Vegetation Dynamics and Mechanisms in Ecosystem Functioning
A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 March 2026) | Viewed by 951
Special Issue Editors
Interests: ecosystem services; protected areas; remote sensing; sustainability
Interests: grassland degradation and restoration; climate change impacts on grasslands; grassland ecosystem structure and function; grassland ecosystem services and sustainable management
Interests: high-resolution imagery; sustainable development; alpine grassland; land restoration; grassland conservation and restoration
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Land degradation poses significant global challenges, leading to substantial losses in biodiversity, disruption of ecosystem services, and heightened vulnerability to climate change. In this context, vegetation serves as an essential buffer in regulating environmental processes and maintaining ecological stability. However, the accelerating impacts of climate change and increasing human activities are profoundly altering plant community structures and functions, threatening resilience on a global scale. This Special Issue focuses on state-of-the-art vegetation monitoring approaches—such as remote sensing, big data analytics, and field observations—while also exploring innovative ecological restoration strategies that integrate natural regeneration with artificial interventions to address the pressing challenges of land degradation and climate change. Additionally, diverse management practices designed to promote environmental sustainability will be examined, emphasizing their role in enhancing ecosystem services. We particularly encourage submissions that investigate various ecosystems—such as grasslands, forests, and wetlands—to assess vegetation's impact on soil nutrient cycling, water resource conservation, and biodiversity. Furthermore, the combined effects of human activity and climate change on these ecosystems will be a focal point of discussion. We warmly invite researchers in ecology, botany, and environmental management to submit their latest findings, fostering innovative solutions and breakthroughs in addressing global ecological challenges and advancing restoration efforts within a dynamic framework.
We welcome the submission of original research articles, short-communications and comprehensive reviews at both macro and micro scales, addressing the following and other relevant subtopics, but not limited to the following:
- Explore how plant dynamics influence ecosystem functions and services.
- Investigate the effects of climate change on the composition and structure of vegetation in different ecosystems and their ecological consequences.
- Analyze the interactions between vegetation and soil nutrient cycling and their contributions to ecological health.
- Assess how vegetation diversity drives and maintains overall biodiversity within ecosystems.
- Examine the synergy between natural regeneration and artificial interventions in the effectiveness of ecological restoration.
- Research how human activities influence vegetation structure and the stability of ecosystems.
- Investigate the interrelationships between vegetation in different ecosystems and their significance in management and conservation.
Dr. Ting Hua
Dr. Zhenchao Zhang
Dr. Tianyu Zhan
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
- vegetation dynamics
- ecological restoration
- environmental sustainability
- land degradation
- ecosystem services
- climate change
- soil nutrient cycling
- biodiversity
- carbon stock
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