Ectotherms in a Dynamic Environment: Understanding Patterns of Ecology, Distribution, Evolution, and Threats to Species

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to announce a forthcoming Special Issue in Diversity exploring key aspects of ecology, functional traits mechanisms, distribution, systematics, evolution and conservation, specifically in the context of ectotherms in the changing environment.

In an environment undergoing accelerating changes, due to natural factors and human activities, ectotherms need to cope with the changing conditions that require innovative strategies, greater plasticity, and phenotypic adaptations. Fishes, amphibians and reptiles occupy significant positions in various ecosystems and provide indispensable ecosystem services. Experiencing a higher rate of decline compared to other animal groups, 25% of freshwater fish, 21% of reptiles, and 41% of amphibians are already threatened with extinction. Unprecedented anthropogenic pressures in the form of habitat modification, climate warming, exploitation, and invasive species require constant adaptation in the form of ecological requirements, behavioural and cognitive traits, and morphological and physiological factors.

Extinction risks are unequally distributed across species. Some genera stand out as highly threatened, due to the large number of range-restricted species and the high threat level, and exhibit high rates of population decline. There are above 45,000 recognised species of fish, amphibians and reptiles in the world; however, a substantial number of species still remain undiscovered and undescribed. Even among the described species, many are still characterised by unclear boundaries and evolutionary relationships. This leads to incomplete and unclear phylogenetic classification and as a result the fundamental knowledge about species and several aspects of biology remain obscured.

This Special Issue aims to collate research on fundamental, integrative and applied sciences related to ectotherms across habitat types and spanning both local and global landscapes. We encourage the submission of work focused on population trends, behavioural and cognitive ecology, distribution, systematics, phylogeography, and trait evolution, as well as conservation and ecosystem services. We have kept the focus of this Special Issue broad to accommodate studies highlighting diverse aspects of ecology and conservation to help understand the anthropogenic impacts on the fitness and survival of ectotherm species, inform conservation strategies and develop the sustainable management of ecosystem services. In addition, articles, reviews, syntheses and commentaries on applied approaches to the conservation and management of species in natural environments are welcome. If you are interested or have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Dr. Siti N. Othman
Dr. Deyatima Ghosh
Prof. Dr. Amaël Borzée
Guest Editors

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.