Socioeconomic Implications of Forests and Forestry in a Changing Climate and Governance: Editorial

Ratna Chrismiari Purwestri^1*Betha Lusiana²

• ¹Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Prague, Czechia
• ²ICRAF-CIFOR, Bogor, Indonesia

Sustainable management and monitoring practices also shape the health and productivity of forests (Siry et al., 2005;Prins et al., 2023). Ground-level monitoring is not only essential for tracking forest condition, but also for sustaining the availability of important food resources, such as sago in Papua, Indonesia. Fetriyuna et al. (2025: Frontiers | Exploring the implication of changes in forest cover on sago nutrients: insights from monitoring in selected regions of Papua, Indonesia) utilized remote sensing data to assess changes in sago forests over three decades. Their findings show that while in a more developed region (Merauke), exhibited degradation, it also produces sago with higher nutrient content, potentially due to the maturity of harvested sago. These insights highlight the complex interplay between forest conditions, land use change, and food security.Societal preferences and views also shape how societies interact with and appraise forest ecosystem services. Understanding societal views on non-wood ecosystem services is essential for promoting local economy and ensuring sustainable production and consumption practices. For instance, in Turkey, Demirkaya et al. (2025: Frontiers | Perceptions of preschoolers and parents on forest pollution) examines how young children and their parents perceived forest pollution and cleanness. Personal and parental attributes significantly influence awareness and knowledge about clean forests, highlighting the role of early education and family engagement in fostering environmental stewardship and sustainable tourism practices. Meanwhile, in the Czech Republic, studies have explored the economic and nutritional potential of forest mushrooms and berries as alternative sources of income beyond timber, based on national surveys of public preferences and collection practices related to non-wood forest commodities (Šišák et al., 2016;Purwestri et al., 2023).While this Research Topic emphasizes the social, cultural, and governance-related dimensions of forest use and management in the context of climate change, it does not seek to extensively address the economic valuation of forest ecosystem services. This editorial choice reflects the substantial body of existing literature that has already explored the economic aspects in depth. Rather than duplicating those efforts, we aim to broaden the discourse by highlighting complementary themes that are equally vital for advancing sustainable forest governance.Readers interested in the economic valuation of forests are encouraged to explore relevant research published in Frontiers journals. For instance, a global meta-regression analysis by (Pisani et al., 2022) investigate key variables driving the economic value of forest ecosystem services, highlighting the influence of socio-economic factors and ecosystem service quality conditions. Regional studies, such as the review by Osewe et al. (2024), assess how contextual factors and global trends impact the valuation of ecosystem services in East Africa, offering insights into preferred valuation methods and approaches in that region. Additionally, Raihan (2023) provides a comprehensive review of integrative approaches combining monetary and nonmonetary valuation methods for forest ecosystem services, emphasizing the need for holistic assessment frameworks. These studies collectively highlight the importance of incorporating