Vegetation Spatial Dynamics and Plant Diversity Trends of Natural and Urban Landscapes

A special issue of Land (ISSN 2073-445X). This special issue belongs to the section "Land Systems and Global Change".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1529

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
National Research Council of Italy, Institute of Atmospheric Pollution Research (CNR-IIA), c/o Interateneo Physics Department, Via Amendola 173, 70126 Bari, Italy
Interests: vegetation ecology; invasive alien species; plant conservation; phytosociology; plant taxonomy; floristic studies; botanical nomenclature; habitat monitoring
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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

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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
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Guest Editor
Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, University of Malta, MSD 2080 Msida, Malta
Interests: environmental impact assessment; environmental management,ecology; climate change; seed germination; vegetation; taxonomy; conservation; species diversity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Understanding the dynamics of vegetation and plant diversity trends is crucial amidst rapid urbanization and environmental change. As environments are modified and fragmented due to several drivers (e.g., urban expansion, climate change, invasive alien species), it is fundamental to comprehend how flora, vegetation and habitats respond to preserve environmental quality. In the context of global environmental changes, it is significant to analyze these fluctuations in their current state and across different spatial and temporal scales. Detecting changes and understanding the dynamics of vegetation cover is a major research challenge for contemporary societies. Improving knowledge about changes in vegetation cover in the landscape will allow territorial managers and political authorities to identify more rational and appropriate management methods.

The goal of this Special Issue is to collect papers (original research articles and review papers) to give insights into vegetation science, land use change and plant diversity analysis of specific case studies that cover different territories and spatial and temporal scales.

This Special Issue will welcome manuscripts that link (but are not limited to) the following themes:

  • Vegetation ecology;
  • Plant diversity;
  • Geobotany surveys;
  • Urban management;
  • Landscape panning;
  • Invasive plants;
  • Climate change effects on vegetation;
  • Habitat changes;
  • Mapping habitats.

We look forward to receiving your original research articles and reviews.

Dr. Gianmarco Tavilla
Dr. Mauro André Maurício Raposo
Prof. Dr. Carlos José Pinto Gomes
Dr. Sandro Lanfranco
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • climate changes
  • phytosociology
  • geobotany
  • vascular flora
  • plant chorology
  • plant biodiversity
  • alpha diversity
  • vegetation
  • invasive alien species
  • ecological data analysis

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

22 pages, 11906 KiB  
Article
Phytosociological Investigations on the Afroalpine Vegetation of the Ruwenzori Mountains (Uganda)
by Salvatore Cambria, Pietro Minissale and Gianmarco Tavilla
Land 2024, 13(11), 1752; https://doi.org/10.3390/land13111752 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 618
Abstract
This paper presents the results of a phytosociological study on the Afroalpine vegetation of the Ruwenzori Mountains, one of the most prominent mountain ranges in Africa. This study marks the pioneering comprehensive investigation into the plant communities of this region, which holds significant [...] Read more.
This paper presents the results of a phytosociological study on the Afroalpine vegetation of the Ruwenzori Mountains, one of the most prominent mountain ranges in Africa. This study marks the pioneering comprehensive investigation into the plant communities of this region, which holds significant phytogeographic importance. Through statistical analyses, eight distinct plant communities, three new alliances, two new orders, and one new class were identified within the altitudinal range of 3500 to 4600 m above sea level. These communities are well-defined from both floristic and ecological perspectives. Hierarchical classification was conducted using the quantitative Sørensen (Bray-Curtis) distance measure and the beta flexible linkage method. Furthermore, indicator species for each group were determined by calculating fidelity and constancy (occurrence frequency) within the classified dataset. To assess the validity of the classification results, non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) was carried out. These analyses provide the first phytosociological arrangement of the Afroalpine vegetation of the Ruwenzori Mountains, providing a solid framework and valuable insights into its floristic and ecological characteristics. Full article
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