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Biodiversity, Biologic Conservation and Ecological Sustainability—2nd Edition

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainability, Biodiversity and Conservation".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 5417

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Francisco Guerrero

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Guest Editor

Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, 23071 Jaen, Spain
Interests: biodiversity; bioindicators; ecosystem conservation; restoration; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Juan Diego Gilbert

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Guest Editor

Department of Animal Biology, Plant Biology and Ecology, University of Jaén, Campus de las Lagunillas, 23071 Jaen, Spain
Interests: aquatic biodiversity; conservation; metacommunity;wetlands; zooplankton
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Dr. Andreas Reul

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Guest Editor

Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Jaen, Spain
Interests: biodiversity and conservation; aquatic ecology; marine ecology; conservation biology; hydrology; water quality; ecosystem ecology; environment; management
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution (also known as the Anthropocene), ecosystems have been widely affected by anthropogenic activities and these impacts have been exceptionally diverse, from those on a global scale derived from climate change, to others of a varied nature generated at local scales. Both lead to serious environmental problems such as the loss of biodiversity or the alteration of ecosystems and understanding these ecological problems is a key concern for conservation purposes, being essential to research on these threats, which in turn enables the development of adequate management plans. The implementation of effective management interventions that promote ecological integrity is based primarily on a deep understanding of how biotas and ecosystems react to multiple stress factors. Under this conservation paradigm, it is necessary to implement a sustainable model in which the three aspects of sustainable development fit together to allow the conservation of our planet, promote social equity and develop human societies. Papers submitted to this Special Issue of Sustainability must be original contributions focused on (genetic, biotic and landscape) biodiversity and the conservation biology of species and ecosystems. This includes all aspects related to ecosystem restoration and all issues related to ecosystem sustainability.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Francisco Guerrero
Dr. Juan Diego Gilbert
Dr. Andreas Reul
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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

anthropocene
biodiversity
climate change
conservation
global change
management plans
restoration
sustainability

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Related Special Issue

Biodiversity, Biologic Conservation and Ecological Sustainability in Sustainability (12 articles)

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

30 pages, 2927 KB

Open AccessArticle

What Models Do Not Say: Ecosystem Services Dynamics in Asinara National Park (Sardinia, It)

by Corinne Corbau, Matilde Schirru, Rossella Guadagno, Alexandre Lazarou, Umberto Simeoni, William Nardin, Vittorio Gazale and Donatella Carboni

Sustainability 2026, 18(5), 2303; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18052303 - 27 Feb 2026

Viewed by 505

Abstract

Understanding how land use and land cover changes (LULCCs) affect ecosystem services (ES) is essential for guiding sustainable management strategies in protected areas (PAs), particularly in small island contexts where ecological processes, historical land uses and socio-economic dynamics are tightly interwoven. This study explores the medium-term dynamics of ES supply using LULCCs as a spatial indicator on the island of Asinara (Italy). Spatially modelled results show that the transition from agricultural and semi-natural uses to uncultivated areas, driven by land abandonment and soft nature-restoration actions, has reshaped the balance between provisioning, regulating and cultural services, generating reflections on opportunities and land management challenges. These outcomes require careful contextualization to reflect underlying ecological processes and land capabilities, highlighting the need for governance frameworks oriented towards conservation-driven landscape management rather than passive rewilding, especially in landscapes long shaped by human activities. More generally, sustainability in PAs is not an automatic outcome of protection or abandonment, but a contingent, spatially differentiated and governed process, in which indicators and maps serve to guide decisions, not to certify their success. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Biologic Conservation and Ecological Sustainability—2nd Edition)

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17 pages, 4839 KB

Open AccessArticle

Maxent Modeling of Habitat Suitability for Alpine Musk Deer (Moschus chrysogaster) and Blue Sheep (Pseudois nayaur) in the Typical Canyons of the Sanjiangyuan Region

by Le Niu, Ping Li, Zhenzhen Hao and Junyong Ma

Sustainability 2026, 18(4), 1976; https://doi.org/10.3390/su18041976 - 14 Feb 2026

Viewed by 474

Abstract

Habitat degradation and fragmentation driven by climate change and human activities are major threats to wildlife, particularly in the ecologically sensitive Sanjiangyuan region on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Alpine musk deer (Moschus chrysogaster) and blue sheep (Pseudois nayaur), two key ungulate species, face severe habitat challenges due to these environmental pressures. Understanding their habitat requirements and distribution patterns is critical for developing effective conservation strategies. This study applied the Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model to predict the habitat suitability of alpine musk deer and blue sheep in the characteristic canyons of the Sanjiangyuan region. Data from 55 infrared camera traps and 26 environmental variables, including climate, topography, land use, and human disturbance, were analyzed. The results indicated that annual mean temperature, altitude, temperature annual range, and distance to water were the most influential factors for both species. The suitable habitats for alpine musk deer and blue sheep were limited, covering only 9.61% and 10.84% of the study area, respectively. These areas were primarily distributed along the main stream of the Yellow River and its primary tributary canyons. The limited availability of high-quality habitats underscores the vulnerability of these species to ongoing habitat degradation and fragmentation. To effectively protect ungulate populations, we suggest continuously monitoring the trends of critical habitats, strengthening the protection of existing habitats, and improving the current conservation systems. The findings provide critical insights for conservation planning and management in the Sanjiangyuan region. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Biologic Conservation and Ecological Sustainability—2nd Edition)

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14 pages, 2680 KB

Open AccessArticle

Coastal Bathing Water Evaluation Under Contrasting Tourism Pressures at Herradura Bay (S-W Mediterranean)

by Miguel María Granados-Fernández, Salvador Arijo, Andreas Reul, Francisco Guerrero, Juan Diego Gilbert, Jorge García-Márquez, Begoña Bautista and María Muñoz

Sustainability 2025, 17(21), 9792; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17219792 - 3 Nov 2025

Viewed by 911

Abstract

Coastal water quality is crucial for ecosystem services, supporting biodiversity and tourism. However, high tourist influxes often overwhelm wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) capacities, leading to untreated discharge and eutrophication, which severely impacts bathing water. Water quality monitoring is currently limited to selected points at the beach and oceanographic sampling, which requires depths >20 m offshore, leaving a gap of measurements between 1 and 50 m from the beach. To resolve this gap, our study proposes a low cost-effective sampling and monitoring method by using a kayak with a submersible fluorometer FlowCAM, as well as fecal bacteria detection and quantification. The kayak sampling was carried out during high- and low-tourism seasons in coastal bathing waters surrounded by Marine Protected Areas. The results show a patchy phytoplankton distribution, with chlorophyll a concentration up to 5.5 μg/L, indicating local fertilization. The observed floating organic matter patches were fecal bacteria free, while effluents of the WWTP to the Jate river and shore exceeded the legal limits for bathing water. These results suggest that wastewater treatment was overwhelmed during the high-tourism season, likely discharging wastewater into the river that flows into the shore. These findings are discussed in a sustainable development and socioeconomical context. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Biologic Conservation and Ecological Sustainability—2nd Edition)

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20 pages, 2913 KB

Open AccessArticle

AI-Driven Conservation of the Endangered Twisted Yew (Taxus contorta Griff.) in the Western Himalaya

by Salahud Din, Haidar Ali, Thomas Panagopoulos, Jan Alam, Saira Malik and Hassan Sher

Sustainability 2025, 17(19), 8541; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17198541 - 23 Sep 2025

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1492 | Correction

Abstract

Conserving the threatened West Himalayan endemic T. contorta (Taxaceae) is critical due to extinction risks from skewed male- or female-only populations. This study employs ChatGPT-driven artificial intelligence (AI) analysis for textual synthesis and preliminary hypothesis generation to identify favorable propagation sites for T. contorta within the Swat district of Pakistan. Over three years (2019–2021), eleven male- or female-only populations of T. contorta were surveyed. Environmental data from NASA POWER were analyzed using ChatGPT 3.5 to predict suitable propagation sites, which were then mapped in Google Earth Pro. PCA and hierarchical clustering were applied to identify key environmental variables. Out of 63 generated points, 58 were accurately located in Swat with 92% geographic accuracy, while species-specific general knowledge accuracy was 100%. All points fell within the pre-established T. contorta spatial range in Pakistan, with 21 unique sites meeting optimal conditions. Field surveys confirmed 16 new populations. These findings underscore the promising role of AI-driven analysis in conservation planning by identifying and supporting habitat restoration efforts. A bidirectional integration of AI and SDM, combined with remote sensing technologies, represents a novel approach for the effective conservation of endangered plant species. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Biologic Conservation and Ecological Sustainability—2nd Edition)

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19 pages, 3405 KB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Water Pollution on Diatom Communities of Roșia Montană Mining Area, Romania

by Adriana Olenici, Saúl Blanco, Francisco Jiménez-Gómez, María Borrego-Ramos and Călin Baciu

Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4592; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104592 - 17 May 2025

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1407

Abstract

We investigated the diatom communities and physicochemical water variables in the Abrud River catchment area (the Roșia Montană mining area, Romania) at 16 sampling sites, some of them impacted by acid mine drainage (AMD) and heavy metals. Diatoms serve as effective indicators of water characteristics owing to their ubiquity and sensitivity to environmental variables. This study aimed to enhance the understanding of the key environmental factors influencing the diatom flora of polluted rivers across various spatial and temporal scales, thereby informing the optimization of ecosystem management strategies. This work contributes to the knowledge of Romanian diatom flora through the identification of 274 taxa belonging to 63 genera, including 35 taxa recorded for the first time in the country. The spatial and temporal variations in the species richness patterns highlighted the effects of water pollution resulting from past mining activities, revealing distinctions between the main Abrud River stream and its tributaries, some of which exhibited extremely low species richness with few or no identified taxa. This contrasted sharply with the cleaner upstream waters of the Roșia Valley, where a notably rich diatom community (85 taxa) persisted, highlighting the severe localized impact of mining discharges on biodiversity. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Biologic Conservation and Ecological Sustainability—2nd Edition)

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