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Special Collection of papers in Vegetation Ecology and Diversity for the 33rd European Vegetation Survey (EVS)

This Collection of articles is featured, but not limited, to researches presented in the 33rd European Vegetation Survey (EVS) conference held in Perugia from April 28th – May 2nd 2025. Authors whose studies deal with diversity, dynamics, conservation, and restoration of European vegetation are invited to submit their articles to this dedicated Collection on Vegetation Ecology and Diversity journal.

Deadline: December 15th 2025

Special Collection of papers in Vegetation Ecology and Diversity for the 33rd European Vegetation Survey (EVS)

This Collection of articles is featured, but not limited, to researches presented in the 33rd European Vegetation Survey (EVS) conference held in Perugia from April 28th – May 2nd 2025. Auth ...

Trait-based ecology focuses on plant acclimation and adaptation strategies to their growth environment by analysing trait distributions along environmental gradients at multiple spatial scales and levels of biological organization, providing general rules matching trait patterns to environmental conditions. By crossing taxonomic boundaries, trait-based ecology provides a powerful framework to generalize ecological patterns and processes including species sorting along environmental gradients, community assembly, and ecosystem functioning. These insights can provide predictive expectations about how vegetation might respond to environmental changes, an urgent concern for plants in the Anthropocene. However, interpreting patterns and processes emerging from trait-based approaches ultimately requires knowledge of the species under examination, resulting in an entanglement with vegetation ecology. This Topical Collection aims to bridge vegetation- and trait-based ecology by welcoming studies investigating trait-based patterns and processes using conceptual and methodological frameworks pertinent to vegetation ecology. Finally, we envision a Topical collection that can provide a hub for developing a comprehensive understanding of plant diversity at multiple spatial scales and levels of biological organization. For this reason, we encourage submissions exploring trade-offs in species' ecological strategies and their variability from species to communities, as well as new conceptual and methodological frameworks proposing new ways forward for bridging vegetation- and trait-based ecology. Contributions examining the effects of conservation and restoration practices on species, communities, and ecosystems are also welcome, as they offer valuable insights for advancing biodiversity protection in natural, and semi-natural ecosystems.

Trait-based ecology focuses on plant acclimation and adaptation strategies to their growth environment by analysing trait distributions along environmental gradients at multiple spatial scales and levels of biological organization, providing general rules matching trait patterns to environmental con ...

In the era of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to achieve universal benefits with the motto "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND," it is crucial for plant scientists to bridge the existing knowledge gaps in habitats and associated species distribution. In this context, the Habitats Directive (European Directive 92/43/EEC) stands as one of the most comprehensive tools for the management and conservation of our natural legacy.

Building on the substantial progress made over the past half-decade in the implementation of the Habitats Directive by the journal Plant Sociology, this Topical Collection intends to establish a repository for even more significant and synergistic efforts in the future. It emphasizes enhanced collaboration from plant scientists across EU Member States, ensuring a wider and more collective approach to conservation efforts.

With this Topical Collection, our goal is to dedicate the remaining half-decade until 2030—a pivotal new milestone for the future of our planet—towards establishing a scientific platform dedicated to a series of articles concerning the Habitats Directive, with a particular focus on the distribution and monitoring of Annex I habitats.

The Topical Collection will include "New Habitat Records," following the style and content of the already published contributions. For a model and the data sources, see Annex I in the paper https://doi.org/10.7338/pls2019561/04.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here.

In the era of the Sustainable Development Goals, which aim to achieve universal benefits with the motto "NO ONE LEFT BEHIND," it is crucial for plant scientists to bridge the existing knowledge gaps in habitats and associated species distribution. In this context, the Habitats Directive (European Di ...

Vegetation classification is the process of organizing plant communities into categories based on shared characteristics such as species composition, structure, functional traits, and ecological functions. The classification of vegetation types helps to identify patterns, relationships, and the underlying processes that shape plant community distributions across different landscapes.  Vegetation is typically classified into various levels, ranging from broad types (like forests, grasslands, wetlands, phytosociological classes or orders) to more specific types (like beech forests, peat bogs, phytosociological alliances or associations).  

The value of vegetation classification has grown significantly in recent years due to the increasing urgency of environmental challenges. Vegetation classification plays a crucial role for basic and applied research in the context of ecological studies, conservation efforts as well as for environmental management. As ecosystems face threats from climate change, deforestation, and urbanization, understanding the composition and ecology of different vegetation types is crucial for monitoring biodiversity and ecosystem stability, for guiding ecological restoration projects and for selecting the types of vegetation that can thrive in degraded areas.

This Topical Collection invites contributions that explore all aspects of vegetation classification in the context of different terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, in a specific region or across different regions or time periods. These may include studies on the description and classification of vegetation types dominated by or co-dominated both by native and alien plants, including information about their indicator species and ecological features. Furthermore, the collection encompasses both classical and numeral approach to vegetation classification, but also a vegetation classification that define vegetation types using also functional traits and ecological indices/data linked to the role that different species play within a community. Finally, contributions are welcomed that establish formalized standard procedures with the aim of promoting methodological standardization in classification.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here.

Vegetation classification is the process of organizing plant communities into categories based on shared characteristics such as species composition, structure, functional traits, and ecological functions. The classification of vegetation types helps to identify patterns, relationships, and the unde ...

Vegetation databases are enhanced collections of several hundred or even thousands of vegetation plots (phytosociological relevés). In many cases, these plots originate from small-scale studies or derive from unpublished projects or theses and they are focused on restricted areas; however, the accumulation of such data over time has often resulted in extensive coverage. This data has long-term applications, and its breadth can offer new perspectives or reveal more complex relationships and processes within ecosystems compared to the original studies. The primary motivation behind creating a database is to better understand vegetation variation along geographical and ecological gradients or to document vegetation changes due to specific treatments or natural events. Once created, a larger database can address more complex, in-depth, or multidisciplinary research questions. Compiling a database is a challenging task. It requires standardizing species and syntaxon names across all surveys, determining geographic coordinates, and sometimes adding new information (such as bedrock type, soil type, climate, and management practices). To recognize these efforts, the journal is launching this Topical Collection of papers describing new databases, thematic datasets, or significant upgrades of existing ones. The aim is to increase data accessibility and to encourage data exchange among scientists across broader areas and research fields.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here.

Vegetation databases are enhanced collections of several hundred or even thousands of vegetation plots (phytosociological relevés). In many cases, these plots originate from small-scale studies or derive from unpublished projects or theses and they are focused on restricted areas; however, the accum ...

Remote sensing is a powerful and versatile technology that involves the acquisition of information about the Earth's surface, utilizing various platforms such as satellites, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A variety of sensors capture data across different spectral bands, enabling detailed observation and analysis of terrestrial ecosystems. This technology has revolutionized the field of vegetation ecology by providing the means to monitor, analyze, and manage vegetation across large spatial scales with unprecedented accuracy and efficiency. One of the main advantages of remote sensing in vegetation studies is its ability to collect information over extensive areas that are often inaccessible or impractical to survey through traditional field methods. This capability is particularly crucial for large-scale ecological studies, change detection, habitat mapping, and monitoring biodiversity. Remote sensing technology also offers high temporal resolution, allowing for continuous and repeatable observations that are essential for tracking changes in vegetation dynamics over time. Furthermore, image processing techniques enable the integration of multi-spectral and hyper-spectral data, which can reveal detailed information about vegetation health, species composition, and ecological processes. This Topical Collection aims to compile cutting-edge research that leverages remote sensing for vegetation ecology. We invite contributions that focus on recent methods for vegetation classification, vegetation mapping of habitats, and advancements in phytosociology enhanced by remote sensing techniques. Additionally, studies that employ both satellite and UAV imagery to develop innovative methods and applications in vegetation analysis are highly encouraged. Through this collection of papers, we hope to showcase the latest advancements in remote sensing technology and its transformative impact on the study and management of vegetation.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here.  

Remote sensing is a powerful and versatile technology that involves the acquisition of information about the Earth's surface, utilizing various platforms such as satellites, aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). A variety of sensors capture data across different spectral bands, enabling det ...

Biological invasions are widely recognized as an important component of human-induced global environmental change, and invasive alien species (IAS) have been listed among the causes of habitat decline and loss. Vascular plants are one of the most investigated taxonomic groups in the field of invasive biology. However, their patterns and co-occurrence dynamics have only recently come into the spotlight, along with the factors driving alien plant assemblages. The abundance and dominance of alien species seem to have a more relevant influence on plant communities than the number of alien species, and some authors have started to qualify and quantify the role of alien species in different vegetation and habitat types.

However, to date, studies specifically investigating alien-dominated plant communities are limited, while the majority are still mostly focused on natural and semi-natural phytocoenoses with few or no aliens.

This Topical Collection welcomes studies dealing with all aspects of alien plant species occurrence at the community level, such as the description and classification of vegetation types dominated or co-dominated by alien plants, studies on ecological processes involving alien species, investigations into the functional role of alien species in the communities, assessment of the impacts (positive, neutral, or negative) that alien species can have on other components of biodiversity (e.g., pollinators), and contributions analyzing threats from alien species to the conservation of relevant vegetation and habitat types. Furthermore, the first checklist of alien-dominated vegetation in Italy, published in 2020, can be implemented and updated.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here.

Biological invasions are widely recognized as an important component of human-induced global environmental change, and invasive alien species (IAS) have been listed among the causes of habitat decline and loss. Vascular plants are one of the most investigated taxonomic groups in the field of invasiv ...

"Biodiversity Management and Conservation" is the name of the international seminar that has been organised every year since 2007 in several European countries by the local hosting universities with the aim of creating relationships and debates between junior and senior researchers on this increasingly pressing topic. The 14th edition in 2022 was held in Serra San Bruno (Vibo Valentia, Italy) and had the specific theme 'Biodiversity and sustainability: two important keywords for the future'. On this occasion, the Guest Editors proposed to the journal to open a topical collection that would host not only some of the papers presented in that and other editions of the International Seminar, but also the works of other authors dealing with the same topics. The recurring themes of the International Seminar always include a) phytosociology; b) vegetation and habitat survey for biodiversity conservation; c) protected areas for the future of biodiversity management and conservation; d) tools and ecosystem services for biodiversity management. Other topics of interest for the topical collection include plant ecophysiology, environmental education, science teaching, and new perspectives on wild plants for medicinal and food purposes, all of which are related to the main theme of the topical collection and are part of the study of vegetation and understanding its dynamics.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here. 

"Biodiversity Management and Conservation" is the name of the international seminar that has been organised every year since 2007 in several European countries by the local hosting universities with the aim of creating relationships and debates between junior and senior researchers on this increasin ...

Bryophytes are a group of land plants of small size but with a large ecological impact. Although bryophytes display high species diversity, a major limitation in their use as study organisms has been the lack of basic floristic, ecological, and alpha-taxonomic knowledge in many regions. The distribution of these plants depends on the general climatic and ecological factors, and interaction with other living beings. These factors interact with each other in many ways. Humidity is one of the main drivers influencing their survival, although most of them can stand prolonged periods of drought. In fact, during periods of dryness, mosses, despite being dehydrated, maintain their vitality. The Bryophyte life cycle is slow and can last for several months and sometimes, for some species, even years. The return of water restores the normal rhythm of the plant’s life. Bryophytic vegetation is also determined by the physical and chemical characteristics of the substrate on which it lives. The physical structure of the substrate allows air circulation and water retention, which depends on its chemical nature. For all these characteristics that differentiate Bryophytes from vascular plants, they deserve in-depth dedicated studies. Precisely with this Topical collection, we aim to collect contributions that deal with these types of vegetation and their peculiar species composition and to analyze how bryophytes are affected by climate change with different responses in distribution ecology and reproductive biology. Overall we intend to increase the level of bryophytic knowledge, deepening all those aspects of bryophyte communities often neglected.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here. 

Bryophytes are a group of land plants of small size but with a large ecological impact. Although bryophytes display high species diversity, a major limitation in their use as study organisms has been the lack of basic floristic, ecological, and alpha-taxonomic knowledge in many regions. The distribu ...

European knowledge of plant communities is globally by far the most accurate thanks to the long vegetation survey tradition. This expertise translated into European policies and entailed a number of applied conservation measures. The analysis of the variability of vegetation across ecological gradients may significantly improve our understanding of vegetation dynamics, thus ameliorating the accuracy to predict the fate of ecosystems under future environmental scenarios. This Topical Collection comprises contributions dealing with vegetation types and their species composition in the Anthropocene, and studies aiming to disentangle the role of variability at different biological organization levels, from species to communities, in explaining ecological processes. Furthermore, contributions analyzing threats for the conservation of vegetation types, and of their effects, are welcome as they may contribute to make a step forward in the protection of our natural, near-natural, and cultural ecosystems that are rapidly changing.

This Topical Collection is a continuation of the one launched under the previous journal title, Plant Sociology, and the earlier publications are available here.  

European knowledge of plant communities is globally by far the most accurate thanks to the long vegetation survey tradition. This expertise translated into European policies and entailed a number of applied conservation measures. The analysis of the variability of vegetation across ecological gradie ...