Plant Adaptation and Survival Under Global Environmental Change
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biogeography and Macroecology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 540
Special Issue Editor
Interests: biodiversity; conservation biology; species diversity; plant ecology; plant sociology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Climate change is dramatically altering the conditions of living on Earth, and plants—fundamental components of ecosystems—face increasingly diverse and complex challenges. Rising temperatures, changing rainfall patterns, and the increasing frequency of extreme weather events are determining the capacity of plant species to adapt to their limits. These environmental stressors not only threaten individual species but also disrupt the structure and functioning of entire ecosystems.
Understanding how plants respond and adapt to these rapid changes is no longer just an academic concern—it is an urgent necessity. This knowledge is needed to maintain biodiversity, ensure global food security, and preserve essential ecosystem services on which both nature and human populations depend.
This Special Issue seeks to illuminate the genetic, ecological, and evolutionary dimensions of plant adaptation to climate change. We are particularly interested in studies that focus on the following:
- Assess the impacts of climate change on plant distribution and phenology;
- Track and predict changes in species distributions, especially towards higher latitudes and altitudes;
- Analyzing changes in phenological patterns, such as flowering and fruiting periods;
- Investigate biotic interactions and dynamics of invasive species;
- Examine how invasive species out-compete native flora under changing climatic conditions;
- Exploring plant–microbe interactions that contribute to plant resilience;
- Understanding genetic and evolutionary responses to environmental stress;
- Discovering genetic adaptations that confer tolerance to climate-related stressors;
- Examine evolutionary responses of plant species to long-term climate change;
- Develop and promote conservation and adaptation strategies;
- Use seed banks and ex situ conservation methods to protect biodiversity;
- Reduce deforestation and habitat loss in climate-sensitive regions;
- Develop specific conservation strategies for vulnerable and endemic plant species.
We welcome contributions that employ diverse methodologies—from genomic analyses to field observations to predictive modeling—to build a comprehensive picture of how plants are responding to our rapidly changing world. The collection aims to not only advance scientific understanding but also to inform practical conservation and management solutions.
By bringing together cutting-edge research from across these disciplines, this Special Issue will provide timely insights into one of the most pressing ecological challenges of our era. We invite original research articles, reviews, and case studies that contribute meaningful new perspectives to this critical field of study.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Claudia D. Nicolae
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 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
- plant adaptation
- climate resilience
- ecological evolution
- species distributions
- vegetation shifts
- conservation genomics
- climatic selection
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