Advances in the Ecology, Distribution, Systematics, and Conservation of Vascular Plants
A Special Issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747) belonging to the section "Plant Ecology".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 427
Editors
Interests: ferns and lycophytes; diversity; systematics; plant community ecology; conservation; anthropized environments
Interests: epiphytic plants; diversity; distribution; ecology; conservation; systematics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Ferns and lycophytes are among the oldest lineages and most species-rich groups of vascular plants on Earth. They are a vital and conspicuous part of biodiversity in many terrestrial ecosystems, especially in tropical and mountainous areas. As their diversity and distribution patterns are mainly driven by environmental factors, including effects of human disturbance, ferns and lycophytes are ideal groups for the study of geographic and ecological patterns and drivers of plant diversity at global and regional scales.
Despite their ecological and evolutionary significance, these two groups have received less attention in many botanical research fields compared to angiosperms. However, recent years have seen a rise in studies focusing on their ecology, systematics, biogeography, and conservation. This increasing knowledge has been supported by new analytical tools, phylogenomic methods, and ecological research at various scales.
Therefore, this Special Issue aims to gather recent contributions that enhance our understanding of the diversity, evolution, and ecological roles of ferns and lycophytes in various environments. We welcome submissions that explore topics such as diversity and distribution patterns, environmental and human-caused gradients, ecological interactions, functional traits, community dynamics, as well as taxonomic, systematic, and phylogenetic studies. Additionally, contributions are encouraged on topics related to the conservation status of ferns and lycophytes, including extinction risk assessments, management strategies, and their roles in natural and human-affected ecosystems (e.g., secondary forests or urban areas).
By combining ecological, evolutionary, and conservation views, this Special Issue aims to provide an updated overview of the current knowledge on these lineages and highlight their importance for understanding ecosystem dynamics and resilience amid global environmental changes.
Dr. Cesar I. Carvajal-Hernández
Dr. Thorsten Krömer
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-anonymized 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
- biogeography
- pteridophytes
- plant community ecology
- functional traits
- phylogeny
- systematics
- conservation
- ecological interactions
- global change
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