Unasylva

Unasylva is FAO's international journal of forestry and forest industries. Its goal is to bring globally significant developments in forestry to a broad range of readers - policymakers, forest managers, technicians, researchers, students and teachers.

First published in 1947 and produced in English, French, and Spanish editions, Unasylva is FAO’s longest running periodical. Unasylva is diverse and global; each issue, to the extent possible, has authors from every region of the world, and from research institutions, UN agencies, non-governmental organizations and civil society.

FAO offers a free digital subscription. Join the Unasylva mailing list by sending an email to [email protected].

Editorial focus and readership

Unasylva is an international journal of forestry and forest industries, produced in separate English, French and Spanish editions. Unasylva covers all aspects of forestry: policy and planning; conservation and management of forest-based plants and animals; rural socio-economic development; species improvement; industrial development; international trade; and environmental considerations, including the role of forests and trees in maintaining a sustainable base for agricultural production at the micro and macro levels as well as the effects of environmental change on forestry.

Articles submitted should be of interest to the broadest possible cross-section of Unasylva's readership, which represents the following groups:

government officials, particularly in national forest services and the administrative structures responsible for overall agricultural and rural development. This category also includes representatives of the United Nations and its specialized agencies as well as staff of government organizations dealing with forestry;
non-governmental organizations dealing with forestry at local, national and international levels;
forestry schools and institutes, including their library users and staff members;
industrial forestry operators, both government and private;
individual professional foresters, especially those concerned with international forestry.

Submission of articles

Unasylva prefers to publish original articles written specifically for the journal, as opposed to papers prepared for presentation or publication elsewhere. The journal occasionally accepts previously published articles if they are judged to be of particular value and have had only limited distribution. Unsolicited manuscripts may be accepted, but authors are encouraged first to submit proposals rather than finished articles.

Unasylva reserves the right to edit all copy as deemed appropriate for length and the overall style of the journal. The Editors will attempt to maintain the style and point of view of the author(s). Wherever possible, the author(s) will be consulted with respect to major changes.

Copy specifications

Articles may be submitted in English, French or Spanish and should be between 2,000 and 4,000 words in length. However, shorter or longer articles may be considered or specifically requested in certain cases. Text should be submitted in electronic format, either on diskette or as an e-mail file attachment. In all cases, the word processing program used should be indicated.

The first page of the article should be a title page, providing the full name, title and contact address (including telephone, fax and e-mail if available) of the author(s) and including a brief abstract or summary of the article. Subsequent pages should be numbered sequentially.

Illustrative material

Authors are encouraged to provide supporting illustrative material with manuscripts. Tables, graphs, maps and drawings should be separate from the body of the text, with the point of reference indicated in the text. For the presentation of quantitative data, graphs are preferred to tables. Authors should provide precise data for the possible re-elaboration of graphs, which should be sent in electronic form. The program in which any graphs or maps are submitted should be indicated.

Photographs are printed in black and white; however, originals may be submitted either as black-and-white or colour prints, negatives, transparencies or high-resolution electronic files. Original material will be returned on request.

Style

Articles should be written in plain, concise language and in a style that is accessible and interesting to forestry professionals in general, and not only to specialists in the topic concerned. Jargon should be avoided and technical terms that may be unfamiliar to readers should be defined the first time they appear. Footnotes should be avoided as far as possible.

Measurement and currency

All measurements should be given in the metric system. When monetary data are mentioned, a conversion to US dollars should be included, based on the current rate at the time the article is submitted.

Abbreviations

Abbreviations and acronyms should be defined the first time they are used; for example, the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF).

Bibliography

Articles should be accompanied by appropriate bibliographies. The name of the author(s) and date of publication should be indicated at appropriate points in the text (e.g. Franklin and Forman, 1987; Viana et al., 1996), with the full reference given in a separate list at the end of the article. Note that the term et al. is used in the text reference when there are four or more authors. However, it should never be used in the bibliography, where all authors must be named.

Example of reference to an article in a periodical:

Franklin, J. & Forman, R. 1987. Creating landscape patterns by forest cutting: ecological consequences and principles. Landscape Ecology, 1(1): 5-11.

Example of reference to a monograph:

Viana, V., Ervin, J., Donovan, R., Elliott, C. & Gholz, H. 1996. Certification of forest products: issues and perspectives. Washington, DC, USA, Island Press.

Example of reference to an Internet document:

Burke, T.E. & Lemon, S.D. 1995. Distributing forest planning information. Rome, FAO. Available at: www.fao.org/waicent/forestinfo/burke/main.htm

Subscribe to Unasylva

Join the Unasylva mailing list by sending an email to [email protected].

By subscribing to Unasylva, you are providing consent for FAO’s retention and processing of your personal data, in accordance with the FAO Data Protection and Privacy Notice.

Contact

[email protected]

Unasylva 254: Towards more resilient and diverse planted forests

2023

This Unasylva presents novel findings and state-of-the-art information on planted forests. These forests support livelihoods - including through timber production - while also providing ecosystem services, restoring degraded ecosystems, and adapting to and mitigating climate change.

Unasylva 253: Forests for a better world

2022

To coincide with the 50th anniversary of FAO’s Committee on Forestry, this edition of Unasylva showcases ways in which forests are delivering the "four betters" and underscores how forests are crucial for resilient and sustainable agrifood systems in a changing climate.

Unasylva 252: Restoring the Earth - The next decade

2020

This Unasylva issue aims at showcasing forest and landscape restoration (FLR) opportunities and recent developments that have the power to upscale restoration, in order to achieving the Bonn Challenge pledge and other national and international commitments.

Unasylva 251: Forests: nature-based solutions for water

2019

Forested watersheds provide an estimated 75 percent of the world’s accessible freshwater resources, on which more than half the Earth’s people depend for domestic, agricultural, industrial and environmental purposes. Forests therefore, are vital natural infrastructure, and their management can provide “nature-based solutions” for a range of water-related societal challenges.

Unasylva 250: Forests and sustainable cities

2018

Cities need forests. The network of woodlands, groups of trees and individual trees in a city and on its fringes performs a huge range of functions – such as regulating climate; storing carbon; removing air pollutants; reducing the risk of flooding; assisting in food, energy and water security; and improving the physical and mental health of citizens. This edition of Unasylva takes a close look at urban and peri-urban forestry – its benefits, pitfalls, governance and challenges.

Forestry