Multiple Challenges and Integrative Pathways of Sustainable Forest Management in China: A Scoping Review of Ecological, Economic, and Social Dimensions

Sustainable forest management in China has entered a stage of quality improvement, yet its ecological, economic and social objectives remain insufficiently coordinated. This study adopts a scoping review approach and follows the PRISMA-ScR guidelines to analyse 190 Chinese- and English-language publications from 2000 to 2026, comprising 118 primary empirical studies, 52 review articles, and 20 theoretical/policy analysis articles. The included literature indicates that the ecological dimension faces a spatial mismatch between global carbon sink benefits and local water costs, alongside structural and quality imbalances in planted forests, including high shares of pure forests, young and middle-aged stands, and productivity below potential. The economic dimension suffers from inadequate value transformation and compensation mechanisms, while the social dimension is characterised by weak community participation and institutional fragmentation. However, the social dimension is supported by only 16 core publications, and these findings should therefore be treated as preliminary, with conclusions involving social–ecological and social–economic relationships being less robust. Cross-dimensional synergies depend on compensation design, tenure security, alternative livelihoods, and the coordinated evolution of institutional, technological, and cross-scale governance. These relationships are conditional rather than fixed, and the reported frequency of a theme reflects research attention rather than its actual prevalence. The study recommends promoting cross-sectoral integration, introducing multi-criteria decision-making tools, building decision-support big data platforms, and implementing differentiated regional forest management.