Elevational Distribution of Forest Organisms
A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Biodiversity".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 23
Special Issue Editors
Interests: community ecology; insect ecology; conservation ecology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: tropical rainforest conservation; ecology; conservation biology; environmental changes
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: taxonomy; biology and ecology of Hymenoptera; the bees; wasps and ants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: biodiversity assessment; biodiversity conservation; biology ecology biodiversity & conservation; biodiversity monitoring conservation; climate change taxonomy ecology and evolution
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Elevational gradients generate rapid shifts in environmental conditions and biodiversity over short geographic distances. Studies of forest organisms along these gradients have greatly advanced our understanding of ecosystem dynamics, species’ responses to climate change, and emerging conservation priorities. For example, forest organisms, such as trees, insects, and vertebrates, have shifted their elevational ranges in response to recent warming, and the ecological importance of high-elevation refugia has become increasingly evident.
Despite this progress, major knowledge gaps remain. In particular, the mechanisms driving species’ elevational responses, especially when examined through phylogenetic and functional trait perspectives, are still poorly understood across biomes.
This Special Issue aims to advance understanding of elevational biodiversity patterns in forest ecosystems, with a focus on insects and other taxa that are critical to ecosystem functioning. Such knowledge is urgently needed to diagnose and mitigate biodiversity decline in the face of accelerating global change.
Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Biodiversity patterns of forest organisms along elevational gradients;
- Taxonomic, functional trait, and phylogenetic associations with elevation;
- Comparative elevational patterns across latitudes;
- Effects of climate change and other anthropogenic disturbances on elevational distributions;
- Identification and conservation significance of climatic refugia under global warming;
- Conservation priorities for maintaining ecological integrity in a changing climate;
- Vertical stratification of forest organisms in elevational contexts;
- Elevational patterns in biotic interactions (e.g., herbivory, pollination, predation);
- Applications of remote sensing in elevational biodiversity research;
- Molecular and genomic approaches (e.g., eDNA, DNA barcoding, metabarcoding) in elevational studies.
Prof. Dr. Akihiro Nakamura
Dr. Louise Ashton
Dr. Chris J. Burwell
Prof. Dr. Roger Kitching
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 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. Forests 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.
Keywords
- biogeography
- climate warming
- ecological traits
- ecosystem processes
- elevational gradients
- human disturbances
- insects
- invertebrates
- phylogenetic relationships
- species interactions
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