Genetic and Epigenetic Diversity and Conservation of Coastal Ecosystem Plants
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 170
Special Issue Editors
Interests: conservation genomics; plant adaptation; epigenomics; DNA methylation; phylogeography; mangrove restoration
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Evolution shapes biological diversity at all levels, from communities to individual organisms. Genetic diversity is a key driver of evolution and is studied in many organisms. Epigenetic diversity, which involves changes such as DNA methylation, remains largely underexplored in wild plant species. Despite epigenetic diversity's recognized importance in plant evolution, its long-term role is still unclear.
This Special Issue addresses this gap. Using plants from coastal ecosystems (mangroves, sandbanks, and apicuns, among others), which are remarkably resilient in environments with conditions that can be considered extreme or adverse, we aim to understand how genetic and epigenetic diversity influence the adaptation of these organisms to these environments. At the same time, these environments are threatened by different pressures, such as habitat suppression and alteration, climate change, and rising sea levels, which can influence these organisms' adaptive and evolutionary responses.
By studying these fascinating organisms, we can shed light on the broader role of the entire genomic landscape, including its epigenetic components, in the long-term adaptation of plants, and apply the insights generated to the conservation and protection of these ecosystems.
Dr. Catarina Fonseca Lira
Dr. André Felippe Nunes-Freitas
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- conservation genomics
- plant adaptation
- costal ecosystems.
- restoration and conservation
- DNA methylation
- histone modifications
- transcriptomics
- epigenomics
- phylogeography
- biogeography
- landscape genetics
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