Biodiversity Assessment and Conservation in High-Altitude Freshwater Systems
A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Biodiversity and Functionality of Aquatic Ecosystems".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 June 2026 | Viewed by 853
Special Issue Editors
Interests: freshwater ecology; environmental data science; macroinvertebrates; headwaters; water quality assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: freshwater ecological modelling; integrated water quality modelling; wastewater enginnering; water quality assessment; greenhouse gases emissions from aquatic ecosystems
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
High-altitude freshwater systems are unique ecosystems that are often difficult to reach and affect the water quality and quantity of downstream areas significantly. Due to their combined remoteness and exposure to high-altitude climatic conditions, inimitable biological communities have developed and support a variety of complex interactions. By monitoring and assessing these communities, valuable information can be obtained on both the habitat preference of rare species and the value and equivalence of the prevailing interactions.
Unfortunately, these unique aquatic systems are not immune to the global and local changes that continue to impact various low-altitude freshwater systems. The alterations in the abiotic conditions caused by climate change also affect the biotic community, while shifts in land use modify the water–land interaction through increased inputs of sediments and a wide range of chemicals. As these changes are expected to continue in the future, it is clear that further study and conservation of these high-altitude freshwater systems is essential to the management of our valuable freshwater resources.
This special issue aims to seek contributions reporting on the biodiversity of high-altitude freshwater systems in both developed and developing regions, including recommendations on how to manage and/or conserve the considered system sustainably. By doing so, the Special Issue contributes to identifying the current state of freshwater systems at high altitudes, while presenting ideas and solutions to managers facing similar issues and pointing out knowledge gaps that require further research.
Dr. Wout Van Echelpoel
Guest Editor
Dr. Rubén Jerves-Cobo
Guest Editor Assistant
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. Water 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 2600 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
- freshwater
- community
- high altitude
- assessment
- management
Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue
- Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
- Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
- Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
- External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
- Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.
