Riparian zones are the paragon of transitional ecosystems, providing critical habitat and ecosystem services that are especially threatened by global change. Following consultation with experts, 10 key challenges were identified to be addressed for riparian vegetation science and management improvement: (1) Create a distinct scientific community by establishing stronger bridges between disciplines; (2) Make riparian vegetation more visible and appreciated in society and policies; (3) Improve knowledge regarding biodiversity—ecosystem functioning links; (4) Manage spatial scale and context‐based issues; (5) Improve knowledge on social dimensions of riparian vegetation; (6) Anticipate responses to emergent issues and future trajectories; (7) Enhance tools to quantify and prioritize ecosystem services; (8) Improve numerical modeling and simulation tools; (9) Calibrate methods and increase data availability for better indicators and monitoring practices and transferability; and (10) Undertake scientific validation of best management practices. These challenges are discussed and critiqued here, to guide future research into riparian vegetation.This article is categorized under: Water and Life > Nature of Freshwater Ecosystems Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems Water and Life > Conservation, Management, and Awareness

Beekeeping is one of the significant activities that contribute to sustainability in environmental, social, and economic aspects. Honeybees provide multifaceted contributions to humanity, with 90% attributed to pollination services and 10% to bee products (honey, propolis, wax, etc.). The preservation of these services plays a key role in achieving ecological and economic sustainability, ensuring a healthy future for human life. According to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) under the United Nations, more than 80 million beehives contribute to an estimated annual honey production of 1.6 million tons. Honeybees can travel distances ranging from 600 meters to 11.3 kilometers to pollinate in bee forests. The bee products obtained from these areas provide income sources for forest communities, supporting sustainable development. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), one-third of global food production relies on pollination services by bees. Pollination services are critical for maintaining food security and increasing agricultural productivity. These services create a significant impact on biodiversity support, landscape diversification, enrichment of forest cover, and expansion of wildlife habitats, as well as erosion control—effects that are often imperceptible to humans. Bees contribute to human well-being and cultural sustainability by providing food, medicine, genetic resources, and related materials. The ecosystem services provided by bees make substantial contributions to achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including No Poverty (SDG1), Zero Hunger (SDG2), Good Health and Well-being (SDG3), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG7), Decent Work and Economic Growth (SDG8), Responsible Consumption and Production (SDG12), Climate Action (SDG13), and Life on Land (SDG15). This study discusses the importance of beekeeping and bee products in terms of ecosystem services for sustainable development and addresses environmental risks.

Use of Structural Equation Modeling in Ecotourism: A Model Proposal

Forest ecosystems are critical for achieving sustainable development goals. All forests in Turkey are managed and controlled by the General Directorate of Forestry (GDF) as a public organization. In order to achieve sustainable forest management, forestry activities include intensive operations involving reforestation, combating forest fires and smuggling, supervising logging activities, etc. Because of these rigorous forestry activities, forest engineers face a number of challenges in their profession. These problematic issues affect the 4,830 Public Sector Forest Engineers (PSFEs) in terms of organizational commitment (ORC) and job satisfaction (JOS). This study proposed to determine and reveal the underlying problems of the PSFEs’ perception of ORC and JOS using causal models. A large number of data were collected from 397 participating PSFEs in Turkey via applied questionnaire forms. Structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrap methodology were used to determine the main factors and analyze the relationships between latent variables and working conditions (WOC) and turnover intention (TOI) as mediators. The SEM results showed a direct positive effect (0.77) between the JOS and ORC of the PSFEs in Turkey. Positive WOC (0.153) and negative TOI (0.775) mediation roles were also revealed. The study indicated that the GDF administration needs to increase the motivation factors using incentive tools such as rewards, promotions, etc. and to reconstruct the WOC to decrease the TOI of the PSFEs. The developed models will contribute to the literature in terms of their availability and adaptability to different professions.

Forest fires cause hazards and damage to both ecosystems and humans increasing attention in the globalizing world. Forest fire risk analysis and management issues cover the prevention of forest fires, response to forest fires and what to do after the forest fires. This chapter is focused on the evaluation of forest fire risk management from socio-economic, landscape planning and risk management perspectives at the country scale. In this context, national policies, strategies, documents and practices are scrutinized in terms of forest fire mitigation acts in Turkey. As a result of the examination policy makers and decision-makers should increase pay attention to their primary stakeholders for better engagement in forest fires. There is an urgent need to obtain an annual forest fire risk assessment report from public institutions. Participatory approaches need to be applied through good governance to mitigate forest fires and decrease forest fire risks in Turkey.