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Diversity
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The Ecological Functions of Algae in a Changing World: From...
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The Ecological Functions of Algae in a Changing World: From Fundamentals to Applications

A special issue of Diversity (ISSN 1424-2818). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1888

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Yulei Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Fisheries College, Guangdong Ocean University, Zhanjiang 524088, China
Interests: microalgal ecology; aquaculture-environment regulation; algal-bacterial interactions
Dr. Liang Chen

grade E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute for Ecological Research and Pollution Control of Plateau Lakes, School of Ecology and Environmental Science, Yunnan University, Kunming 650500, China
Interests: microcystin; cyanotoxin; Microcystis; cyanobacteria; toxic mechanisms; reproductive toxicity; developmental toxicity; hepatotoxicity; carcinogenicity; endocrine-disrupting effects; toxicogenomics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Collegaues,

Anthropogenic forcing is rapidly redrawing the environmental boundaries that define where and how algae survive, compete and diversify. This Special Issue places algae at the nexus of global-change ecology and biodiversity research, seeking concise, data-driven papers that clarify how environmental change governs algal diversity and ecological function. We welcome studies that (1) evaluate how single or combined drivers such as CO₂, temperature, acidification and salinity shape algal performance and community diversity; (2) assess how typhoons, heatwaves and other extreme events re-sort species and rewire functional diversity; (3) model the links between algal diversity and ecosystem services under future environmental scenarios; and (4) quantify environmental controls on algal diversity patterns across watershed-to-coast continua. Integrative articles that fuse algal biodiversity patterns with ecological theory and nature-based solutions are especially encouraged, providing an open-access synthesis for scientists and managers striving to sustain resilient aquatic ecosystems in a changing world.

Dr. Yulei Zhang
Dr. Liang Chen
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.

Keywords

  • algal diversity
  • climate stress
  • extreme-event responses
  • diversity-ecosystem service
  • extreme-event modeling
  • functional trait redundancy
  • algae-based resilience

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 1483 KB  
Article
Climate Zones Modulate Deep Chlorophyll Maxima in Middle-Latitude Lakes via Thermocline Development
by Li Wang, Qichao Zhou, Yong Li and Xufa Ma
Diversity 2026, 18(1), 46; https://doi.org/10.3390/d18010046 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 465
Abstract
Thermal stability is a key factor in determining the phenomena of deep chlorophyll maxima (DCM) in stratified lakes, as it mediates the vertical balance between light and nutrients required by phytoplankton. While it is well established that lake stratification is sensitive to latitude [...] Read more.
Thermal stability is a key factor in determining the phenomena of deep chlorophyll maxima (DCM) in stratified lakes, as it mediates the vertical balance between light and nutrients required by phytoplankton. While it is well established that lake stratification is sensitive to latitude gradients, the ways in which thermal stability modulates DCM characteristics (i.e., depth, thickness, and concentration) and nutrient–chlorophyll relationships across different latitude classifications remain unclear. In this study, data on thermocline depth, DCM feature, and water quality parameters were collected from 88 globally distributed stratified lakes. Our findings indicate that (1) higher-latitude lakes exhibit strong thermoclines, with light and nitrogen serving as the primary drivers of thermal stratification; (2) in high-latitude lakes, surface chlorophyll a concentrations are more tightly linked to total phosphorus than that at DCM depth in low-latitude lakes; and (3) structural equation modeling (SEM) results demonstrate that higher-latitude lakes form shallower and thinner DCM structures, where low light levels contribute to reduced peaks in algal biomass. These findings provide valuable insights for the management of stratified lakes facing the dual pressures of climate change and eutrophication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Ecological Functions of Algae in a Changing World: From Fundamentals to Applications)
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26 pages, 4915 KB  
Article
Influence of Arctic Conditions on the Diatom Diversity of Islands Within the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna Region
by Sophia Barinova, Viktor A. Gabyshev, Boris Borisov and Sviatoslav R. Rybnikov
Diversity 2025, 17(12), 808; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17120808 - 22 Nov 2025
Viewed by 986
Abstract
The distribution of algal biodiversity is important for better understanding the factors controlling ecosystem functioning in harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic habitats. In this region, diatoms are the most representative and best indicators of environmental parameters. Here, we analyzed the distribution of 1268 diatom [...] Read more.
The distribution of algal biodiversity is important for better understanding the factors controlling ecosystem functioning in harsh Arctic and sub-Arctic habitats. In this region, diatoms are the most representative and best indicators of environmental parameters. Here, we analyzed the distribution of 1268 diatom species across 18 islands within the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) region based on our own and published data. To assess the representativeness of these floras, we examine genus–species associations, a method applicable to future algal flora studies. Diatom diversity is sufficiently high across the islands, with species richness decreasing toward higher latitudes. Species–area relationship models indicate that latitude—and even more so factors describing climatic extremes, like BIO19 (19 standard bioclimatic variables)—affects species richness stronger than islands area, and combined environmental and geographic predictors explain up to 81% of the observed variation. Bioindicator analysis reveals an increase in water pH, content in organic matter, and the number of eutrophic and mixotrophic species southward, which correlates with rising temperatures, as shown by the BIO19 and DHI (Dynamic Habitat Index) environmental indices. The latitudinal distribution of bioindicators demonstrates the ecological response of diatom communities to climatic factors and allows the identification of key indicator groups experiencing optimal conditions. So, island diatom species prefer benthic and planktonic–benthic habitats, well-oxygenated waters with low salinity, and moderate temperatures, which prevail on all islands except Vancouver Island, located outside the CAFF (Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna) region. A comparative analysis of bioindicators as a response to Arctic conditions of island diatoms revealed circumpolar similarities, connections with the corresponding parts of the Eurasian and North American continents, as well as similarities in the conditions of the islands closest to the pole. Almost a third of the island diatom list (324 species) was assigned IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) vulnerability categories, 112 of which were in the three most threatened categories (Ex, Cr, and En) with their number increasing southwards, but 944 species have not been evaluated yet. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Ecological Functions of Algae in a Changing World: From Fundamentals to Applications)
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