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Plants
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Conservation, Ecology and Management of Rare and Endangered Plant Species
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Conservation, Ecology and Management of Rare and Endangered Plant Species

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 October 2026 | Viewed by 1577

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Attila Molnár V.

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Botany, University of Debrecen, Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: conservation biology; ethnobotany; orchids; waterworts (Elatine)
Dr. Judit Bódis

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
Institute for Wildlife Management and Nature Conservation, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Keszthely, Hungary
Interests: conservation biology; plant biology; nature conservation; endangered species; field studies; plant ecology; biodiversity; botany; ecology; conservation
Dr. Attila Takács

E-Mail Website
Co-Guest Editor
HUN-REN-UD Conservation Biology Research Group, Debrecen, Hungary
Interests: plant ecology; biodiversity; plant biology; species diversity; conservation biology; conservation; systematics; invasive species; ecology and evolution

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The accelerating loss of plant diversity represents one of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. Despite international agreements and decades of conservation initiatives, the decline of rare and endangered plant species shows no sign of abating. Vast numbers of taxa across diverse ecosystems are facing extinction, driven primarily by habitat destruction, fragmentation, land-use change, pollution, biological invasions, overexploitation, and the far-reaching impacts of climate change. These processes not only endanger individual species but also undermine the ecological stability and resilience of entire ecosystems, with profound implications for the services they provide to humanity.

Understanding how and why plant populations fluctuate through space and time is fundamental to effective conservation. Modern approaches that integrate field botany, ecology, systematics, and biogeography offer powerful means of revealing the mechanisms behind these patterns and identifying priority actions for preservation. Equally, the role of botanic gardens and germplasm banks in ex situ conservation has become increasingly vital, complementing in situ efforts to safeguard genetic diversity and support species reintroduction.

This Special Issue of Plants aims to bring together innovative, interdisciplinary research that advances our understanding of the ecology, evolution, and management of rare and threatened vascular plants. We particularly welcome studies addressing species distribution, habitat requirements, extinction risk assessment, reproductive and population biology, conservation genetics, and biotic interactions influencing survival and regeneration. Contributions exploring the socio-ecological dimensions of conservation—including restoration ecology, sustainable land use, urban and agro-ecological contexts, and communication or education strategies—are also encouraged.

By fostering dialogue among conservation biologists, ecologists, and practitioners, this Special Issue seeks to promote evidence-based approaches that can effectively mitigate biodiversity loss and ensure the persistence of the world’s most vulnerable plant species for generations to come.

Dr. Attila Molnár V.
Dr. Judit Bódis
Dr. Attila Takács
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. Plants is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

  • autecology
  • biodiversity
  • biogeography
  • biotic interactions
  • botanical gardens
  • ecology
  • evolution
  • ex situ conservation
  • extinction
  • in situ conservation
  • pollination
  • population biology
  • reproductive biology
  • species distribution

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 3998 KB  
Article
Interspecific Habitat Suitability of Four Southeast Asian Spiny Climbing Palms (Korthalsia) Through Species Distribution Modeling
by Tushar Andriyas, Nisa Leksungnoen, Suwimon Uthairatsamee, Chatchai Ngernsaengsaruay, Nisachol Pungtambol, Pichet Chanton, Nittaya Mianmit, Wirongrong Duangjai, Buapan Puangsin and Phruet Racharak
Plants 2026, 15(9), 1348; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15091348 - 28 Apr 2026
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Abstract
Rattans of the genus Korthalsia are ecologically and economically important non-timber forest resources in Southeast Asia, yet their conservation is limited by knowledge of species-specific distribution patterns and environmental constraints. We modeled the potential distributions of four Korthalsia species (K. flagellaris, [...] Read more.
Rattans of the genus Korthalsia are ecologically and economically important non-timber forest resources in Southeast Asia, yet their conservation is limited by knowledge of species-specific distribution patterns and environmental constraints. We modeled the potential distributions of four Korthalsia species (K. flagellaris, K. laciniosa, K. rigida, and K. scortechinii) using species distribution models (SDMs). Models were fitted in R using the sdm package, and ensemble maps were generated by combining predictions from Random Forest (RF), Generalized Linear Models (GLMs), Generalized Additive Models (GAM), and GLMnet. The top predictors influencing habitat distribution included soil physical structure, atmospheric moisture demand, and canopy light availability. The dominance of these factors reflects three distinct and non-interchangeable environmental axes that regulate belowground moisture dynamics, atmospheric constraints on gas exchange, and the energetic requirements for recruitment. All four species ensemble models significantly outperformed the null model, and spatial block cross-validation (k = 5, 200 km blocks) indicated a marginal drop in area under the curve (AUC) values, confirming a predictive signal under geographically independent evaluation. Ensemble suitability maps identified Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo, and Sumatra as centers of predicted habitat. Core habitat was estimated to be less than 0.6% of total suitable area for all species, ranging from 980 km2 (K. scortechinii) to 19,256 km2 (K. rigida), with anthropogenic modification exceeding 50% in the core habitat in K. flagellaris and K. rigida. These results provide the first species-specific baseline for these Korthalsia across Southeast Asia, supporting more targeted conservation and restoration planning under varying habitat constraints. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation, Ecology and Management of Rare and Endangered Plant Species)
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20 pages, 3051 KB  
Article
Floral Traits, Pollination and Reproductive Differentiation in Gynodioecious Minuartia nifensis (Caryophyllaceae)
by Volkan Eroğlu and Serdar Gökhan Şenol
Plants 2026, 15(6), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15060913 - 16 Mar 2026
Viewed by 469
Abstract
The endemic Minuartia nifensis, the only known gynodioecious species of its genus, offers a suitable model for understanding the relationships between floral characteristics, pollination, and mating systems in species with narrow distributions and single populations. We analyzed population structure, floral morphology, pollen [...] Read more.
The endemic Minuartia nifensis, the only known gynodioecious species of its genus, offers a suitable model for understanding the relationships between floral characteristics, pollination, and mating systems in species with narrow distributions and single populations. We analyzed population structure, floral morphology, pollen viability, stigma receptivity, mating system components, and pollinator assemblages using field observations, morphometric measurements, controlled pollination experiments (autogamy, allogamy, apomixis and open pollination), and standardized pollinator surveys. The population exhibited an approximately balanced hermaphrodite–female ratio (0.97:1) and clear sexual dimorphism, with hermaphrodite flowers significantly larger than female flowers. Despite this dimorphism, pollinator visitation was similar between morphs, with 52.54% of visits to hermaphrodite flowers and 47.46% to female flowers. A total of 1734 visits by seven visitor species were recorded, of which approximately 95% of potentially effective pollen transfer was attributable to three bee taxa. Pollen viability, stigma receptivity, and visitation frequency peaked between 12:00 and 14:00, accounting for 58% of total insect visits. Controlled pollination experiments showed highest reproductive success under cross-pollination and limited success under self-pollination, indicating a mixed but predominantly outcrossing mating system. Together, these results suggest that gynodioecy in M. nifensis may be supported by floral differentiation, temporal reproductive traits, and pollinator-mediated pollen transfer. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation, Ecology and Management of Rare and Endangered Plant Species)
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26 pages, 5124 KB  
Article
Assessing Potential Habitat Suitability of the Endangered Endo-Holoparasitic Sapria himalayana and Its Multiple Hosts in China Under Global Warming
by Weiyi Hang, Yan Li and Guangfu Zhang
Plants 2026, 15(4), 574; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants15040574 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 531
Abstract
Global warming severely threatens parasitic plants worldwide. However, little is known about how a parasite with multiple hosts responds to climate change in its distribution. Sapria himalayana is an endangered endo-holoparasite, obligately parasitizing Tetrastigma species. We employed MaxEnt to predict suitable habitats for [...] Read more.
Global warming severely threatens parasitic plants worldwide. However, little is known about how a parasite with multiple hosts responds to climate change in its distribution. Sapria himalayana is an endangered endo-holoparasite, obligately parasitizing Tetrastigma species. We employed MaxEnt to predict suitable habitats for S. himalayana and its five hosts, and determined key environmental factors. Then, we calculated niche overlaps for the five parasite-host pairs. Currently, it covers a suitable area of 1.35 × 104 km2, accounting for 0.14% of China’s total territory. Temperature-related variables were identified as the key factors shaping potential distribution for this parasite and three hosts (i.e., T. planicaule, T. obovatum, and T. cruciatum), while precipitation-related ones were identified for the other hosts (i.e., T. obtectum and T. serrulatum). Collectively, the five pairs presented low niche overlaps under current and future scenarios. While S. himalayana will increase by 37.78% in future suitable habitat, the two host categories show contrasting trends in potential habitat shifts. Divergent climatic sensitivities across host species, along with parasite–host suitability mismatches, could shape the survival and distribution of S. himalayana. Consequently, this research offers valuable insights for the conservation of S. himalayana in China, highlighting the necessity of safeguarding its distinct hosts under global warming. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Conservation, Ecology and Management of Rare and Endangered Plant Species)
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