Innovative Research Approaches & Practices Towards Sustainable Land Management, Preservation & Restoration (Second Edition)

Sustainable land management (SLM)-focusing on soil health, ecosystem and biodiversity preservation, resilience to natural hazards, and landscape remediation-is a critical priority for modern societies. Life on earth relies on healthy land systems for food, clean water, biodiversity, economic stability, and overall well-being. However, land is under growing pressure from climate change and human activities such as industrialization, urbanization, and unsustainable farming, leading to desertification, degradation, and pollution. According to the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, 60-70% of soils in the EU are unhealthy. Globally, land degradation and climate change may displace up to 700 million people by 2050. In response, global and European initiatives are increasingly linked to land preservation and restoration. The "One Health" approach connects soil health with ecosystem stability, food systems, and human health. Land and its ecosystem services are central to many UN Sustainable Development Goals (e.g., SDG2, SDG3, SDG6, and SDG15). In the EU, land is central to the green and digital transition, integrated into key strategies: Farm to Fork, Biodiversity 2030, Climate Adaptation, Zero Pollution, Forest and Organic Strategies, and the upcoming Soil Strategy and Circular Economy Action Plan. This Special Issue aspires to be a key reference in the field, highlighting innovative methods, case studies, and reviews across the broad spectrum of integrated land and environmental management.