Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
6.5
4.0
Journals
Plants
Special Issues
Plant-Environment Interactions: Responses to Climate Change and Global Challenges
share announcement

Plant-Environment Interactions: Responses to Climate Change and Global Challenges

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Protection and Biotic Interactions".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 May 2024) | Viewed by 4692

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Mohamed El Yamani

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Laboratory of Applied Sciences for the Environment and Sustainable Development, Cadi Ayyad University, Marrakesh, Morocco
Interests: environmental science; agricultural plant science; plant physiology; environmental stresses; food science
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. James A. Bunce

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Adaptive Cropping Systems Laboratory, Beltsville Agricultural Research Center, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
Interests: photosynthesis; plant–water relations; climate change; elevated CO2; water stress; high-temperature stress; plant adaptation to environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Many recent studies have forecasted that climate change and global warming could cause the extinction of up 50% of the planet's plant species by the end of the century. Such a scenario would certainly have disastrous impacts on humanity as a whole, considering the fundamental role that plants play in the functioning of life on Earth. Indeed, plants greatly affect the overall richness of biodiversity and ecosystems, as they shape natural habitats and define the physical environments in which all other species exist.

Plant–environment interactions cover dynamic exchanges occurring between plants and their physical, chemical and biological environment, including biotic and abiotic elements and other factors related to climatic conditions, environmental stresses, biogeochemical cycles, human influences and evolutionary adaptations. Nevertheless, climate change (changes in temperature, precipitation and atmospheric composition, alongside other variables) exerts significant and complex effects on such interactions. Changes in the conditions of plant growth, development and survival are, therefore, expected, as are later shifts in the behavior and allocation of plant species and ecosystems. This Special Issue will focus on exploring the responses of plant species, especially plant–environment interactions, to climate change factors and global challenges, which could help researchers to develop appropriate management strategies.

Prof. Dr. Mohamed El Yamani
Dr. James A. Bunce
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.

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.

Published Papers (3 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

24 pages, 5641 KiB  
Article
Impacts of Climate Change on the Distribution of Suitable Habitats and Ecological Niche for Trollius Wildflowers in Ili River Valley, Tacheng, Altay Prefecture
by Wenhao Fan and Yanyun Luo
Plants 2024, 13(13), 1752; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131752 - 25 Jun 2024
Viewed by 1015
Abstract
Xinjiang in China is distinguished by its distinctive regional landscape and high ecological sensitivity. Trollius wildflowers represent a unique and iconic element of the mountain flower landscape in Xinjiang. However, their populations are predominantly distributed in mountainous areas, making them susceptible to climate [...] Read more.
Xinjiang in China is distinguished by its distinctive regional landscape and high ecological sensitivity. Trollius wildflowers represent a unique and iconic element of the mountain flower landscape in Xinjiang. However, their populations are predominantly distributed in mountainous areas, making them susceptible to climate change. Despite this, the impacts of climate change on the distribution of suitable habitats and ecological niche differentiation for Trollius wildflowers have rarely been quantified. Consequently, simulations were conducted using the R-optimized MaxEnt model to predict the suitable habitat distribution of Trollius wildflowers. This was based on the occurrence data and environmental variables for the four species of Trollius (T. altaicus, T. asiaticus, T. dschungaricus, and T. lilacinus) that exist in the study area. The simulation was conducted over a period of time, beginning with the past glacial period and extending to the present, and then to the future (2050s, 2070s, and 2090s) under multiple scenarios (SSP1-2.6, SSP3-7.0, SSP5-8.5). The simulation of suitable habitats enabled the measurement of the ecological niche breadth and differentiation. The results demonstrate that the model predictions are precisely accurate, with AUC values exceeding 0.9. Annual mean temperature (Bio1), isothermality (Bio3), and precipitation in the warmest quarter (Bio18) are the dominant climate variables, in addition to vegetation, elevation, and soil factors. The proportion of suitable habitats for Trollius wildflowers varies considerably over time, from 0.14% to 70.97%. The majority of habitat loss or gain occurs at the edges of mountains, while stable habitats are concentrated in the core of the mountains. The gravity center of suitable habitats also shifts with spatial transfer, with the shifts mainly occurring in a northeasterly–southwesterly direction. The SSP1-2.6 scenario results in the sustained maintenance of habitats, whereas the SSP3-7.0 and SSP5-8.5 scenarios present challenges to the conservation of habitats. The threshold of ecological niche breadth for Trollius wildflowers is subject to fluctuations, while the ecological niche differentiation also varies. The study aims to examine the evolution of the habitat and ecological niche of Trollius wildflowers in Xinjiang under climate change. The findings will provide theoretical support for delineating the conservation area, clarify the scope of mountain flower tourism development and protection of mountain flower resources, and promote the sustainable development of ecotourism and effective utilization of territorial space in Xinjiang. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Environment Interactions: Responses to Climate Change and Global Challenges)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

17 pages, 3744 KiB  
Article
Salt Water Exposure Exacerbates the Negative Response of Phragmites australis Haplotypes to Sea-Level Rise
by Austin Lynn and Tracy Elsey-Quirk
Plants 2024, 13(6), 906; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13060906 - 21 Mar 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1254
Abstract
The response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise (SLR) largely depends on the tolerance of individual plant species to inundation stress and, in brackish and freshwater wetlands, exposure to higher salinities. Phragmites australis is a cosmopolitan wetland reed that grows in saline to [...] Read more.
The response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise (SLR) largely depends on the tolerance of individual plant species to inundation stress and, in brackish and freshwater wetlands, exposure to higher salinities. Phragmites australis is a cosmopolitan wetland reed that grows in saline to freshwater marshes. P. australis has many genetically distinct haplotypes, some of which are invasive and the focus of considerable research and management. However, the relative response of P. australis haplotypes to SLR is not well known, despite the importance of predicting future distribution changes and understanding its role in marsh response and resilience to SLR. Here, we use a marsh organ experiment to test how factors associated with sea level rise—inundation and seawater exposure—affect the porewater chemistry and growth response of three P. australis haplotypes along the northern Gulf of Mexico coast. We planted three P. australis lineages (Delta, European, and Gulf) into marsh organs at five different elevations in channels at two locations, representing a low (Mississippi River Birdsfoot delta; 0–13 ppt) and high exposure to salinity (Mermentau basin; 6–18 ppt) for two growing seasons. Haplotypes responded differently to flooding and site conditions; the Delta haplotype was more resilient to high salinity, while the Gulf type was less susceptible to flood stress in the freshwater site. Survivorship across haplotypes after two growing seasons was 42% lower at the brackish site than at the freshwater site, associated with high salinity and sulfide concentrations. Flooding greater than 19% of the time led to lower survival across both sites linked to high concentrations of acetic acid in the porewater. Increased flood duration was negatively correlated with live aboveground biomass in the high-salinity site (χ2 = 10.37, p = 0.001), while no such relationship was detected in the low-salinity site, indicating that flood tolerance is greater under freshwater conditions. These results show that the vulnerability of all haplotypes of P. australis to rising sea levels depends on exposure to saline water and that a combination of flooding and salinity may help control invasive haplotypes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Environment Interactions: Responses to Climate Change and Global Challenges)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

31 pages, 2749 KiB  
Review
Tolerance Mechanisms of Olive Tree (Olea europaea) under Saline Conditions
by Mohamed El Yamani and María del Pilar Cordovilla
Plants 2024, 13(15), 2094; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13152094 - 29 Jul 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1416
Abstract
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is an evergreen tree that occupies 19% of the woody crop area and is cultivated in 67 countries on five continents. The largest olive production region is concentrated in the Mediterranean basin, where the olive tree [...] Read more.
The olive tree (Olea europaea L.) is an evergreen tree that occupies 19% of the woody crop area and is cultivated in 67 countries on five continents. The largest olive production region is concentrated in the Mediterranean basin, where the olive tree has had an enormous economic, cultural, and environmental impact since the 7th century BC. In the Mediterranean region, salinity stands out as one of the main abiotic stress factors significantly affecting agricultural production. Moreover, climate change is expected to lead to increased salinization in this region, threatening olive productivity. Salt stress causes combined damage by osmotic stress and ionic toxicity, restricting olive growth and interfering with multiple metabolic processes. A large variability in salinity tolerance among olive cultivars has been described. This paper aims to synthesize information from the published literature on olive adaptations to salt stress and its importance in salinity tolerance. The morphological, physiological, biochemical, and molecular mechanisms of olive tolerance to salt stress are reviewed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Plant-Environment Interactions: Responses to Climate Change and Global Challenges)
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-3
Back to TopTop