1. Submission

There is no fee required for manuscript submission.
All manuscripts must be written in clear, grammatically correct English and formatted according to the journal’s style guidelines.

2. Manuscript Requirements

• Originality: Manuscripts must be original and must not have been previously published in whole or in part.
• Title Page: The title page must include the manuscript title, an abstract of no more than 250 words, and 5 keywords.
• Author Information: Complete contact information, including full names, institutional affiliations, ORCID, and email addresses of all authors, must be provided on a separate page.
• Formatting: References and manuscript formatting must strictly follow the journal’s prescribed IEEE style.

3. Abstract

The abstract is a brief and comprehensive summary of your research. For Journal of Forests, the abstract must clearly communicate the significance, methods, and findings of the study in 200 to 250 words, enabling readers to quickly assess the relevance of the paper to their interests.

Essential Elements of the Abstract

Structure your abstract using the following components, ideally in a single, coherent paragraph:

1. Background/Introduction
• Brief context of the problem or knowledge gap.
• State the rationale and importance of the study.
2. Objective(s)
• Clearly define the primary aim or hypothesis of the study.
3. Materials and Methods
• Concisely describe the sample size, experimental design, and key procedures.
4. Results
• Summarize significant findings with quantifiable outcomes where possible.
5. Conclusion and Implications
• Highlight the study’s implications for animal science, veterinary practice, or related policy or industry applications.

Style and Format

• Length: 200–250 words (strictly enforced).
• Tense:
• Use past tense for methods and results.
• Use present tense for interpretations or general conclusions.
• Tone: Scientific, objective, and concise.
• Avoid:
• Citations
• Abbreviations (unless widely known)
• Technical jargon

4. Keywords and Contribution to the Literature

Following the abstract, authors must provide:

• Five keywords that reflect the core themes of the manuscript. These keywords help index and improve the discoverability of your research.
• A brief statement titled "Contribution/Originality", limited to 50 words. This section should concisely express how the study advances existing knowledge or offers novel insights. It should clearly highlight the originality and significance of the research.

Format Example:

Contribution/Originality:
This study contributes in the existing literature by exploring [brief focus]. It offers new insights into [specific aspect] and enhances understanding of [impact or application].

Sample Contribution Statement

Contribution/Originality Statement (Maximum 50 words)
This section must concisely describe how the research advances existing knowledge or provides novel insights in forest science. Authors should highlight the originality and practical significance of their study within the field of forestry.

Format Example:
Contribution/Originality:
This study contributes to forest science literature by exploring [brief focus]. It offers new insights into [specific aspect] and enhances understanding of [impact or application] within the forestry domain.

Sample Statement:
Contribution/Originality:
This study contributes to forest science by evaluating the effects of selective logging on soil carbon dynamics in tropical rainforests. It provides new evidence on how logging intensity alters nutrient cycling and carbon storage, supporting improved forest management practices for climate change mitigation.

5. Abbreviations

All abbreviations must be written in full at first mention, followed by the abbreviation in parentheses. For example: World Health Organization (WHO). The abbreviation can then be used throughout the manuscript.

6. Illustrations of Table and Figure

Tables and figures are essential elements in scholarly writing, used to communicate data, illustrations, and conceptual models with clarity and precision. Authors should follow the guidelines below to ensure consistency, readability, and proper integration within the manuscript.

General Principles

• Tables and figures must complement the text, not duplicate it. Use them to summarize complex information, highlight trends, or illustrate relationships that are difficult to describe in words.
• Each table or figure should be self-contained, meaning it can be understood on its own without requiring extensive reference to the main text.

Numbering and Referencing

• Number all tables and figures sequentially in the order they appear in the manuscript, using Arabic numerals (e.g., Table 1, Figure 2).
• Refer to each table or figure explicitly in the body of the manuscript using the correct format:
• “As shown in Figure 2…”
• “Table 1 summarizes the main experimental results.”
• Avoid abbreviations like "Fig." or "Tbl."; always spell out Figure and Table in full.

Placement

• Insert each table or figure close to its first mention in the text. Do not group all tables or figures at the end.
• Ensure the table or figure does not split across pages.

Formatting of Tables

• Use single spacing within tables and a legible font (typically 10-point).
• Provide a concise but descriptive title placed above the table.
• Include any notes or footnotes (e.g., definitions, abbreviations, data sources) below the table.
• Align numerical data appropriately (e.g., decimal-aligned) and use consistent units of measurement.

Formatting of Figures

• Figures should be high-resolution (minimum 300 dpi) and submitted in editable or publication-ready formats (e.g., .png, .jpg).
• Place the figure caption below the figure. The caption should briefly explain what the figure depicts, including units of measurement or labels if applicable.
• Use contrasting colors or symbols that remain distinguishable in grayscale printing, unless color is essential and permitted.

Consistency and Clarity

• Be consistent in styling across all tables and figures (e.g., use the same color scheme, font style, and size).
• Avoid overly complex visual elements that may obscure interpretation.
• Ensure all labels, legends, and axis titles are clearly defined and readable.

7. Footnotes

Footnotes should be used sparingly and numbered consecutively throughout the text. They should appear at the bottom of the corresponding page.

8. Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements should be included at the end of the manuscript, before the references, and may include recognition of funding, technical assistance, or other contributions that do not meet the criteria for authorship.

9. Funding Statement

Authors must disclose all sources of financial support received for the research, including grant numbers, funding organizations, and institutional sponsorships. If no funding was received, a statement declaring this must still be included.

Examples:

• If funding was received:
  This research was supported by the [Name of Funding Organization], Grant Number [XXXXXX].
• If no funding was received:
  This study received no specific financial support. 

10. Institutional Review Board (IRB) / Ethics Statement

All research involving human participants, animals, or sensitive data must comply with institutional, national, and international ethical standards. Authors are required to include a clear ethics statement, indicating approval from an appropriate ethics committee or IRB. When applicable, informed consent must also be confirmed.
Examples:

• For research involving human participants:
  This study was reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of [Institution Name], Approval Number: [XXXX]. Written informed consent was obtained from all participants prior to participation.
• For research involving animals:
  All experimental procedures involving animals were conducted in accordance with institutional and national guidelines and approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of [Institution Name], Protocol Number: [XXXX].
• For research not requiring ethical approval:
  Ethical review and approval were waived for this study, as it did not involve human participants, animal subjects, or sensitive data.
• If no ethics approval was required:
  Not applicable

11. References

The reference list must follow the IEEE citation style, which is numerical and sequential. References should be cited in-text using square brackets, e.g., [1], [2], [3]–[5], and listed at the end of the manuscript in the order of their appearance.

General Formatting Rules:

• Use numbers in square brackets [ ].
• List all authors unless there are more than six; in that case, list the first author followed by et al.
• Use abbreviated journal titles according to IEEE standards.
• Titles of books, reports, and journal names should be italicized or written in title case.
• Include DOIs or URLs if available.

1. Journal Articles
Format:
# Author(s), “Title of article,” Journal Name, vol. #, no. # (if available), pp. xx–xx, Year. Available: URL or DOI
Example:
111 B. Nair and R. Taylor-Gjevre, “A review of topical diclofenac use in musculoskeletal disease,” Pharmaceuticals, vol. 3, pp. 1892–1908, 2010.https://doi.org/10.1037/1061-4087.45.2.10

2. Conference Papers
Format:
# Author(s), “Title of paper,” in Proceedings of the [Conference Name], City, Country, Year, pp. xx–xx.
Example:
222 J. Smith and M. Patel, “Smart irrigation systems for small-scale farms,” in Proc. 10th Int. Conf. Sustainable Agriculture, Rome, Italy, 2021, pp. 45–50.

3. Books
Format:
# Author(s), Title of Book. City of Publisher, Country: Publisher, Year.
Example:
333 B. Klaus and P. Horn, Robot Vision. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 1986.

4. Book Chapters
Format:
# Author(s), “Chapter title,” in Book Title, X. Editor, Ed. City: Publisher, Year, pp. xx–xx.
Example:
444 M. Young, “Nutrient management in crops,” in Handbook of Agricultural Science, R. Singh, Ed. New York, NY: Academic Press, 2018, pp. 203–220.

5. Theses and Dissertations
Format:
# Author, “Title of thesis/dissertation,” Degree type thesis, Department, University, City, Country, Year.
Example:
555 J. O. Williams, “Narrow-band analyzer,” Ph.D. dissertation, Dept. Elect. Eng., Harvard Univ., Cambridge, MA, 1993.

6. Technical Reports
Format:
# Author, “Title of report,” Organization, City, State, Report number, Month, Year.
Example:
666 E. E. Reber, “Absorption in the Earth’s atmosphere,” Aerospace Corp., Los Angeles, CA, Tech. Rep. TR-0200 (4230-46)-3, Nov. 1988.

7. Patents
Format:
# Author, “Title of patent,” Country Patent Number, Date.
Example:
777 J. P. Wilkinson, “Nonlinear resonant circuit devices,” U.S. Patent 3,624,125, Jul. 16, 1990.

8. Online Documents or Web Sources
Format:
# Author, “Document title,” Date. [Online]. Available: URL
Example:
888 R. J. Vidmar, “On the use of atmospheric plasmas as electromagnetic reflectors,” 1994. [Online]. Available: ftp://atmnext.usc.edu/pub/etext/1994/atmosplasma.txt

12. Appendix

If necessary, appendices should appear at the end of the manuscript, after the references. Each appendix should be clearly labeled (e.g., Appendix A, Appendix B).