research Progress of the Impacts of Comprehensive Transportation Network on Territorial Spatial Development and Protection”
by Xingmeng Xu, Gaoru Zhu, Chun Zhang, Xueyan Zhao and Yi Li
Land 2024, 13(4), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13040479
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/4/479

3. “Evaluating the Sustainable Development Goals within Spatial Planning for Decision-Making: A Major Function-Oriented Zone Planning Strategy in China”
by Hongpeng Fu, Jiao Liu, Xiaotian Dong, Zhenlin Chen and Min He
Land 2024, 13(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030390
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/390

4. “Assessment of the Erosion and Outflow Intensity in the Rif Region under Different Land Use and Land Cover Scenarios”
by Abdessalam Ouallali, Shuraik Kader, Youssef Bammou, Mourad Aqnouy, Said Courba, Mohamed Beroho, Hamza Briak, Velibor Spalevic, Alban Kuriqi and Artan Hysa
Land 2024, 13(2), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020141
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/141

5. “Urban Heat Island and Reduced Habitat Complexity Explain Spider Community Composition by Excluding Large and Heat-Sensitive Species”
by Valentin Cabon, Hervé Quénol, Vincent Dubreuil, Aurélien Ridel and Benjamin Bergerot
Land 2024, 13(1), 83; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010083
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/83

6. “Conceptualizing Forest Operations Planning and Management Using Principles of Functional Complex Systems Science to Increase the Forest’s Ability to Withstand Climate Change”
by Stergios Tampekis, Apostolos Kantartzis, Garyfallos Arabatzis, Stavros Sakellariou, Georgios Kolkos and Chrisovalantis Malesios
Land 2024, 13(2), 217; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020217
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/217

7. “Dynamics of Built-Up Areas and Challenges of Planning and Development of Urban Zone of Greater Lomé in Togo, West Africa”
by Têtou-Houyo Blakime, Kossi Adjonou, Kossi Komi, Atsu K. Dogbeda Hlovor, Kodjovi Senanou Gbafa, Jean-Bosco Benewinde Zoungrana, Botolisam Polorigni and Kouami Kokou
Land 2024, 13(1), 84; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010084
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/84

8. “Geomorphosites as Geotouristic Resources: Assessment of Geomorphological Heritage for Local Development in the Río Lobos Natural Park”
by Rosa María Ruiz-Pedrosa, María José González-Amuchástegui and Enrique Serrano
Land 2024, 13(2), 128; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020128
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/128

9. “Potential for Agricultural Expansion in Degraded Pasture Lands in Brazil Based on Geospatial Databases”
by Édson Luis Bolfe, Daniel de Castro Victoria, Edson Eyji Sano, Gustavo Bayma, Silvia Maria Fonseca Silveira Massruhá and Aryeverton Fortes de Oliveira
Land 2024, 13(2), 200; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13020200
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/2/200

10. “Scenario-Based Land Use and Land Cover Change Detection and Prediction Using the Cellular Automata–Markov Model in the Gumara Watershed, Upper Blue Nile Basin, Ethiopia”
by Haile Belay, Assefa M. Melesse and Getachew Tegegne
Land 2024, 13(3), 396; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030396
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/396

Mother Earth is sending us an urgent call to action as nature suffers from the devastating impacts of human activity. Our oceans are choked with plastic and acidifying, while extreme heat, wildfires, and floods have disrupted millions of lives. Climate change, deforestation, unsustainable agriculture, illegal wildlife trade, and other human-driven disruptions are accelerating the destruction of ecosystems and biodiversity. As we mark the third Mother Earth Day within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration, it is clear that healthy ecosystems are vital for all life on Earth. Restoring damaged ecosystems can help end poverty, fight climate change, and prevent mass extinction, but success depends on everyone playing their part. Together, we must act now to heal our planet and secure a sustainable future for generations to come.

On this significant day, we are proud to present a curated collection of articles and initiatives dedicated to groundbreaking research and innovative solutions for protecting and restoring our planet. As we celebrate Mother Earth and reflect on the urgent need for action, these contributions highlight critical efforts to combat climate change, restore ecosystems, and promote sustainability. We invite readers to explore these resources and join us in our shared mission to safeguard the health of our planet for future generations. Together, we can make a lasting impact and ensure a thriving, resilient Earth for all.

Keynote Speakers

“The Conservation of Biodiverse and Threatened Dry Rainforest Plant Communities Is Vital in a Changing Climate”
by Marion Howard, Hilary Pearl, Bill McDonald, Yoko Shimizu, Sanjeev Kumar Srivastava and Alison Shapcott
Conservation 2024, 4(4), 657-684; https://doi.org/10.3390/conservation4040040

“Ten Years of Mediterranean Monk Seal Stranding Records in Greece under the Microscope: What Do the Data Suggest?”
by Maria Solanou, Aliki Panou, Irida Maina, Stefanos Kavadas and Marianna Giannoulaki
Animals 2024, 14(9), 1309; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14091309

“Groundwater Temperature Stripes: A Simple Method to Communicate Groundwater Temperature Variations Due to Climate Change”
by Manuela Lasagna, Elena Egidio and Domenico Antonio De Luca
Water 2024, 16(5), 717; https://doi.org/10.3390/w16050717

“Resilience of an Urban Coastal Ecosystem in the Caribbean: A Remote Sensing Approach in Western Puerto Rico”
by Yadiel Noel Bonilla-Roman and Salvador Francisco Acuña-Guzman
Earth 2024, 5(1), 72-89; https://doi.org/10.3390/earth5010004

“Particulate Matter in the American Southwest: Detection and Analysis of Dust Storms Using Surface Measurements and Ground-Based LIDAR”
by Joscelyne Guzman-Gonzalez, Rosa M. Fitzgerald, Nakul N. Karle, Ricardo K. Sakai and William R. Stockwell
Atmosphere 2024, 15(1), 110; https://doi.org/10.3390/atmos15010110

“An Imported Environmental Crisis: Plastic Mismanagement in Africa”
by Gilbert Moyen Massa and Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki
Sustainability 2024, 16(2), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16020672

“The Effect of Habitat on Insect Movements: Experimental Evidence from Wild-Caught Butterflies”
by Matteo Marcantonio, Raluca Voda, Daniele Da Re, Quentin Igot, Roger L. H. Dennis, Aurélien Vielfaure, Sophie O. Vanwambeke and Caroline M. Nieberding
Insects 2023, 14(9), 737; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects14090737

“Artificial Reefs around the World: A Review of the State of the Art and a Meta-Analysis of Its Effectiveness for the Restoration of Marine Ecosystems”
by Carolina Bracho-Villavicencio, Helena Matthews-Cascon and Sergio Rossi
Environments 2023, 10(7), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/environments10070121

“Topography, Slope and Geomorphology’s Influences on Shoreline Dynamics along Dakar’s Southern Coast, Senegal”
by Ibrahima Pouye, Dieudonné Pessièzoum Adjoussi, Jacques André Ndione and Amadou Sall
Coasts 2023, 3(1), 93-112; https://doi.org/10.3390/coasts3010006

“Potential Use of Industrial Biomass Waste as a Sustainable Energy Source in the Future”
by Tomasz Kalak
Energies 2023, 16(4), 1783; https://doi.org/10.3390/en16041783

In commemoration of International Mother Earth Day, MDPI is organizing a special webinar to bring together researchers and experts to share their thoughts on raising awareness about the importance of environmental protection and addressing pressing global issues such as climate change, ecosystem recovery, and sustainable development.

The theme of the webinar revolves around fostering a deeper understanding of humanity’s role in preserving our planet for future generations, as well as the crucial roles of biodiversity conservation and sustainable practices in preserving our ecosystems for future generations. This webinar will provide a platform for meaningful discussions and knowledge exchange on the importance of climate change and the importance of the recovery of our ecosystems.

We are looking forward to seeing you at the MDPI International Mother Earth Day Webinar 2025. Please find an up-to-date outline of the presenters below.

Any interesting suggestions regarding topics and speakers are welcome.

Date: 22 April 2025
Time: 8:30 a.m. CEST | 4:30 p.m. AEST | 2:30 p.m. CST Asia
Webinar ID: 878 0932 6864

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the webinar. Registrations with academic institutional email addresses will be prioritized.

Unable to attend? Register anyway and we will inform you when the recording is available to watch.

Register now for free!

Program:

Webinar Speakers:

• Prof. Károly Németh, ¹ National Program of Earthquakes and Volcanoes, Saudi Geological Survey, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; ² Institute of Earth Physics and Space Science, Sopron, Hungary; ³ Geoconservation Trust Aotearoa SW Pacific, Opotiki, New Zealand;
• Prof. Brendan Macke, Griffith University, Queensland, Australia.

For more information about this webinar, please visit https://sciforum.net/event/MEDW2025?subscribe.

If you have any questions about this webinar, please contact journal.webinar@mdpi.com.

MDPI International Mother Earth Day Webinar Secretariat

We are delighted to share some papers on urban green spaces research that were published in our journal Land (ISSN: 2073-445X) in 2023 and 2024. In addition, some Special Issues related to this topic are currently open for submission.

The following is a list of articles and Special Issues that we believe will interest you:

1. “Analysis of the Ecological Efficiency Increase of Urban Green Areas in Densely Populated Cities”
by Barbara Cardone, Valeria D’Ambrosio, Ferdinando Di Martino, Vittorio Miraglia and Marina Rigillo
Land 2023, 12(3), 523; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12030523
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/3/523

2. “Measures of Greenspace Exposure and Their Association to Health-Related Outcomes for the Periods before and during the 2020 Lockdown: A Cross-Sectional Study in the West of England”
by Ahmed Tarek Zaky Fouad, Danielle Sinnett, Isabelle Bray, Rachael McClatchey and Rebecca Reece
Land 2023, 12(4), 728; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040728
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/728

3. “Cross-Cultural Comparison of Urban Green Space through Crowdsourced Big Data: A Natural Language Processing and Image Recognition Approach”
by Shuhao Liu, Chang Su, Junhua Zhang, Shiro Takeda, Jiarui Liu and Ruochen Yang
Land 2023, 12(4), 767; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12040767
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/4/767

4. “Beyond Biodiversity: Eliciting Diverse Values of Urban Green Spaces in Flanders”
by Thomas Bastiaensen, Ewaut Van Wambeke, Camelia El Bakkali, Jomme Desair, Charlotte Noël, Kaat Kenis, Lukas Vincke and Sander Jacobs
Land 2023, 12(6), 1186; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12061186
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/6/1186

5. “Managing Urban Green Areas: The Benefits of Collaborative Governance for Green Spaces”
by Danny Casprini, Alessandra Oppio, Giulia Rossi and Irene Bengo
Land 2023, 12(10), 1872; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12101872
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/10/1872

6. “Do We Need Different Urban Green Spaces Now? A Case Study of Preferences during Pandemics”
by Ieva Misiune
Land 2023, 12(12), 2106; https://doi.org/10.3390/land12122106
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/12/12/2106

7. “Urban Green Spaces in Bamako and Sikasso, Mali: Land Use Changes and Perceptions”
by Mohamed Fomba, Zinash Delebo Osunde, Souleymane Sidi Traoré, Appollonia Okhimamhe, Janina Kleemann and Christine Fürst
Land 2024, 13(1), 59; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010059
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/59

8. “Participatory Design of Urban Green Spaces to Improve Residents’ Health”
by Bram Oosterbroek, Joop de Kraker, Sandra Akkermans, Paola Esser and Pim Martens
Land 2024, 13(1), 88; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13010088
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/1/88

9. “Perspective Swap from Central Europe to East Asia: How Relevant Is Urban Environmental Acupuncture in Small-Scale Green Space Development in the Context of the Republic of Korea?”
by Jiyoon Song, Jessica Hemingway and Chang Sug Park
Land 2024, 13(3), 298; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13030298
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/3/298

10. “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

11. “Evaluating Urban Green Space Inequity to Promote Distributional Justice in Portland, Oregon”
by Evan Elderbrock, Kory Russel, Yekang Ko, Elizabeth Budd, Lilah Gonen and Chris Enright
Land 2024, 13(6), 720; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13060720
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/6/720

12. “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

13. “Multiple Roles of Green Space in the Resilience, Sustainability and Equity of Aotearoa New Zealand’s Cities”
by Paul Blaschke, Maibritt Pedersen Zari, Ralph Chapman, Edward Randal, Meredith Perry, Philippa Howden-Chapman and Elaine Gyde
Land 2024, 13(7), 1022; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13071022
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/7/1022

14. “Peri-Urban and Urban Green Space Management and Planning: The Case of Thessaloniki, Greece”
by Maria Baxevani, Dimitrios Tsiotas, Georgios Kolkos Eleni Zafeiriou and Garyfallos Arabatzis
Land 2024, 13(8), 1235; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13081235
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/8/1235

15. “Exploring Multi-Sensory Approaches for Psychological Well-Being in Urban Green Spaces: Evidence from Edinburgh’s Diverse Urban Environments”
by Siruo Qu and Ruochen Ma
Land 2024, 13(9), 1536; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13091536
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/13/9/1536

• “Monitoring the Effect of Urban Green Space on Environmental Quality”
  Guest Editors: Marko Bizjak, Jihui Yuan and David Jesenko
  Submission Deadline: 16 June 2025

• “Urban Green Spaces: An Effective Tool to Regulate Urban Climate and Biodiversity, 2nd Edition”
  Guest Editors: Dr. Nikolaos Proutsos, Dr. Alexandra D. Solomou
  Submission Deadline: 31 July 2025

• “Redefining Urban Landscapes: Land Use and Regional Development in the Era of Urbanization”
  Guest Editors: Guangzhong Cao, Jiajie Liu and Yingzhi Qiu
  Submission Deadline: 31 December 2025

We are delighted to announce that Issue 3, Volume 14 of Land (ISSN: 2073-445X), was released in March 2025. The following is a list of partial articles which we believe will be of interest to you:

Section: “Land Systems and Global Change”
1. “Exploring the Multifaceted Aspects of Strawberry Tree (Arbutus unedo L.) Forests in Portugal”
by Maria Nazaré Coelho Pinheiro, Filomena Gomes, Goreti Botelho, Ivo Rodrigues, Ruslan Mariychuk and Lyudmyla Symochko
Land 2025, 14(3), 468; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030468
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/468

Section: “Landscape Ecology”
2. “Legacy Vegetation and Drainage Features Influence Sediment Dynamics and Tidal Wetland Recovery After Managed Dyke Realignment”
by Samantha Crowell, Megan Elliott, Kailey Nichols, Danika van Proosdij, Emma Poirier, Jennie Graham, Tony Bowron and Jeremy Lundholm
Land 2025, 14(3), 456; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030456
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/456

Section: “Land, Soil and Water”
3. “Prediction Capability of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) in Badland Susceptibility Mapping: The Foglia River Basin (Italy) Case of Study”
by Margherita Bianchini, Stefano Morelli, Mirko Francioni and Roberta Bonì
Land 2025, 14(3), 651; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030651
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/651

Section: “Land Socio-Economic and Political Issues”
4. “Risk Assessment and Dynamic Monitoring of China’s Agricultural Investment in Countries Along the Belt and Road Under the Guidance of Cultivated Land Resources”
by Yameng Wang, Guanglu, Mingyue Zhang, Songxiang Wang, Yuxin Han and Linyan Ma
Land 2025, 14(3), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030474
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/474

Section: “Urban Contexts and Urban-Rural Interactions”
5. “Recognising the Fourth Nature: A Case Study of Spontaneous Urban Vegetation in Southwest Australian Cities”
by Katherine Stewart and Maria Ignatieva
Land 2025, 14(3), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030467
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/467

Section: “Land–Climate Interactions”
6. “Global Climate Convergence from 1980 to 2022 Led to Significant Increase in Vegetation Productivity”
by Hongjuan Zhu and Chuanhua Li
Land 2025, 14(3), 570; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030570
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/570

Section: “Land, Biodiversity, and Human Wellbeing”
7. “Adoption and Diversity of Agroforestry Systems in the Amazon Biome: A Bibliometric Overview”
by Daniela Pauletto, Marcelo Francia Arco-Verde, Ivan Crespo Silva, Lucas Sérgio de Sousa Lopes, Anselmo Junior Correa Araújo, Flávia Cristina Araújo Lucas, Seidel Ferreira dos Santos, Thiago Almeida Vieira, Carlos Tadeu dos Santos Dias and Lucieta Guerreiro Martorano
Land 2025, 14(3), 524; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030524
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/524

Section: “Land Use, Impact Assessment and Sustainability”
8. “A Compromise Programming Approach for Assessing Territorial Biophysical Suitability: A Case Study”
by António Xavier, Maria de Belém Costa Freitas and Carla Antunes
Land 2025, 14(3), 569; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030569
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/569

Section: “Land Innovations – Data and Machine Learning”
9. “Research on the Nonlinear Relationship Between Carbon Emissions from Residential Land and the Built Environment: A Case Study of Susong County, Anhui Province Using the XGBoost-SHAP Model”
by Congguang Xu, Wei Xiong, Simin Zhang, Hailiang Shi, Shichao Wu, Shanju Bao and Tieqiao Xiao
Land 2025, 14(3), 440; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030440
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/440

Section: “Water, Energy, Land and Food (WELF) Nexus”
10. “Framework Construction and Application of Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) in the Three-River-Source National Park (TRSNP) in China”
by Peihong Jia, Jing Chen, Diangong Gao, Yuxin Zhu and Xinyue Wang
Land 2025, 14(3), 642; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030642
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/642

Section: “Land – Observation and Monitoring”
11. “Adopting Land Cover Standards for Sustainable Development in Ghana: Challenges and Opportunities”
by Elisha Njomaba, Fatima Mushtaq, Raymond Kwame Nagbija, Silas Yakalim, Ben Emunah Aikins and Peter Surovy
Land 2025, 14(3), 550; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030550
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/550

Section: “Land Planning and Landscape Architecture”
12. “Participatory Land Planning, Community Land Trusts, and Managed Retreat: Transforming Informality and Building Resilience to Flood Risk in Puerto Rico’s Caño Martín Peña”
by Ivis García and Leslie Martínez-Román
Land 2025, 14(3), 485; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030485
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/485

General
13. “The New Zealand Biodiversity Factor—Residential (NZBF-R): A Tool to Rapidly Score the Relative Biodiversity Value of Urban Residential Developments”
by Jacqueline Theis, Christopher K. Woolley, Philip J. Seddon, Danielle F. Shanahan, Claire Freeman, Maibritt Pedersen Zari and Yolanda van Heezik
Land 2025, 14(3), 526; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030526
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/526

14. “Structural and Functional Connectivity of Thermal Refuges in a Desert City: Impacts of Climate Change and Urbanization on Desert Wildlife”
by Amy E. Frazier, Brian Sehner and Barira Rashid
Land 2025, 14(3), 480; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030480
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/480

15. “Post-hoc Evaluation of Sample Size in a Regional Digital Soil Mapping Project”
by Daniel D. Saurette, Richard J. Heck, Adam W. Gillespie, Aaron A. Berg and Asim Biswas
Land 2025, 14(3), 545; https://doi.org/10.3390/land14030545
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/14/3/545

MDPI is excited to announce its participation as an exhibitor at the 2025 International Association for Landscape Ecology—North America (IALE-NA) Annual Meeting, which will be held in Raleigh, United States, from 13 to 17 April 2025. 

The theme of this year’s meeting, “Landscapes of Change: Dynamic Interactions between Nature and People”, will bring together over 500 professionals and students from diverse fields, including geology, ecology, biology, geography, urban and regional planning, and landscape management and design. Discover how MDPI can support your research and academic goals. Our team will be at the booth to discuss MDPI’s submission process, editorial support, and the benefits of open access publishing. Plus, enjoy exciting gifts and exclusive resources that are only available at our booth! Do not miss out on this exciting opportunity.

The following MDPI journals will be present at the conference:

• Land;
• Sustainability;
• Urban Science;
• IJGI;
• Earth;
• Diversity;
• Ecologies;
• Geographies;
• Environments;
• Resources.