Ecology and Conservation of Freshwater Mollusks
A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Freshwater Biodiversity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 November 2025 | Viewed by 1197
Special Issue Editor
Interests: ecology and conservation of freshwater systems; malacology, in the areas of biodiversity, evolution patterns, population dynamics, dispersion patterns and adaptations to hydrological regimes, life cycles and parasitology; research on bivalves from the order Unionoidea (freshwater mussels or Naiads), in the areas of systematics, reproductive biology, ecology and conservation biology
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Freshwater mollusks include bivalves and gastropods and comprise a remarkable diversity of ecological strategies and adaptations, because of different evolutionary histories and adaptations to highly variable environments. Freshwater habitats include rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, springs, and a variety of artificial structures such as fountains and canals. They show different hydrological regimes, from permanently flowing to temporary and intermittent, presenting a wide array of challenges to mollusks living in them. Some species such as freshwater mussels have very specific ecological requirements and a complex life cycle that depends on an obligatory parasitic stage, making them one of the most endangered animal groups in the world. Others are often geographically very restricted, with numerous endemic species, such as some freshwater gastropods, contrasting with widespread species like some Sphaeriidae. A few have converted into some of the most problematic invasive species in the world, most notably the zebra mussel Dreissena polymorpha, causing severe ecological impacts and multi-million-dollar economic losses. Often, the conservation of freshwater mollusks is imperilled by the poor knowledge of their ecological requirements, so filling the gaps for the least studied groups is of the upmost importance.
This special issue presents a great opportunity to bring together novel contributions about the ecology of freshwater mollusks, and their conservation, both regarding bivalves and gastropods, native or invasive species. We kindly invite you to submit manuscripts about the above-mentioned topics, and specially encourage wide-scale applicable case-studies and integrative approaches using multi-disciplinary studies. If you are interested in this opportunity or have any doubts, do not hesitate to contact us.
Dr. Joaquim Reis
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
- freshwater bivalves and gastropods
- invasive species
- endemism
- conservation
- life cycle
- endangered species
- ecological requirements
- ecosystem
- rivers and streams
- lakes
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