Vulnerability and Conservation of Freshwater Biodiversity
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: closed (31 May 2022) | Viewed by 4115
Special Issue Editors
Interests: freshwater ecology; spatial ecology; empirical modelling; landscape connectivity; multiple stressors; ecosystem quality assessment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: riparian forests; macrophytes; ecosystem services; biogeography; functional ecology; adaptation to climate change; effects of land-use and stream flow regulation; indicators of ecological quality; weeds; invasive alien plants
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: freshwater and coastal fish; birds; alien species; aquatic ecosystem management and restoration; river bioassessment and biodiversity monitoring; vegetation and landscape ecology; conservation and protected areas
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Freshwater ecosystems—rivers, streams, lakes, ponds, and wetlands—are simultaneously hotspots of biodiversity and endangerment. Presently, general population trends of freshwater species show declines by far exceeding those of terrestrial species. The loss of freshwater species is often irreplaceable, due to a high degree of endemicity induced by isolation among basins. Aquatic flora (e.g., macrophytes, bryophytes, algae) and fauna (e.g., fish, invertebrates, amphibians) are affected by pollution, fragmentation, overexploration, invasive species. and by the ongoing climate change, among other stressors. The chief goals of conservation policies involve long-term protection of the least disturbed ecosystems and restoration of degraded ecosystems to healthier states. Networks of protected areas have focused on the terrestrial realm, largely failing to adequately represent the conservation needs of freshwater species. In addition, efforts to implement effective management of freshwater ecosystems have so far been very limited due to the complex interplay of a multitude of stressors. Acknowledging these important research topics, in this Special Issue we propose to improve knowledge to assess the vulnerability and optimize protection of aquatic systems from biodiversity loss. Studies focused on aquatic flora and fauna with special emphasis on the funcional component of biodiversity, habitat connectivity, invasive species, and global changes are especially welcome.
Dr. Pedro Segurado
Prof. Dr. Francisca Aguiar
Dr. Stamatis Zogaris
Guest Editors
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. 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
- aquatic flora
- aquatic fauna
- biodiversity
- climate change
- connectivity
- ecosystem vulnerability
- functional diversity
- management
- protected areas
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.
- e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.
Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.
