Mediterranean Biodiversity, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

The aim of this topic is the promotion of biodiversity, both natural and agro-food, in the Mediterranean basin and the advancement of biodiversity knowledge based on research founded on scientific methods. Since the birth of agriculture (more than 12,000 years ago), we have witnessed a continuous erosion of biological diversity as natural ecosystems have shrunk in favor of cultivated areas. Agriculture has led to the emergence of the concept of agrobiodiversity and to the proliferation of many typical local varieties (and sometimes of species imported from other continents). Today, safeguarding the productivity, sustainability and biodiversity of the agroecosystem is helpful in preventing natural areas from being sacrificed for crop fields. However, in recent years, increasing greenhouse gasses and average temperatures due to the ongoing climate crisis have introduced additional variables to this challenge. The effects of climate change on biodiversity are already visible: species distribution, flowering periods and bird migrations are changing. Humans must therefore be able to assist ecosystems in maintaining an adequate level of health, because human prosperity and well-being rely on the ecosystem services provided by nature through biodiversity, the loss of which can have disastrous consequences for economic and social stability, health and well-being. The EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030, a key pillar of the European Green Deal, includes a nature restoration plan that can promote the proliferation of so-called "nature-based solutions", which are a viable socioeconomic option regarding agroforestry, water resources and the urban environment. Biodiversity, resilience and climate change are thus closely interrelated issues that can constitute future strategic challenges in the scenario of sustainable development. An innovative biodiversity preservation strategy is required, covering not only the primary terrestrial and aquatic environments formed over millions of years but also the secondary natural environments determined by human action over several centuries (particularly in recent decades), which have changed from "cultivated fields" to today's rural areas.

This topic is intended to include articles related to biodiversity in the broadest sense, including areas relating to the following non-exhaustive list:

• Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems including plants, animals and microorganisms and their physiology and interaction;
• Biodiversity, land and landscapes including urban/peri-urban, coastal and marine systems;
• Biodiversity of agro-systems;
• Climate change and alien species;
• Biodiversity and culture;
• Biodiversity and human well-being;
• Ecosystem services and economic–social impact of biodiversity;
• European, national and regional policies.

Prof. Dr. Luigi De Bellis
Dr. Massimiliano Renna
Prof. Dr. Pietro Buzzini
Dr. Ignasi Torre
Topic Editors