Submit to Plants Review for Plants Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

Threatened Vegetation and Environmental Management

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Genetics, Genomics and Biotechnology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 15446

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Mauro André Maurício Raposo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of landscape, Environment and Planning(DPAO), University of Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho, nº 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
Interests: biogeography; flora, geobotany, landscape architecture; sustainability, vegetation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Carlos José Pinto Gomes

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Department of landscape, Environment and Planning(DPAO), University of Évora, Rua Romão Ramalho, nº 59, 7000-671 Évora, Portugal
Interests: flora; geobotany; management of natural plant heritage; natural and seminatural habitats; vegetation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Several natural and anthropic factors threaten plant communities globally, contributing to the decrease of intraspecific and interspecific diversity of natural systems. The impact of pressures on ecosystems is revealed mainly in the decrease in the area of occurrence of species, some of which present serious problems of survival and dispersion. Relic, threatened, rare, endemic or endangered plants should be the subject of in-depth studies in order to identify threats and pressures to their survival. Thus, taking into account the growing concerns about global climate-related changes and the assessment of ecosystem services, new approaches based on modern methods in field studies and computational approaches that promote rational management of natural systems are needed. With this Special Edition, we seek to generate new ideas about nature conservation, analyze concrete problems related to plant communities, discuss applied management methods and techniques, and find solutions that promote the good conservation status of species. Of particular interest are studies that integrate multiple approaches, especially when it is possible to replicate them in other biogeographic areas, and how public policies should contribute to safeguarding genetic diversity.

Dr. Mauro Raposo
Prof. Dr. Carlos Pinto-Gomes
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. Plants 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 2700 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

Plant chorology
Genetical diversity
Geobotany
Management methods
Public policies
Relict vegetation
Threatened vegetation

Published Papers (4 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

13 pages, 41265 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contribution to the Knowledge of Rocky Plant Communities of the Southwest Iberian Peninsula

by Ricardo Quinto Canas, Ana Cano-Ortiz, Giovanni Spampinato, Sara del Río, Mauro Raposo, José Carlos Piñar Fuentes and Carlos Pinto Gomes

Plants 2021, 10(8), 1590; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants10081590 - 02 Aug 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2219

Abstract

The rocky habitats of southern Portugal are ecosystems with extreme xericity conditions, associated with special abiotic strains. In these unstable ecological conditions, a considerable diversity of plant communities occurs. The objective of this study, carried out in the Algarve and Monchique, and the Mariánica Range biogeographical sectors, is to compare chasmo-chomophytic communities of the southwestern Iberian Peninsula, using a phytosociological approach (Braun–Blanquet methodology) and numerical analysis (hierarchical cluster analysis). From these results, two new communities were identified, Sanguisorbo rupicolae-Dianthetum crassipedis and Antirrhinetum onubensis, as a result of floristic and biogeographical differences from other associations already described within the alliances Rumici indurati-Dianthion lusitani and Calendulo lusitanicae-Antirrhinion linkiani, both included in the Phagnalo saxatilis-Rumicetea indurate class. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Threatened Vegetation and Environmental Management)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

141 pages, 15210 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Contribution to the Orophilous Cushion-Like Vegetation of Central-Southern and Insular Greece

by Carmelo Maria Musarella, Salvatore Brullo and Gianpietro Giusso del Galdo

Plants 2020, 9(12), 1678; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants9121678 - 30 Nov 2020

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 4027

Abstract

The results of a phytosociological investigation regarding the orophilous cushion-like vegetation occurring in the top of the high mountains of central-southern Greece and in some Ionian (Lefkas, Cephalonia) and Aegean Islands (Euboea, Samos, Lesvos, Chios and Thassos) are provided. Based on 680 phytosociological relevès (460 unpublished and 220 from literature), a new syntaxonomical arrangement is proposed with the description of a new class, including two new orders, eight new alliances, and several associations (many of them new). Compared to the previous hierarchical framework usually followed in the literature, this study provides a more realistic and clear phytosociological characterization of this peculiar and archaic vegetation type, which is exclusive to the high mountains of the north-eastern Mediterranean. The new arrangement is mainly based on the phytogeographical role of the orophytes featuring this very specialized vegetation, which is essentially represented by endemics or rare species belonging to the ancient Mediterranean Tertiary flora. In addition, taxonomic research on the orophilous flora occurring in these plant communities allowed to identify six species new to science (i.e., Astragalus corinthiacus, Allium cremnophilum, A. cylleneum, A. orosamium, A. karvounis, and A. lefkadensis) and a new subspecies (i.e., Allium hirtovaginatum subsp. samium), and two new combinations (i.e., Astragalus rumelicus subsp. euboicus and subsp. taygeticus) are proposed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Threatened Vegetation and Environmental Management)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

31 pages, 14054 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Three New Alien Taxa for Europe and a Chorological Update on the Alien Vascular Flora of Calabria (Southern Italy)

by Valentina Lucia Astrid Laface, Carmelo Maria Musarella, Ana Cano Ortiz, Ricardo Quinto Canas, Serafino Cannavò and Giovanni Spampinato

Plants 2020, 9(9), 1181; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants9091181 - 11 Sep 2020

Cited by 26 | Viewed by 4497

Abstract

Knowledge on alien species is needed nowadays to protect natural habitats and prevent ecological damage. The presence of new alien plant species in Italy is increasing every day. Calabria, its southernmost region, is not yet well known with regard to this aspect. Thanks to fieldwork, sampling, and observing many exotic plants in Calabria, here, we report new data on 34 alien taxa. In particular, we found three new taxa for Europe (Cascabela thevetia, Ipomoea setosa subsp. pavonii, and Tecoma stans), three new for Italy (Brugmansia aurea, Narcissus ‘Cotinga’, and Narcissus ‘Erlicheer’), one new one for the Italian Peninsula (Luffa aegyptiaca), and 21 new taxa for Calabria (Allium cepa, Asparagus setaceus, Bassia scoparia, Beta vulgaris subsp. vulgaris, Bidens formosa, Casuarina equisetifolia, Cedrus atlantica, Chlorophytum comosum, Cucurbita maxima subsp. maxima, Dolichandra unguis-cati, Fagopyrum esculentum, Freesia alba, Juglans regia, Kalanchoë delagoënsis, Passiflora caerulea, Portulaca grandiflora, Prunus armeniaca, Prunus dulcis, Solanum tuberosum, Tradescantia sillamontana, and Washingtonia filifera). Furthermore, we provide the first geolocalized record of Araujia sericifera, the confirmation of Oxalis stricta, and propose a change of status for four taxa (Cenchrus setaceus, Salpichroa origanifolia, Sesbania punicea, and Nothoscordum gracile) for Calabria. The updated knowledge on the presence of new alien species in Calabria, in Italy and in Europe could allow for the prevention of other new entries and to eliminate this potential ecological threat to natural habitats. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Threatened Vegetation and Environmental Management)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

15 pages, 2690 KiB

Open AccessReview

The Impact of Climate Change on Forest Development: A Sustainable Approach to Management Models Applied to Mediterranean-Type Climate Regions

by Leonel J. R. Nunes, Catarina I. R. Meireles, Carlos J. Pinto Gomes and Nuno M. C. Almeida Ribeiro

Plants 2022, 11(1), 69; https://0-doi-org.brum.beds.ac.uk/10.3390/plants11010069 - 27 Dec 2021

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 3860

Abstract

Forest ecosystems are divided into three major groups: boreal, temperate, and tropical. These can be subdivided according to the particularities of each type due to its relative location (littoral, mountain, etc.), climatic conditions, or even geological substrate. Climate change affects each type of forest ecosystem differently. However, it seems to affect temperate forests in Mediterranean-type climate regions more intensely. These regions are located over several continents, with major impacts of increased temperature during summer and decreased precipitation during winter. This situation affects Mediterranean forest ecosystems by increasing the risk of fires, which arise more frequently and are more severe. In addition, the emergence of pests and the spread of invasive species are well-known problems affecting these ecosystems. All of these conditions contribute to losses of productivity and biodiversity. To avoid the destruction of forest resources, and since Mediterranean-type climate regions are considered climate change hot spots with increased vulnerability to disturbances, the implementation of adaptive forest management models could contribute to increasing the resilience of such forests, which could also contribute to mitigating climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Threatened Vegetation and Environmental Management)

► Show Figures