Review Urban Forest Research in Malaysia: A Systematic Review Keeren Sundara Rajoo 1,* , Daljit Singh Karam 2, Arifin Abdu 3, Zamri Rosli 1 and Geoffery James Gerusu 1,4 1 Department of Forestry Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science and Forestry, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus, Nyabau Road, Bintulu 97008, SWK, Malaysia;
[email protected] (Z.R.);
[email protected] (G.J.G.) 2 Department of Land Management, Faculty of Agriculture, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, SGR, Malaysia;
[email protected] 3 Department of Forestry Science and Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry and Environment, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang 43400, SGR, Malaysia; arifi
[email protected] 4 Institut Ekosains Borneo, Universiti Putra Malaysia Bintulu Campus, Nyabau Road, Bintulu 97008, SWK, Malaysia * Correspondence:
[email protected] Abstract: Sustainable urban development is a major issue in developing countries, namely in envi- ronmental and social aspects. Urban forests have the potential to address these issues. Thus, it is not surprising that urban forest research is slowly gaining traction in these regions. However, there have been limited urban forest research reviews focusing on developing countries, especially tropical countries in the global south. Research reviews are vital in identifying the distribution of research themes, hence revealing research gaps and needs. Therefore, this review paper aims to provide a deep insight into the development of urban forest research in Malaysia in the past 20 years. The core purpose of this review is to analyze the distribution of research themes in Malaysia, thus identifying research gaps and needs in developing countries. A total of 43 articles were selected for this review, using the PRISMA framework.