Wetland Ecology: Plant Adaptations to Changing Wetland Environments

A special issue of Limnological Review (ISSN 2300-7575).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 919

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Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin 300387, China
Interests: ecology
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Wetlands are among the most productive ecosystems on Earth, providing essential services such as water purification, flood mitigation, and habitat for diverse flora and fauna. However, these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by climate change, pollution, and land-use changes, leading to altered hydrology and habitat degradation. Understanding plant adaptations to these changing wetland environments is crucial for effective conservation and management strategies. This Special Issue, titled "Wetland Ecology: Plant Adaptations to Changing Wetland Environments," seeks to explore the various physiological, morphological, and genetic adaptations that wetland plants exhibit in response to environmental stressors. We invite original research articles, reviews, and case studies that address the mechanisms of plant resilience, including but not limited to root adaptations, nutrient uptake strategies, and reproductive success under fluctuating conditions. Additionally, we encourage contributions that examine the ecological implications of these adaptations on wetland biodiversity and ecosystem functions. By integrating findings from different regions and plant taxa, this Special Issue aims to enhance our understanding of the adaptive strategies employed by wetland plants and to provide insights into their role in promoting wetland health in the face of climate change. We hope that this collection will inspire further investigations into plant responses and facilitate the development of innovative approaches for wetland restoration and management in a changing world.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in International Journal of Plant Biology.

Dr. Hongyu Guo
Dr. Yinhua Wang
Dr. Petre Brețcan
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • wetland
  • plant adaptation
  • environmental stress
  • climate change
  • habitat degradation
  • ecological resilience
  • restoration
  • morphological adaptations
  • physiological responses
  • adaptive strategies
  • ecological functions

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

15 pages, 7106 KB  
Article
Aquatic Macrophyte Community Composition as an Indicator of Habitat Conditions and Anthropogenic Disturbance in Tropical Wetlands
by Jesús Antonio Quintero Cardozo, Juan Diego Lozano Castro, Armando Aguilar, Efraín Carvajal Carvajal, Alejandro Zuluaga Gómez, Kelly Cristina Torres Angulo and Oscar Orlando Porras Atencia
Limnol. Rev. 2026, 26(2), 27; https://doi.org/10.3390/limnolrev26020027 - 16 Jun 2026
Viewed by 447
Abstract
Tropical wetlands are highly sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic disturbances, and their macrophyte communities provide valuable information about environmental conditions and habitat structure. This study evaluated the relationship between aquatic macrophyte richness, community composition, and habitat vulnerability to climate change in aquatic ecosystems [...] Read more.
Tropical wetlands are highly sensitive to climatic and anthropogenic disturbances, and their macrophyte communities provide valuable information about environmental conditions and habitat structure. This study evaluated the relationship between aquatic macrophyte richness, community composition, and habitat vulnerability to climate change in aquatic ecosystems of the San Luis rural district, Barrancabermeja municipality (Santander, Colombia). Macrophyte communities were characterized at 47 monitoring sites distributed across six mesohabitats: floodplain depressions, swamp, wetland, artificial ponds, naturalized ponds, and stream riparian zones. A total of 63 species belonging to 30 families and 51 genera were recorded. Contrary to theoretical expectations, correlation analyses showed no significant relationship between macrophyte species richness and habitat vulnerability indices (Spearman ρ = −0.118, p = 0.428; Pearson r = −0.069, p = 0.646). However, species richness differed significantly among mesohabitats (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.05), indicating strong spatial heterogeneity in aquatic plant distribution. In addition, multivariate analyses using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that macrophyte community composition was strongly structured by local anthropogenic activities, including livestock farming, oil palm cultivation, and wastewater inputs. Floodplain depressions and artificial ponds were dominated by disturbance-tolerant and eutrophication-resistant species such as Urochloa plantaginea and Salvinia minima, reflecting higher levels of environmental pressure. These results demonstrate that macrophyte community composition, rather than species richness alone, is a more reliable indicator of habitat conditions and anthropogenic disturbance in tropical wetland systems. Overall, this study highlights that taxonomic richness is not a robust predictor of climate-related vulnerability in highly disturbed wetlands and emphasizes the importance of considering species composition and environmental context when assessing ecosystem conditions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Wetland Ecology: Plant Adaptations to Changing Wetland Environments)
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