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Forests
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Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs
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Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs

A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Economics, Policy, and Social Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (22 May 2022) | Viewed by 26717

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Elisabetta Salvatori

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Sustainability (SSPT-STS), Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), R.C. Casaccia, Via Anguillarese, 301-00123 S.Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy
Interests: nature-based solutions; ecosystem services; urban and peri-urban forests; plant functional traits; ecophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Giacomo Pallante

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department for Sustainability (SSPT-PVS), Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development (ENEA), R.C. Casaccia, Via Anguillarese, 301-00123 S.Maria di Galeria, Rome, Italy
Interests: socio-economic evaluation; natural capital accounting; ecosystem services

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Forest ecosystems, including natural forests, managed forests, agroforestry systems and urban and peri-urban forests, can be considered as multifunctional Nature-based Solutions (NbS), since they deliver key ecosystem services to people. The concept of NbS is an “umbrella” framework for several ecosystem-based approaches, categorized by the IUCN as protective (e.g., area-based conservation), restorative (e.g., ecological restoration), infrastructure-based (e.g., green infrastructure), management-based or issue-specific (e.g., ecosystem-based disaster risk reduction). All these approaches rely on biodiversity and ecosystem services to address global societal challenges, simultaneously providing environmental, social and economic benefits, and helping build resilience. NbS are becoming more and more relevant in international and European policy frameworks, such as in the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and in the upcoming EU Forest Strategy. However, for the effective implementation and mainstreaming of NbS, several research gaps need to be addressed. This Special Issue welcomes studies bringing new data and methods about i) quantification of ecosystem services (regulation and maintenance, provisioning, cultural) provided by forests in natural, semi-natural and urban contexts, as well as their potential disservices; ii) monetary valuation and cost/benefit analysis of forests as NbS to sustainably address specific challenges. Original research and reviews targeted at understanding key characteristics of NbS, supporting the delivery of multiple benefits, the potential limitations and trade-offs, as well as case studies of operationalization of NbS into policy decisions, are particularly encouraged.

Dr. Elisabetta Salvatori
Dr. Giacomo Pallante
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

  • Climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Air quality
  • Water quality
  • Recreation
  • Plant functional traits
  • Land-use planning
  • Forest management and restoration
  • Protected areas
  • Monetary valuation and accounting
  • Socio-economic benefits

Published Papers (10 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 622 KiB  
Editorial
Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs
by Elisabetta Salvatori and Giacomo Pallante
Forests 2021, 12(6), 800; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12060800 - 18 Jun 2021
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2551
Abstract
Forest ecosystems, including natural forests, managed forests, agroforestry systems, and urban and peri-urban forests, can be considered as multifunctional Nature-based Solutions (NbS) since they deliver key ecosystem services to people [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)

Research

Jump to: Editorial

15 pages, 2541 KiB  
Article
Using the Auction Price Method to Estimate Payment for Forest Ecosystem Services in Xin’an River Basin in China: A BDM Approach
by Tan Li, BaoHang Hui, Le Zhu, Tianye Zhang, Tianyu Chen and Chong Su
Forests 2022, 13(6), 902; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13060902 - 09 Jun 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1534
Abstract
Accurately estimating the forest farmers’ protection costs for forest ecosystem services has become a hot issue in ecological economics. In this research, we propose a novel method of using an auction price model to evaluate the forest ecosystem services. We establish a functional [...] Read more.
Accurately estimating the forest farmers’ protection costs for forest ecosystem services has become a hot issue in ecological economics. In this research, we propose a novel method of using an auction price model to evaluate the forest ecosystem services. We establish a functional relationship between forest farmers and the forestland that belongs to them based on experimental data from Xin’an River Basin in China. The results indicate that the average willingness of farmers to accept payment for forest ecosystem service protection in the low, middle, and high levels of forest quality is 17,123.10, 23,493.75, and 31,064.40 yuan/ha/year, respectively. Moreover, farmers with different individual characteristics, household characteristics, planting characteristics, policy cognition, and ecological awareness are also willing to be paid differently. This research can provide a reference for forest ecosystem protection policies and assist the sustainable forestry development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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18 pages, 3444 KiB  
Article
Significant Loss of Ecosystem Services by Environmental Changes in the Mediterranean Coastal Area
by Adriano Conte, Ilaria Zappitelli, Lina Fusaro, Alessandro Alivernini, Valerio Moretti, Tiziano Sorgi, Fabio Recanatesi and Silvano Fares
Forests 2022, 13(5), 689; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13050689 - 28 Apr 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2279
Abstract
Mediterranean coastal areas are among the most threated forest ecosystems in the northern hemisphere due to concurrent biotic and abiotic stresses. These may affect plants functionality and, consequently, their capacity to provide ecosystem services. In this study, we integrated ground-level and satellite-level measurements [...] Read more.
Mediterranean coastal areas are among the most threated forest ecosystems in the northern hemisphere due to concurrent biotic and abiotic stresses. These may affect plants functionality and, consequently, their capacity to provide ecosystem services. In this study, we integrated ground-level and satellite-level measurements to estimate the capacity of a 46.3 km2 Estate to sequestrate air pollutants from the atmosphere, transported to the study site from the city of Rome. By means of a multi-layer canopy model, we also evaluated forest capacity to provide regulatory ecosystem services. Due to a significant loss in forest cover, estimated by satellite data as −6.8% between 2014 and 2020, we found that the carbon sink capacity decreased by 34% during the considered period. Furthermore, pollutant deposition on tree crowns has reduced by 39%, 46% and 35% for PM, NO2 and O3, respectively. Our results highlight the importance of developing an integrated approach combining ground measurements, modelling and satellite data to link air quality and plant functionality as key elements to improve the effectiveness of estimate of ecosystem services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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20 pages, 5602 KiB  
Article
The Efficiency of Forest Management Investment in Key State-Owned Forest Regions under the Carbon Neutral Target: A Case Study of Heilongjiang Province, China
by Shuohua Liu, Zhenmin Ding, Ying Lin and Shunbo Yao
Forests 2022, 13(4), 609; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13040609 - 14 Apr 2022
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2199
Abstract
To explore the temporal and spatial evolution of carbon sinks in state-owned forest regions (SOFRs) and the efficiency of increased carbon sinks, this study used panel data from 19 periods in 40 key SOFRs in Heilongjiang Province from 2001 to 2019. Additionally, combined [...] Read more.
To explore the temporal and spatial evolution of carbon sinks in state-owned forest regions (SOFRs) and the efficiency of increased carbon sinks, this study used panel data from 19 periods in 40 key SOFRs in Heilongjiang Province from 2001 to 2019. Additionally, combined with geographic information system (GIS) and remote sensing (RS) technology, the individual fixed-effect model was used to estimate the number of forest management investment (FMI) lagging periods, and the panel threshold model was used to investigate the differences in the FMI efficiency in various forest regions. From 2001 to 2019, the carbon sink of key SOFRs in Heilongjiang Province showed an upward trend over time, with a growth rate of 20.17%. Spatially, the phenomenon of “increasing as a whole and decreasing in a small area” was found, and the carbon sink of each forest region varied greatly. The standard deviation ellipse of the carbon sink presented a “southeast–northwest” pattern and had “from southeast to northwest” migration characteristics. The FMI amount from 2001 to 2019 showed an upward trend, with a total of CNY 46.745 billion, and varied greatly among forest regions. Additionally, the carbon sink amount in each SOFR affected the FMI efficiency. The threshold of the model was 5,327,211.8707 tons, and the elastic coefficients of the impact of FMI below and above the threshold on the carbon sink were 0.00953 and 0.02175, respectively. The latter’s FMI efficiency was 128.23% higher than that of the former. Finally, the increase in FMI to a carbon sink followed the law of diminishing marginal benefits. Therefore, the government should rationally plan the level of FMI in each SOFR to improve the FMI cost-effectiveness and help achieve the goal of “carbon neutrality”. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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17 pages, 13239 KiB  
Article
Facing Multiple Environmental Challenges through Maximizing the Co-Benefits of Nature-Based Solutions at a National Scale in Italy
by Elena Di Pirro, Lorenzo Sallustio, Joana A. C. Castellar, Gregorio Sgrigna, Marco Marchetti and Bruno Lasserre
Forests 2022, 13(4), 548; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13040548 - 31 Mar 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2785
Abstract
The European Union is significantly investing in the Green Deal that introduces measures to guide Member States to face sustainability and health challenges, especially employing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban contexts. National governments need to develop appropriate strategies to coordinate local projects, face [...] Read more.
The European Union is significantly investing in the Green Deal that introduces measures to guide Member States to face sustainability and health challenges, especially employing Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) in urban contexts. National governments need to develop appropriate strategies to coordinate local projects, face multiple challenges, and maximize NBS effectiveness. This paper aims to introduce a replicable methodology to integrate NBS into a multi-scale planning process to maximize their cost–benefits. Using Italy as a case study, we mapped three environmental challenges nationwide related to climate change and air pollution, identifying spatial groups of their co-occurrences. These groups serve as functional areas where 24 NBS were ranked for their ecosystem services supply and land cover. The results show eight different spatial groups, with 6% of the national territory showing no challenge, with 42% showing multiple challenges combined simultaneously. Seven NBS were high-performing in all groups: five implementable in permeable land covers (urban forests, infiltration basins, green corridors, large parks, heritage gardens), and two in impervious ones (intensive, semi-intensive green roofs). This work provides a strategic vision at the national scale to quantify and orient budget allocation, while on a municipal scale, the NBS ranking acts as a guideline for specific planning activities based on local issues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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15 pages, 5705 KiB  
Article
The Trade-Offs and Synergies of Ecosystem Services in Jiulianshan National Nature Reserve in Jiangxi Province, China
by Jiayuan Feng, Fusheng Chen, Fangran Tang, Fangchao Wang, Kuan Liang, Lingyun He and Chao Huang
Forests 2022, 13(3), 416; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f13030416 - 05 Mar 2022
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 3175
Abstract
Ecosystem services are directly related to human well-being. Previous studies showed that management policies and human activities alter the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services. Taking effective measures to manage the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services is essential to sustain ecological security [...] Read more.
Ecosystem services are directly related to human well-being. Previous studies showed that management policies and human activities alter the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services. Taking effective measures to manage the trade-offs and synergies of ecosystem services is essential to sustain ecological security and achieve a “win-win” situation between society and ecosystems. This study investigated the spatiotemporal changes of water yield, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration in the Jiulianshan National Nature Reserve from 2000 to 2020 based on the InVEST model. We distinguished spatial patterns of trade-offs and synergies between ecosystem services using the correlation relationship analysis. Then we analyzed the response of ecosystem services relationships among different vegetation types and elevation bands. The results showed that water yield and carbon sequestration presented an overall upward trend, while soil conservation remained a marginal degradation. Rising ecosystem services were mainly in the central, western, and southeastern regions, and declining areas were mainly distributed in the midwestern and northeastern fringes. Synergies spatially dominated the interactions among water yield, soil conservation, and carbon sequestration, and the trade-offs were primarily concentrated in the northern, southern, and southwestern fringes. Among the different vegetation types, synergies dominated ecosystem services in broad-leaved forests, coniferous forests, mixed forests, and Moso bamboo forests and in grass. The trade-offs were gradually reduced with elevation. This study highlighted that trade-off of ecosystem services should be incorporated into ecological management policies, strengthening the effectiveness of nature reserves in protecting and improving China’s ecosystem services. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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16 pages, 1917 KiB  
Article
Valuation of Forest Ecosystem Services in Taiwan
by Jiunn-Cheng Lin, Chyi-Rong Chiou, Wei-Hsun Chan and Meng-Shan Wu
Forests 2021, 12(12), 1694; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12121694 - 03 Dec 2021
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3367
Abstract
Forest is the largest ecosystem in the land area of Taiwan. In the past, most of the studies on the evaluation of forest ecosystem services were regional, and therefore lacked national assessment. This study uses a market value method and a benefit transfer [...] Read more.
Forest is the largest ecosystem in the land area of Taiwan. In the past, most of the studies on the evaluation of forest ecosystem services were regional, and therefore lacked national assessment. This study uses a market value method and a benefit transfer method to assess the value of the forest ecosystem services in Taiwan, and expounds the link between ecosystem services and the effectiveness of forestry management and conservation. Preliminarily, it is estimated that the total value of forest ecosystem services in 2016 was approximately NT $749,278 million (equal to approximately 47.6 billion U.S. dollars, PPP-corrected), accounting for 4.28% of the GDP in 2016. The quotation of unit price data has a huge impact on the final assessment results of forest ecosystem service value, and therefore it is necessary use it appropriately. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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15 pages, 1248 KiB  
Article
Valuing Recreational Services of the National Forest Parks Using a Tourist Satisfaction Method
by Nannan Kang, Erda Wang, Yang Yu and Zenghui Duan
Forests 2021, 12(12), 1688; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12121688 - 02 Dec 2021
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1945
Abstract
Estimating the economic value of ecosystem services has become one of the most fertile areas in ecological economics. In this paper, we propose a novel method of using a tourist satisfaction model to evaluate the recreational services being embedded in forest ecosystems. We [...] Read more.
Estimating the economic value of ecosystem services has become one of the most fertile areas in ecological economics. In this paper, we propose a novel method of using a tourist satisfaction model to evaluate the recreational services being embedded in forest ecosystems. We establish a functional relationship between tourist satisfaction and recreational attributes based on the survey data of China National Forest Parks. The results indicate that each recreational attribute considered enables the generation of a significant amount of tourism welfare for tourists, whereas tourist congestion was found to be a negative contributor to tourists’ satisfaction. Reducing congestion from the current level is the most valued recreational attribute for tourists, and the willingness to pay for it is as high as CNY 623.18 (USD 92.29) per visitor per trip. Additionally, local and nonlocal tourists display a divergent degree of preference for the recreational attributes and their levels of willingness to pay. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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12 pages, 1521 KiB  
Article
Defoliation, Recovery and Increasing Mortality in Italian Forests: Levels, Patterns and Possible Consequences for Forest Multifunctionality
by Filippo Bussotti, Giancarlo Papitto, Domenico Di Martino, Cristiana Cocciufa, Claudia Cindolo, Enrico Cenni, Davide Bettini, Giovanni Iacopetti and Martina Pollastrini
Forests 2021, 12(11), 1476; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12111476 - 28 Oct 2021
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1933
Abstract
Forest health and multifunctionality are threatened by global challenges such as climate change. Forest health is currently assessed within the pan-European ICP Forests (International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests) programme through the evaluation of tree crown [...] Read more.
Forest health and multifunctionality are threatened by global challenges such as climate change. Forest health is currently assessed within the pan-European ICP Forests (International Co-operative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests) programme through the evaluation of tree crown conditions (defoliation). This paper analyses the results of a 24-year assessment carried out in Italy on 253 permanent plots distributed across the whole forested area. The results evidenced a substantial stability of crown conditions at the national level, according to the usual defoliation thresholds Defoliation > 25% and Defoliation > 60%, albeit with species-specific patterns. Within this apparent temporal stability, an increased fraction of extremely defoliated and dead trees was observed. Extreme defoliation mostly occurred in years with severe summer drought, whereas mortality was higher in the years after the drought. The results for singular species evidenced critical conditions for Castanea sativa Mill. and Pinus species, whereas Quercus species showed a progressive decrease in defoliation. Deciduous species, such as Fagus sylvatica L., Ostrya carpinifolia Scop. and Quercus pubescens Willd. suffer the loss of leaves in dry years as a strategy to limit water loss by transpiration but recover their crown in the following years. The recurrence of extreme heat waves and drought from the beginning of the XXI century may increase the vulnerability of forests, and increased tree mortality can be expected in the future. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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14 pages, 1144 KiB  
Article
On the Mismatches between the Monetary and Social Values of Air Purification in the Colombian Andean Region: A Case Study
by Andres Suarez, Cesar Ruiz-Agudelo, Edisson Castro-Escobar, Gloria Y. Flórez-Yepes and Luis A. Vargas-Marín
Forests 2021, 12(9), 1274; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/f12091274 - 17 Sep 2021
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2339
Abstract
There is growing interest in air quality and air purification, due to current high pollution levels, their effects on human health, and implications for urban economies. Since the improvement of air quality carries important economic value, air-related benefits have been evaluated monetarily from [...] Read more.
There is growing interest in air quality and air purification, due to current high pollution levels, their effects on human health, and implications for urban economies. Since the improvement of air quality carries important economic value, air-related benefits have been evaluated monetarily from two perspectives: the first relates to air quality improvements, while the second values air purification as an ecosystem function. This research opted for the second perspective, given that the study area (two Colombian municipalities) does not suffer from poor air quality conditions, but stakeholders prioritized this function as highly important to them. Contingent valuation methods were applied in order to identify the population’s probability of willingness to maintain the air purification function. Although individuals (n = 245) attribute a yearly monetary value of USD 1.5 million to air purification, it was found that, despite the high level of social importance that respondents assigned to air purification (mean = 4.7/5), this had no correlation with payment values (rho = 0.0134, p = 0.8350); that is, households do not really recognize the monetary value of all the benefits they receive or the benefits they would lose if the service suffers changes. Hence, it is posed that monetary values do not necessarily reflect the social importance that individuals assign to ecosystem services, and attention is called to the need to integrate social and monetary values into decision-making processes, so as to encompass the complexity of ecosystem services and conciliate conflicting valuation language. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Forests as Nature-Based Solutions: Ecosystem Services, Multiple Benefits and Trade-Offs)
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