Economic Plant Diversity in the Anthropocene

Dear Colleague,

Economic plant diversity—encompassing crops, medicinal plants, timber species, ornamental plants, and other vital biological resources—faces unprecedented challenges in the Anthropocene. Climate change, habitat fragmentation, and unsustainable exploitation are driving genetic erosion, population declines, and even extinctions among both wild and traditionally cultivated species. These losses threaten not only biodiversity but also the foundation of human well-being, from food security to traditional medicine, having a significant economic impact. Understanding and mitigating these impacts requires urgent scientific attention, particularly for economically important species that exist at the critical interface between human utilization and conservation needs.

This Special Issue invites contributions that address three key research priorities: (1) documenting patterns of genetic erosion and vulnerability across species and ecosystems; (2) developing innovative, ecology-based conservation strategies; and (3) applying advanced genomic tools, including phylogeography, landscape genetics, and DNA barcoding, to inform preservation efforts, along with AI and machine learning approaches to manage large datasets and predict physiological responses to environmental stresses. We particularly welcome studies that integrate field ecology with molecular approaches, as well as research bridging traditional knowledge systems with contemporary conservation science. Submissions may include original research articles, reviews, and methodological advances.

We invite researchers from diverse disciplines, including ecology, genetics, ethnobotany, and conservation biology, to contribute their expertise to this important dialogue. Your work will help shape our collective understanding of these pressing challenges and contribute to the development of science-based strategies for sustainable utilization.

Dr. Mario A. Pagnotta
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Diversity is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.