- 4.1Impact Factor
- 7.6CiteScore
- 18 daysTime to First Decision
Phytoplankton Community Structure and Succession
This special issue belongs to the section “Plant Systematics, Taxonomy, Nomenclature and Classification“.
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Phytoplanktons represent a community of aquatic photosynthetic microorganisms characterised by great diversity. As one of the major biological quality elements, it is used as a monitoring tool in the assessment of the ecological status of surface waters required by relevant directives. Supported by morphological and functional phytoplankton analyses, the molecular approach in phytoplankton ecology is increasingly used to explain and predict species distribution along environmental gradients. The study of phytoplankton diversity, community structure and succession patterns is critical to understand the increasing eutrophication, invasive species problems, harmful algal blooms and the overall effects of climate change on inland waters, which can be used to assess water quality and plan restoration efforts.
This proposed Special Issue of Plants addresses the topics of phytoplankton dynamics at seasonal and long-term scales, as well as physical, biological or autogenic drivers that destroy the structure or alter the environment in favour of tolerant taxa.
Dr. Dubravka Špoljarić Maronić
Dr. Filip Stevic
Dr. Tanja Žuna Pfeiffer
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
- phytoplankton diversity
- lake steady states
- biotic indicators
- planktonic food webs
- phytoplankton functional groups
- edna metabarcoding
- invasive species
- cyanobacterial blooms
- water quality assessment
- conservation
- plankton and climate change
- ecosystem functioning
- phytoplankton–periphyton interactions
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

