About this Research Topic

Background

The Equidae, which includes horses, zebras, and asses, was once a diverse family with multiple genera. Currently, the family is limited to a single genus of Equus, with six of seven extant wild species being threatened with extinction and requiring conservation efforts. In contrast, feral members of the horse family, with a long history of use by humans, are often invasive species and pose a significant challenge to ecosystem management. Despite the low species diversity in the family, the equids still play a vital ecological role, particularly in grassland and steppe ecosystems. To ensure the long-term survival and sustainability of equid populations and their habitats, it is crucial to clearly understand their specific habitat requirements and recognize their role in shaping ecological communities.

Habitat requirements refer to the physical and biological features necessary for a species to survive and reproduce, while conservation efforts focus on protecting and restoring critical habitats. Effective management practices must balance the needs of populations with the broader ecosystem and consider factors such as resource availability and the presence of other species. How would equid populations, which mostly require active management to stay in a sustainable condition, benefit from advances in habitat studies?

Our Research Topic aims to collect studies investigating the interaction between equids and their habitat and the implication of such relationships in the conservation and management of populations. We encourage submissions of original manuscripts, reviews, and perspectives that evaluate various aspects of animal and habitat relationships, including patterns of movement, space use, and resource selection, the interaction between animals and different elements of their habitats, and the impact of animals on the ecosystem (including plants, other animal species, and human communities). We welcome submissions that provide science-based conservation and management applications and suggestions to support better protection of equid populations and their habitats.

The third international Wild Equids Conference will be held in April 2025, where the editors plan to propose a symposium based on this Research Topic. We encourage authors to submit their manuscripts by June 1, 2024, if they seek to participate in the symposium.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• ... View all formats

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Brief Research Report
• Data Report
• Editorial
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Registered Report
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: Equidae, Equus, habitat selection, grasslands, steppe, arid ecosystems, horse, zebra, burro, ass, scientific-based conservation, population management

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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