Special Issue "Nature Conservation in Sustainability"

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2021.

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Kinga Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Tourism Geography and Ecology, Institute of Tourism, Faculty of Tourism and Recreation, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Interests: plant ecology; nature conservation; plant invasions; sustainable development
Dr. Artur Pliszko
E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Taxonomy, Phytogeography and Palaeobotany, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, 31-007 Kraków, Poland
Interests: biological recording of plants; plant taxonomy and ecology; invasive alien species; nature conservation

Special Issue Information

According to the report, Our Common Future, by Harlem Brundtland (published in 1987 by the United Nations World Commission on Environment and Development), development should be sustainable, i.e,. satisfy the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to satisfy theirs. The report pointed to the need to protect the diversity of genes, species, and all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in nature. Many credible sources confirm that this is possible, in particular via protection of the quality of the environment and via the restoration, development, and maintenance of habitats that are essential to species.

This Special Issue intends to deepen the knowledge of in situ and ex situ nature conservation and its implications for sustainability. It is devoted to a wide spectrum of organisms from microorganisms and fungi to higher plants and animals, as well as to varied levels of biological organizations from individuals and populations through ecosystems and landscapes to biomes and biosphere.

Dear Colleagues,

As nature protection is one of the main pillars of sustainable development, we are organizing a Special Issue of the open-access journal Sustainability titled Nature Conservation in Sustainability. The Special Issue is being guest-edited by Kinga Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt and Artur Pliszko. The deadline for manuscript submissions is 30 October 30 2021.

The Special Issue intends to deepen the knowledge of in situ and ex situ nature conservation and its implications for sustainability. It aims to provide an innovative and reliable source of scientific information for researchers, policymakers, and land-managers by gathering relevant studies on various aspects of nature conservation. The Specieal Issue welcomes studies including original research articles, case studies, and reviews from a wide range of disciplines, including theoretical ecology, landscape ecology, restoration ecology, ecological modeling, and others, provided that there are a clear connection and immediate relevance to nature conservation. Manuscripts devoted to a wide spectrum of organisms  from microorganisms and fungi to higher plants and animals, as well as to varied levels of biological organization from individuals and populations through ecosystems and landscapes to biomes and biosphere are welcome.

Contributors from different fields are invited to submit their articles on topics including (but not limited to):

  • biodiversity conservation on any spatial scale (local, regional, or global) and temporal scale;
  • current and projected concequences of anthropogenic transformations of habitats and ecosystems;
  • innovations and good practices in nature conservation;
  • management of protected areas;
  • ecological restoration.

Dr. Kinga Kostrakiewicz-Gierałt
Dr. Artur Pliszko
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 papers will be 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 1900 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 conservation
  • ecological restoration
  • ex situ and in situ preservation
  • management of protected areas
  • red list species

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

Article
Phytosociological Data in Assessment of Anthropogenic Changes in Vegetation of Rzeszów Reservoir
Sustainability 2021, 13(16), 9071; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13169071 - 13 Aug 2021
Viewed by 175
Abstract
Phytosociological research on aquatic and marsh vegetation was conducted in Rzeszów Reservoir (SE Poland): 134 relevés according to the Braun-Blanquet method were collected there in 2016 and compared to 91 relevés published in 1994 (225 relevés in total). Changes in vegetation type, diversity [...] Read more.
Phytosociological research on aquatic and marsh vegetation was conducted in Rzeszów Reservoir (SE Poland): 134 relevés according to the Braun-Blanquet method were collected there in 2016 and compared to 91 relevés published in 1994 (225 relevés in total). Changes in vegetation type, diversity measures, species composition, and Ellenberg Indicator Values (EIVs) for light, moisture, reaction, and nitrogen were analysed. Over the 22 years (1994–2016), the greatest changes were noted in communities of the classes Lemnetea and Potametea and the alliance Salicion albae. The long-term observations demonstrated the disappearance of 14 phytocoenoses and the occurrence of 12 new ones. An expansion of marsh communities (Typhetum latifoliae, Typhetum angustifoliae, Glycerietum maximae, Leersietum oryzoidis) was noted, causing a decline of several species and vegetation types. According to canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), four environmental variables (light, moisture, nitrogen, and pH) were related to plant distribution. The strong disturbances reflected in intensive eutrophication were due to human activity, which is the main factor shaping the ecological succession and overgrowing of the reservoir. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature Conservation in Sustainability)
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Article
Design of Protected Area by Tracking and Excluding the Effects of Climate and Landscape Change: A Case Study Using Neurergus derjugini
Sustainability 2021, 13(10), 5645; https://doi.org/10.3390/su13105645 - 18 May 2021
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 470
Abstract
This study aimed to use the applications of Ensemble Species Distribution Modelling (eSDM), Geographical Information Systems (GISs), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for the design of a protected area (PA) for the critically endangered yellow-spotted mountain newt, Neurergus derjugini, by tracking and excluding [...] Read more.
This study aimed to use the applications of Ensemble Species Distribution Modelling (eSDM), Geographical Information Systems (GISs), and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) for the design of a protected area (PA) for the critically endangered yellow-spotted mountain newt, Neurergus derjugini, by tracking and excluding the effects of climate and landscape changes in western Iran and northeastern Iraq. Potential recent and future distributions (2050 and 2070) were reconstructed by eSDM using eight algorithms with MRI-CGCM3 and CCSM4 models. The GIS-based MCDA siting procedure was followed inside habitats with high eSDM suitability by eliminating the main roads, cities, high village density, dams, poor vegetation, low stream density, agricultural lands and high ridge density. Then, within the remaining relevant areas, 10 polygons were created as “nominations” for PAs (NPAs). Finally, for 10 different NPAs, the suitability score was ranked based on ratings and weights (analytical hierarchy process) of the number of newt localities, NPA connectivity, NPA shape, NPA habitat suitability in 2070, NPA size, genetic diversity, village density and distance to nearest PAs, cities, and main roads. This research could serve as a modern realistic approach for environmental management to plan conservation areas using a cost-effective and affordable technique. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nature Conservation in Sustainability)
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