Ecology and Genetics of Wild Cats
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 261
Editor
2. Research Institute for Veterinary Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
Interests: species distribution; population status; conservation biology; population genetics; human–wildlife conflict
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
There are a high diversity of wild cat species, encompassing small, meso-, and large felids across a wide range of ecosystems. Many of these species are increasingly threatened by climate change, habitat loss and fragmentation, prey depletion, illegal wildlife trade, and escalating human–wildlife conflict. Despite their ecological importance and concerns regarding conservation, substantial gaps remain in our understanding of the ecology, distribution, population status, evolutionary history, and genetic structure of many wild cat species, particularly at regional and transboundary scales.
This Special Issue aims to provide a focused platform for advancing and synthesizing research on the ecology and genetics of wild cats. We welcome the submission of original research articles, reviews, and short communications that address species ecology, population status and trends, genetic diversity, population structure, and evolutionary processes, as well as their implications for conservation across landscapes.
This Special Issue particularly encourages studies employing robust and integrative methodologies, including molecular and genomic tools, spatial ecology and species distribution modelling, camera trapping, non-invasive sampling, and socio-ecological approaches. Contributions that link ecological and genetic findings with conservation practice are strongly encouraged. Studies examining human–wildlife conflict, coexistence strategies, the effects of land-use change, and climate variability will further strengthen the applied relevance of this Special Issue.
By consolidating recent advances and highlighting critical knowledge gaps, this Special Issue aims to inform evidence-based management, support policy formulation, and enhance regional and transboundary conservation efforts to ensure the long-term persistence of wild cats.
Dr. Puneet Pandey
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-anonymized 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.
Keywords
- species distribution
- population status
- conservation biology
- population genetics
- human–wildlife conflict
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