Topic Editors

Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), Salento University, 73100 Lecce, Italy
Department of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University of Bari Aldo Moro, 70126 Bari, Italy
Department of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Science, University of Perugia, 06125 Perugia, Italy
Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, 08402 Granollers, Spain

Mediterranean Biodiversity, 2nd Edition

Abstract submission deadline
closed (15 October 2025)
Manuscript submission deadline
closed (15 December 2025)
Viewed by
6046

Topic Information

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

Keywords

  • biodiversity
  • plants
  • animals
  • microorganisms
  • alien species
  • terrestrial
  • coastal and marine systems
  • human well-being and health
  • culture
  • food
  • national and regional policies
  • ethnobiology

Participating Journals

Journal Name Impact Factor CiteScore Launched Year First Decision (median) APC
Agriculture
agriculture
3.6 6.3 2011 18 Days CHF 2600
Agronomy
agronomy
3.4 6.7 2011 17.2 Days CHF 2600
Gastronomy
gastronomy
- - 2023 15.0 days * CHF 1000
Grasses
grasses
- - 2022 22.3 Days CHF 1000
Sustainability
sustainability
3.3 7.7 2009 19.3 Days CHF 2400
Diversity
diversity
2.1 4.0 2009 17.1 Days CHF 2100
Horticulturae
horticulturae
3.0 5.1 2015 17.1 Days CHF 2200
Hydrobiology
hydrobiology
- 3.7 2022 30.8 Days CHF 1000

* Median value for all MDPI journals in the first half of 2025.


Preprints.org is a multidisciplinary platform offering a preprint service designed to facilitate the early sharing of your research. It supports and empowers your research journey from the very beginning.

MDPI Topics is collaborating with Preprints.org and has established a direct connection between MDPI journals and the platform. Authors are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity by posting their preprints at Preprints.org prior to publication:

  1. Share your research immediately: disseminate your ideas prior to publication and establish priority for your work.
  2. Safeguard your intellectual contribution: Protect your ideas with a time-stamped preprint that serves as proof of your research timeline.
  3. Boost visibility and impact: Increase the reach and influence of your research by making it accessible to a global audience.
  4. Gain early feedback: Receive valuable input and insights from peers before submitting to a journal.
  5. Ensure broad indexing: Web of Science (Preprint Citation Index), Google Scholar, Crossref, SHARE, PrePubMed, Scilit and Europe PMC.

Published Papers (5 papers)

Order results
Result details
Journals
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
24 pages, 7669 KB  
Article
New Records of Marine Mollusca from the Culuccia Peninsula (NW Sardinia, Italy)
by Paolo Mariottini, Carlo Smriglio, Marco Oliverio, Sabrina Rossi and Andrea Di Giulio
Diversity 2025, 17(12), 809; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17120809 - 22 Nov 2025
Viewed by 635
Abstract
The aim of this work is to update the checklist of the marine malacofauna of the Culuccia Peninsula (NW Sardinia, Italy), based on research carried out over two years by SCUBA and free diving in all the main marine habitats of the peninsula. [...] Read more.
The aim of this work is to update the checklist of the marine malacofauna of the Culuccia Peninsula (NW Sardinia, Italy), based on research carried out over two years by SCUBA and free diving in all the main marine habitats of the peninsula. We provide here new records, all accompanied by in situ images of living animals or photographs of shells. In some cases, ecological and systematic notes are provided. With the new records of 39 species (27 gastropods and 12 bivalves), a total of 295 taxa belonging to the classes Bivalvia (84), Gastropoda (199), Polyplacophora (11), and Scaphopoda (1) have been listed from this Sardinian high-biodiversity spot. Two alien species already reported, Pinctada radiata (Leach, 1814) and Bursatella leachii Blainville, 1817, can now be considered to be well established. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity, 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

16 pages, 1809 KB  
Article
Urban Foraging and Plant Toxicological Risks for Rose-Ringed Parakeets (Psittacula krameri) in Athens
by Mathis A. B. Christodoulopoulos, Efthimia Cotou, Nektarios Politakis, Nikolaos Tsekouras, Vasileios V. Paraskeuas, Yannis Kotzamanis, Georgios Christodoulopoulos and Athanasios C. Pappas
Diversity 2025, 17(11), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17110801 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 414
Abstract
The Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is an invasive parrot increasingly established in European cities, including Athens, Greece, yet its diet and exposure to plant toxins in Mediterranean ecosystems remain poorly documented. We examined seasonal foraging patterns in Athens and assessed the [...] Read more.
The Rose-ringed Parakeet (Psittacula krameri) is an invasive parrot increasingly established in European cities, including Athens, Greece, yet its diet and exposure to plant toxins in Mediterranean ecosystems remain poorly documented. We examined seasonal foraging patterns in Athens and assessed the toxicity of key food items using a brine shrimp lethality assay. Field observations recorded 601 feeding events across 10 plant species. Four foods—cypress seeds (Cupressus sempervirens), chinaberries (Melia azedarach), Canary Island dates (Phoenix canariensis), and olives (Olea europaea)—accounted for 82.9% of feeding events. Dietary diversity was highest in winter and summer, while foraging density remained relatively stable, peaking in autumn. Toxicity assessment of aqueous plant extracts with Brine Shrimp (Artemia franciscana) Lethality Test (BSLT) identified chinaberries as the most toxic, indicating potential dietary risks. These findings indicate that P. krameri exhibits flexible, opportunistic foraging and can tolerate plant compounds that are harmful to other vertebrates, suggesting that toxicity does not seem to limit its diet. Seasonal dietary shifts and ecological plasticity likely support its urban invasion success, highlighting the importance of understanding diet composition and potential exposure to plant toxins in urban parakeet populations. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity, 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

18 pages, 1590 KB  
Review
Crop Safeguarding Activities by the Mediterranean Germplasm Gene Bank Hosted by the CNR-IBBR in Bari (Italy)
by Gaetano Laghetti and Mariano Zonna
Sustainability 2025, 17(22), 10296; https://doi.org/10.3390/su172210296 - 18 Nov 2025
Viewed by 321
Abstract
The Mediterranean Germplasm Gene Bank (MGG) of the CNR-IBBR in Bari (Italy) is the oldest gene bank of the Mediterranean area. Thanks to Vavilov, this area is considered an important gene centre. The first safeguarding activities of the MGG began in 1969 and [...] Read more.
The Mediterranean Germplasm Gene Bank (MGG) of the CNR-IBBR in Bari (Italy) is the oldest gene bank of the Mediterranean area. Thanks to Vavilov, this area is considered an important gene centre. The first safeguarding activities of the MGG began in 1969 and continue today following traditional and innovative approaches. The strategy followed by the MGG for safeguarding plant genetic resources of Mediterranean origin and of agricultural interest is described in detail together with the activities and methods used. Some examples of rare agrobiodiversity discovered in the area are reported and described. The MGG seed collection (as ex situ conservation) contains about 59,000 accessions from 34 families, 208 genera and 872 species. Over 13,000 samples have been directly collected over time by exploration teams, while others have been acquired from 314 donor institutions through a seed exchange. MGG studies in the Mediterranean region show a severe genetic erosion of about 75%. The approach adopted by the CNR-IBBR research group to combat this phenomenon can be broken down into two main areas. Firstly, new collecting missions could secure still available valuable material as old landraces cultivated in the fields and gardens of less anthropized areas; the considerable experience and knowledge acquired over the span of five decades, accumulated through this endeavour, undoubtedly plays a pivotal role. Moreover, the integration of conservation methods, ex situ and on farm, for cultivated material, and predominantly in situ for wild species, is necessary for the sustainable development and use of Mediterranean plant genetics resources. In pursuit of this objective, the international standing of the MGG and its extensive network of collaborations represent a foundational element. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity, 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Figure 1

33 pages, 2945 KB  
Article
Sea Slugs (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Heterobranchia) from the Medes Islands (Costa Brava, NE Spain): Biodiversity and Ecological Study over a Decade
by Miquel Pontes, Enric Madrenas, Arnau Garcia-Tort, Olga Espada and Manuel Ballesteros
Diversity 2025, 17(9), 606; https://doi.org/10.3390/d17090606 - 28 Aug 2025
Viewed by 1457
Abstract
The Mediterranean Sea faces escalating environmental pressures from the unsustainable exploitation of resources and insufficient management. Marine protected areas (MPAs), such as the Parc Natural del Montgrí, les Illes Medes i el Baix Ter (PNMMBT) on Spain’s Costa Brava, serve as critical refuges [...] Read more.
The Mediterranean Sea faces escalating environmental pressures from the unsustainable exploitation of resources and insufficient management. Marine protected areas (MPAs), such as the Parc Natural del Montgrí, les Illes Medes i el Baix Ter (PNMMBT) on Spain’s Costa Brava, serve as critical refuges for biodiversity conservation. Between 2010 and 2019, we conducted systematic visual surveys of sea slugs (Mollusca: Heterobranchia) within the PNMMBT, documenting 8289 individuals representing 98 species: 76 Nudibranchia, 10 Sacoglossa, 5 Aplysiida, 3 Pleurobranchida, 2 Umbraculida, 1 Runcinida, and 1 Cephalaspidea. Temporal, spatial, and bathymetric distribution analyses revealed a steady increase in species richness over time, suggesting the MPA’s ecosystems appear to remain in relatively good condition. To further refine our assessment, we incorporated citizen science records from the MINKA platform, expanding the documented diversity to 141 species including 99 Nudibranchia, 12 Sacoglossa, 5 Aplysiida, 6 Pleurobranchida, 2 Umbraculida, 4 Runcinida, 10 Cephalaspidea, 1 Acteonimorpha, 1 Pteropoda, and 1 Ringiculimorpha. This integrated approach highlights the value and complementarity of structured scientific surveys and community-contributed data in biodiversity monitoring. Citizen science fosters public engagement in research and provides scalable, cost-effective data that would otherwise be logistically unfeasible to obtain. By bridging these methodologies, we demonstrate how participatory science enhances the detection of species distributions, tracks ecological shifts, and bolsters conservation strategies in the current era of global biodiversity decline. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity, 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

15 pages, 2466 KB  
Article
Morphological Profile and Seed Yield Ability of Polignano and Tiggiano Carrot Landraces: Steps Toward Registration as Conservation Varieties
by Rita Annunziata Accogli, Eugenio Cazzato, Dalila Bellomo, Pietro Santamaria and Massimiliano Renna
Horticulturae 2025, 11(2), 199; https://doi.org/10.3390/horticulturae11020199 - 13 Feb 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1346
Abstract
Several Apulian (Southern Italy) vegetable landraces are considered at risk of genetic erosion, constituting an issue for the loss of important genetic traits. ‘Tiggiano’ and ‘Polignano’ carrots are two Apulian landraces, noteworthy for their historical, cultural, and agricultural significance. In this research, both [...] Read more.
Several Apulian (Southern Italy) vegetable landraces are considered at risk of genetic erosion, constituting an issue for the loss of important genetic traits. ‘Tiggiano’ and ‘Polignano’ carrots are two Apulian landraces, noteworthy for their historical, cultural, and agricultural significance. In this research, both the morphological traits and seed yield ability of these landraces were evaluated, aiming to potentially register them for seed commercialization as a tool of valorization. The data of morphological traits according to the ‘International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants’ guideline evidenced a clear distinction between the two landraces. However, the great variability observed in certain characters represents an obstacle to their registration in the national variety register, except for the Conservation Varieties one. ‘Polignano’ and ‘Tiggiano’ carrots showed an average seed yield of about 63 and 106 g/plant, equating to about 1258 and 2116 kg/ha. Average seed germination rates were 79.7 and 85.8%, respectively, for ‘Polignano’ and ‘Tiggiano’ carrots. In conclusion, registering these local varieties as Conservation Varieties could enhance their appreciation, encourage sustainable cultivation, and help mitigate genetic erosion while boosting their economic and cultural value. Full article
(This article belongs to the Topic Mediterranean Biodiversity, 2nd Edition)
Show Figures

Graphical abstract

Back to TopTop