Special Issue Editors

Guest Editor
Prof. Dr. Martí Boada
Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambiental, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Edifici C Campus de la UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
Website: http://icta.uab.cat/investigacion/grupos.jsp?id=11 E-Mail: marti.boada@uab.cat

Guest Editor
Dr. Carles Barriocanal
Institut de Ciencia i Tecnologia Ambiental, Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona, Edifici C Campus de la UAB, 08193 Bellaterra, Barcelona, Spain
Website: http://icta.uab.cat/investigacion/grupos.jsp?id=11 E-Mail: carles.barriocanal@udg.edu

Special Issue Information:

Dear Colleagues,

This issue of Sustainability wants to be a scene of scientific reflection on the exemplify experience of the role of the natural spaces protected in the 21st century in the field of the conservation and of the dynamic of the local communities. Protected areas are destinations that preserve natural, cultural and historical heritage and fulfill an important social function. At the same time, some of the new uses related to recreational activities within their boundaries may represent potential threats. Historically, when institutions declare protected areas, they usually base their decision on two main environmental objectives: the fact of the area being a representation of natural regions and cultural heritage and its function as a preserver of biodiversity and cultural diversity, protecting species and their habitats. Nowadays, it is clear that also social and economic implications have to play an important role on the sustainable management of the ecosystem dynamics and protected areas in order to make compatible the multiple land uses.
Landscapes are the expression of the natural, cultural and social history of the inhabitants of a territory. This must be born in mind at the moment of determining the sustainability of a protected area. Despite of recognize the significance of the natural values of a territory they do not have to conceal the social significance of the communities that live (i.e. indigenous population) and of the users proceeding from the urban systems.

Prof. Dr. Martí Boada
Dr. Carles Barriocanal
Guest Editors

Submission:

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. Papers will be published continuously (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as 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 refereed through a peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability 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 800 CHF (Swiss Francs).

Keywords:

Ecosystem services
Protected areas
Management of landscapes
Sustainable development
Social and economic implications