Fruits and Seeds of Tropical Plants: Conservation of Species, Ecological Importance and Quality Valorization

A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Conservation Biology and Biodiversity".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 300

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Plant Science and Environmental Sciences, Center for Agrarian Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba, University Campus II, Areia 58397-000, PB, Brazil
Interests: seeds of tropical plants: conservation of species; ecological importance; quality valorization

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemistry and Physics, Federal University of Paraíba, Areia 58397-970, PB, Brazil
Interests: fruits of tropical plants; biochemistry; physiology; quality valorization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce this special edition of Biology focused on ecology, conservation, and the quality of tropical plant fruits and seeds.

The biodiversity of Brazilian flora is highly significant, making its study of fundamental importance to outline key conservation strategies through the sustainable and responsible exploitation of resources. Given the significant impacts of climate change on the environment, vegetation, especially trees and plants, plays a crucial role in mitigating these effects through the process of carbon sequestration. Therefore, this issue aims to showcase research prioritizing the study of seeds, which are the main form of plant species propagation, and the functional potential and presence of bioactive compounds in fruits, which are valuable for human nutrition and as raw material for industry.

For this Special Issue, we invite the submission of original research articles and reviews addressing the ecology and conservation of tropical plant fruits and seeds. We encourage contributions that cover topics such as plant genetic diversity in a changing environment, the role of postharvest physiology in the quality of edible fruits and seeds, and the importance of seed analysis with a focus on the in situ and ex situ conservation of species.

We look forward to receiving innovative research from the scientific community that will expand knowledge of the fruits and seeds of tropical plants and help protect invaluable plant diversity.

Prof. Dr. Edna Ursulino Alves
Prof. Dr. Silvanda De Melo Silva
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • climate change
  • nature conservation
  • biodiversity
  • plant propagation
  • postharvest quality
  • metabolic profile
  • orchard management and quality

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 2117 KB  
Article
Analysis of Phenotypic Variability in Natural Populations of Cereus fernambucensis Lem. (Cactaceae)
by João Henrique Constantino Sales Silva, Joyce Naiara da Silva, Aline das Graças Souza, Naysa Flávia Ferreira do Nascimento and Edna Ursulino Alves
Biology 2025, 14(12), 1702; https://doi.org/10.3390/biology14121702 - 29 Nov 2025
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Abstract
Genetic diversity is essential for species adaptation, evolution, and conservation and is a determining factor in plants of ecological and agronomic interest, such as Cereus fernambucensis (Cactaceae). This study evaluated phenotypic variability and the relative importance of morphophysiological traits in two natural populations [...] Read more.
Genetic diversity is essential for species adaptation, evolution, and conservation and is a determining factor in plants of ecological and agronomic interest, such as Cereus fernambucensis (Cactaceae). This study evaluated phenotypic variability and the relative importance of morphophysiological traits in two natural populations of the species located in restinga areas in Paraíba, Brazil. Twenty subpopulations were analyzed in a completely randomized design with four replicates and 15 traits. Genetic divergence was estimated by the Mahalanobis distance and grouped via the Tocher method, whereas the relative contribution of the characters was determined via the Singh method, which is associated with a selection index to identify promising genotypes. The results indicated the formation of nine distinct groups, with the mean germination time and germination speed index being the most relevant variables for differentiation. Subpopulations 4 and 13 (area I) and 15, 16, 17, and 18 (area II) stood out as strategic genetic reservoirs for conservation and improvement. Thus, this study reinforces the importance of maintaining the genetic diversity of C. fernambucensis, especially in the face of habitat fragmentation, ensuring evolutionary resilience, enriching germplasm banks, and supporting programs for the sustainable use and valorization of the genetic resources of columnar cacti in coastal ecosystems. Full article
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