Effect of Global Climate Change on Aquatic Ecosystems and Ecological Sustainability Research
A special issue of Biology (ISSN 2079-7737). This special issue belongs to the section "Ecology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 September 2023) | Viewed by 3542
Special Issue Editor
Interests: freshwater fish diversity; spawning and nursery ground; ecological efficacy; life history strategies; habitat heterogeneity; fish resource management
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Climate change is said to threaten half of all freshwater fish with endangerment and extinction. Water temperature is an abiotic master variable for the survival of aquatic organisms. Global warming alters the thermal regimes of rivers, and thus poses a threat to freshwater biodiversity. To address their impacts on freshwater fish species in life cycle assessment (LCA) is very important.
Furthermore, freshwater ecosystems are among the most endangered ecosystems on Earth and are vulnerable to climate change. Studies have shown that climate change has already altered the phenology and distribution of freshwater species. However, there are still major gaps in our understanding of potential impacts of climate change on freshwater ecosystems and their organisms. Freshwater fishes were used as effective indicators for identifying the degree, direction and scale of changes in aquatic ecosystems and as indicators of freshwater ecosystem quality and health. However, they are rarely used to determine sensitive freshwater ecosystems to climate change using species distribution modelling, especially using larval fish species dynamics.
Thirdly, novel climates in river sub-basins pose a challenge for the persistence of freshwater fish globally. Ignoring climate change and species traits could question conservation efforts. Understanding how climate change would affect biota inhabiting sensitive and highly valuable ecosystems, spanning broad regions, is essential to anticipating the implications for biodiversity and humans and to identify management and mitigation measures.
We are pleased to invite you to provide relevant research to assess the potential impacts on freshwater biodiversity from global warming from a new cause-effect pathway in LCA; to determine sensitive freshwater ecosystems to climate change using species distribution dynamics, especially in larval fish species; and to evaluate climatic risks over broad regions and the establishment of specialized policies for the conservation of freshwater biodiversity.
This Special Issue aims to discuss the potential impacts of environmental extremes on aquatic animals, as well as their response mechanisms and adaptation strategies of aquatic organisms to cope with the effects of global climate change. Contributed articles in the form of research articles, review articles, and short communications are invited, and we especially hope to solicit papers that contribute to a better understanding of aquatic organism responses to future climate change.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:
- The combined effects of environmental factors caused by global climate change and other stressors on freshwater ecosystems.
- Adaptive strategies for survival and growth of freshwater fish in extreme environments.
- Response of freshwater animals to environmental stresses at different developmental stages.
- Application of physiology, molecular biology and multi-omics approaches to study regulatory adaptation mechanisms.
- Integrate the superimposed and eliminated effects of environmental factors on aquatic organisms.
- Use systems biology to reveal the overall changes of freshwater fish species to environmental stress.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Di'an Fang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- climate change
- freshwater ecosystems
- biodiversity
- ecological sustainability
- freshwater fish
- larval fish
- environmental factors
