Announcements

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio as Editor-in-Chief of the “Forest Operations and Engineering” Section of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907), as of September 2021.

Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio obtained a Forest Sciences degree and a Ph.D. in Forest Mechanization at Tuscia University, Viterbo. He began his career in 2004, working as a university researcher until 2014. Since then, he has been an Associate Professor in Forest Logging and Wood Technologies and led the Forest Utilization Research Work Group at Tuscia University (DAFNE). From 2015 to 2017, he served as the president of Conservation and Restoration of the Forest Environment and Soil Defense, a Master’s program at Tuscia University (DAFNE). Since 2018, he has served on the board of Tuscia University’s Ph.D. programs, including Science and Technologies for Forest and Environmental Management (2005–2013) and Engineering for Energy and Environment. His fields of expertise include forest operation engineering, forest logging, forest mechanization, precision forestry, wood technologies, and the environmental impacts of wood harvesting operations. He is also on the editorial boards of international scientific journals covering forestry and forest engineering subjects. He continues to be a participant in cost, life, horizon, and international cooperation projects, coordinating several EAFRD-funded rural development programs (RDPs). Furthermore, he has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed papers in international journals indexed by WoS and Scopus, 30 technical books, and over 200 papers in technical journals. He is also a member of the scientific Italian Society of Silviculture and Forest Ecology. At Tuscia University, he teaches a variety of modules, including Forest Operations, Planning and Management of Forest Yards, Reduced Impact Logging, and Research Application on Forest Logging.

The following is a short Q&A with Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to take the role as its Section Editor-in-Chief?

The Forests journal in these recent years has achieved significant levels of interest among forestry and environmental scientists, as demonstrated by the high bibliometric indices obtained. However, there was a gap related to the important Section "Forest Operations and Engineering (FOsE)". As an expert in the field, I noticed how it was necessary to provide specific skills on FOsE within the Editorial Board in order to improve the level of research published directly from the journal.

For these reasons, I accepted the opportunity to serve as an Editor-in-Chief. This is a great honor for me and, together with our outstanding Editorial Board members, I am looking forward to shaping the future of this journal to cater effectively and efficiently to our science community.

2. What is your vision for the journal?

To make Forests a leading open access journal platform for the publication of high-quality and high-impact research papers from all areas of forest sciences.

3. What does the future of this field of research look like?

The field of forest sciences is highly interdisciplinary and complex. Big data, artificial intelligence, and precision forestry will be the leading power tools to reshape the field of forest sciences in the coming years. However, researchers are at the forefront of addressing sustainability, management, as well as the conservation of forests. These objectives are not only achievable with new technologies but with the widespread transfer of knowledge on a global level.

4. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?

Open access has permitted or is better at permitting, the widespread transfer of knowledge on a global level.

The editorial team warmly welcomes Prof. Dr. Rodolfo Picchio as Editor-in-Chief of the “Forest Operations and Engineering” Section and looks forward to his contribution to the continued success of Forests.

For further information on the journal sections, please click here.