Ecology, Diversity and Conservation of Aquatic and Helophytic Plants, Plant Communities and Their Environments

Dear Colleagues,

Plant ecology studies the distribution and abundance of plants, the effects of environmental factors on their abundance, and the interactions among and between plants and other organisms. In turn, plant community ecology is the study of the organization and functioning of plant communities. It includes research on interactions between species, evolutionary pathways of adaptation to the environment in which plants live, and the dynamics and structure of the community. That is, roughly as the definitions say. These studies become even more interesting if they concern aquatic plants that reinhabited this specific environment as a result of evolution and, therefore, must be properly adapted to survive in this diametrically different habitat. Helophytes are also associated with this group: they grow in a marsh, partially submerged in water, so they regrow from buds below the water surface. Therefore, in many cases, it is necessary to raise the issues of protection of both aquatic and marsh plant species, as well as the entire plant communities of these specific habitats.

This Special Issue provides a forum for the presentation of new and synthetic research on the ecology, diversity and conservation of hydrophytes and helophytes and their plant communities. Topics of interest include the factors that influence or determine their diversity, distribution, and threat, as well as the impact of various factors on the impoverishment of their diversity. Phytosociological studies documenting the occurrence of rarer plant species from this group and rare plant communities are particularly welcome. However, they should be prepared in a broader context in order to interest them in a wider group of readers. The papers are prepared in such a way as to conclude on the threat status of both individual plant species selected for research, or entire plant communities, including conservation measures provided, are especially welcome. Scales of interest can range from local to global diversity of these unique plant species and communities. There are no restrictions on the continents where the research was conducted. Review articles on these important research topics listed will also be accepted, especially if they provide or use new insights or principles in the biodiversity and conservation of plants and plant communities. Thus, this Special Issue provides a forum to present new and synthetic research on these relevant topics. It is intended to be a collection of valuable articles that will serve as a foundation for innovative ideas and as a reference point for the future.

Prof. Dr. Jarosław Proćków
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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 2600 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.

• diversity of aquatic plants
• helophytes
• biodiversity & conservation
• aquatic plant communities
• vegetation
• conservation biology
• species diversity
• floristic studies
• plant taxonomy
• phytosociology
• plant ecology
• plant diversity
• endangered and rare plant species and their protection
• endangered and rare plant communities
• endangered species
• flora extinction
• conservation of aquatic environments