Springer has signed an agreement with the International Union of Forest Research Organization's (IUFRO) Small-scale Forestry Group to publish Small-scale Forestry. The journal will be included in OARE, AGORA, and CGIAR, three of the developing countries initiatives in which Springer plays a leading role. These initiatives provide scientists, researchers, and policymakers in low-income countries with free or very low-cost online access to Springer journals. The first issue of Small-scale Forestry will be published in March 2007.
Small-scale Forestry is unique in that it focuses on small-scale forest issues for which there is currently no specific publication. It will provide an international platform for high-quality, peer-reviewed papers on pure and applied research in small-scale forestry. The journal will be relevant to policymakers and forest managers as well as forest researchers. The scope of Small-scale Forestry will be broad, including the social, economic and technical dimensions of farm, family, non-industrial, agro- and community forestry. The cross-disciplinary editorial board includes representatives from Asia, Australia, North America, and Europe.
John Herbohn, Reader in Tropical Forestry at The University of Queensland and Coordinator of the IUFRO Small-scale Forestry Group, said, "Our group's primary goals are to promote and publish first-rate research in the emerging issue of small-scale forestry, and to bring this to the widest possible audience. With Springer, we have found a dedicated partner who can help us do this, providing strong editorial support while ensuring high visibility and ready access to our journal."
Catherine Cotton, Publishing Editor of Forestry, Ecology and Conservation at Springer, said, "We are delighted to be working with IUFRO on Small-scale Forestry. Given the journal's international significance, we are particularly pleased to be able to offer it through Springer's developing countries initiatives. Especially in Africa and Asia, smallholder and community forestry has exploded over the past two decades. Small-scale Forestry will provide a global forum to exchange information, thus benefiting researchers and policy developers worldwide."
Springer will publish Small-scale Forestry in both print and electronic formats. The quarterly journal will be available via www.springerlink.com, Springer's online information platform, and will include Online First™, a feature where articles are published online before they appear in print. In addition, all potential authors have the option, via the Springer Open Choice program, of publishing their articles using the open access publishing model once they have been accepted for publication.
About IUFRO
IUFRO (www.iufro.org) is a non-profit, non-governmental international network of forest scientists which promotes global cooperation in forest-related research and enhances the understanding of the ecological, economic and social aspects of forests and trees. It disseminates scientific knowledge to stakeholders and decision-makers and contributes to forest policy and on-the-ground forest management.
About Springer
Springer (www.springer.com) is the second-largest publisher worldwide in the science, technology, and medicine (STM) sector and publishes on behalf of more than 300 academic associations and professional societies. Springer is part of Springer Science+Business Media, one of the world's leading suppliers of scientific and specialist literature. The group publishes over 1,700 journals and more than 5,500 new books a year, as well as the largest STM eBook Collection. Springer has operations in over 20 countries in Europe, the USA, and Asia, and some 5,000 employees.