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Biodiversity, Conservation Biology and Sustainability
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Biodiversity, Conservation Biology and Sustainability

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2025) | Viewed by 3760

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Francesco Sottile

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Architecture, University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
Interests: biodiversity issues; agroecology; circular economy; sustainable food system; ecology and rural development
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thirty years after the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), many scientific initiatives have characterized the work of scientists on the topic of conservation and characterization of the world's genetic heritage, at all levels. Today, biodiversity is also recognized for the role that it can play in the ecological transition, as well as being crucial for the recovery of ecosystems contributing in this way to the mitigation of the climate crisis. Biodiversity conservation, therefore, assumes global relevance not only to prevent the disappearance of natural genetic resources but also as a tool for food security and rural economics. In fact, biodiversity assumes global relevance on multiple aspects that were once underestimated. There is increasing and consistent talk today about the value of soil biodiversity as a tool for enhancing fertility and counteracting desertification; there is much talk about the bacterial and fungal biodiversity that is needed in yeast and fermentation processes, especially in the production of highly traditional foods in many parts of the world. Biodiversity is looked at in environmental protection, regeneration and techniques aimed at maximum carbon sequestration as a component of climate-changing gases.

In such a diverse framework, this Special Issue on Biodiversity, Conservation Biology and Sustainability aims to welcome scientific reports from the international community engaged within the large framework of biodiversity conservation according to innovative methods and, therefore, with different purposes. In fact, the international context attributes a wide variety of approaches to this topic, which also includes agroecology as a tool for strengthening ecological regeneration pathways in agriculture.

For this SI, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) broad themes that see biodiversity as a scientific thread. Contributions that look at plant biodiversity on the ecological level in both mountain and lowland spaces are welcome, as are contributions related to the economic, environmental, and social role of biodiversity of agricultural interest, both of plants and animals. Scientific contributions aimed at the chemical, nutritional and nutraceutical characterization of genetic resources will also be appreciated, with particular regard to processes for the enhancement of species, ecotypes, varieties, microorganisms, and breeds that are underutilized or at risk of genetic erosion/extinction.

This Special Issue invites the international scientific community to contribute to aggregating knowledge and new methodological acquisitions but also to represent a model for initiating project collaborations.

I look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Francesco Sottile
Guest Editor

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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • biodiversity
  • ecosystems
  • conservation
  • valorization
  • ecology

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

28 pages, 5056 KiB  
Article
The Relationship Between Macroinvertebrate Diversity Indices and Community Stability in the North Canal River Basin of Urban Beijing, China
by Longfei Du, Jinjin Ge, Min Zhang, Haiping Zhang, Yang Yu, Ying Xie, Yuhang Zhang, Chunya Zeng, Wenqi Peng, Quchang Chen and Xiaodong Qu
Sustainability 2025, 17(10), 4479; https://doi.org/10.3390/su17104479 - 14 May 2025
Viewed by 249
Abstract
Understanding the contribution of macroinvertebrate diversity indices to community stability in urban rivers is critical for developing more effective strategies to manage and conserve the ecological health of urban rivers and to maintain sustainable regional economic and social development. However, knowledge regarding the [...] Read more.
Understanding the contribution of macroinvertebrate diversity indices to community stability in urban rivers is critical for developing more effective strategies to manage and conserve the ecological health of urban rivers and to maintain sustainable regional economic and social development. However, knowledge regarding the relationship between environmental factors, multidimensional biodiversity, and community stability in urban rivers remains limited. In this study, we investigated the relationships among macroinvertebrate multidimensional diversity, secondary productivity-to-biomass ratio (SP/B), and average variation degree (AVD) in a typical urban river—the North Canal River basin in Beijing—to identify which biodiversity metric best indicates community stability. Macroinvertebrates were extensively sampled from September to October 2020 in the North Canal River basin (BYH), a typical urban river in Beijing. We comparatively analyzed the spatial variation in different types of diversity—species diversity (SD), functional diversity (FD), and phylogenetic diversity (PD)—as well as SP/B and AVD between the upstream and midstream–downstream reaches of the river under varying degrees of urbanization and human disturbance. Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to assess the relationships among multidimensional diversity, SP/B, and AVD. The results showed that upstream environmental factors and diversity indices together explained 52.9% and 52.0% of the variance in SP/B and AVD, respectively, while midstream–downstream factors explained 65.9% and 84.2%, respectively. These findings suggest that both SP/B and AVD are suitable indicators for examining the relationships between macroinvertebrate community stability, diversity indices, and environmental factors in the BYH. In the upstream region, total phosphorus (TP), FD, and PD were more indicative of SP/B in the central urban area, while SD and PD were more indicative of AVD. In contrast, in the midstream–downstream suburban areas, dissolved oxygen (DO), SD, and PD were more indicative of SP/B, while FD and PD were more indicative of AVD. These findings demonstrate that PD is a stronger indicator of both SP/B and AVD under varying anthropogenic disturbances and environmental conditions. The PLS-SEM results also indicated differences in the specific effects of FD and SD on community stability across the upstream and midstream–downstream sections, as well as differences in the direct effects of environmental factors such as TP and DO. These results suggest that PD is more sensitive than FD and SD in detecting the impacts of anthropogenic disturbances and environmental fluctuations on macroinvertebrate community stability in urban rivers. Our study provides evidence that PD outperforms FD and SD in predicting macroinvertebrate community stability in urban river ecosystems and that the combined use of SP/B and AVD better reveals the complex interactions between biodiversity and environmental factors influencing community stability. This combination can thus enhance our understanding of how biodiversity affects macroinvertebrate community stability in urban rivers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Conservation Biology and Sustainability)
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13 pages, 686 KiB  
Article
A New Unified, Flexible, Scalable, and Inclusive Model for Ecological Problem-Solving
by Amanda Crandall, Jack Diedrich, Blake Struthers, Cole Tiemann and Christopher K. Williams
Sustainability 2024, 16(23), 10325; https://doi.org/10.3390/su162310325 - 26 Nov 2024
Viewed by 822
Abstract
Successful, lasting conservation action requires ecological problem-solving that is based on social and empirical science. To alleviate some of the burden associated with organizing the many factors germane to ecological problem-solving, we created an interactive flowchart (the Ecological Problem-Solving Flow Model (EPS Flow [...] Read more.
Successful, lasting conservation action requires ecological problem-solving that is based on social and empirical science. To alleviate some of the burden associated with organizing the many factors germane to ecological problem-solving, we created an interactive flowchart (the Ecological Problem-Solving Flow Model (EPS Flow Model)) that is adaptable to different ecological problems at multiple spatial scales. Drawing on the strengths of existing models created for specific systems, species, or social dynamics, the EPS Flow Model is biologically relevant, socially inclusive, broadly applicable, locally adaptable, easy to understand, visually appealing, and features loop learning at all stages. To demonstrate how the EPS Flow Model can be used, we incorporate three case study examples that address different ecological problems at multiple spatial scales and in various stages of development. The EPS Flow Model is intended to aid natural resource professionals during the policy planning process to promote more effective and inclusive conservation actions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Conservation Biology and Sustainability)
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14 pages, 3498 KiB  
Article
South Africa as a Donor of Its Native and Exotic Species to the International Pet Trade
by Ndivhuwo Shivambu, Tinyiko Cavin Shivambu, Takalani Nelufule, Moleseng Claude Moshobane, Nimmi Seoraj-Pillai and Tshifhiwa Constance Nangammbi
Sustainability 2024, 16(20), 8828; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16208828 - 12 Oct 2024
Viewed by 1948
Abstract
The global pet trade is a thriving multibillion-dollar industry, involving the international exchange of various species and regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). South Africa plays a significant role as both an importer [...] Read more.
The global pet trade is a thriving multibillion-dollar industry, involving the international exchange of various species and regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). South Africa plays a significant role as both an importer and exporter within this market. By analysing over 13 million records from the CITES database, spanning from 1975 to 2023, we aimed to access South Africa’s role in the international pet trade and to analyse trade volume and trends over time. Our findings indicate that alien species dominate exports, particularly birds and mammals, while native species are traded in lower volume, involving only a few species. The top 10 traded species for birds and mammals belong to the genera Agapornis and Callithrix, while 80% of reptile exports were native, with Stigmochelys pardalis being the most exported species. Bird and mammal exports are primarily composed of captive-bred individuals, whereas both captive-bred and wild-sourced individuals contribute to reptile exports. Approximately 100 countries import various species from South Africa, with Asia and Europe as major importers of birds. The extensive exportation of South Africa’s native species, particularly reptiles, raises significant conservation concerns regarding the potential impact on local biodiversity. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biodiversity, Conservation Biology and Sustainability)
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