About this Research Topic

Background

Aquatic plants are important ecological components of rivers, lakes, wetlands and coastal to marine environments. They create habitats ranging from seagrass meadows and mangrove forests to free-floating communities in freshwater ponds and lakes. These valuable ecosystem service providers play a major role in the structure and functioning of these environments. For example, they provide food and cover for fish and aquatic invertebrates, help oxygenate the water, moderate nutrient enrichment, and limit erosion. There exists widespread evidence of the global loss and degradation of these systems and an urgent need to halt this loss, necessitating research into the conservation ecology of these species. Water quality, land use change, coastal squeeze and a range of other localised stressors are putting their future viability in doubt. It is therefore critical that we learn more about the interactions between aquatic plants and future global change. Conservation management of environments now and in the future requires increased knowledge of how aquatic plants respond to anthropogenic change, and how they can be managed to be resilient to these changes. This research topic will bring together these themes to aid knowledge development that transcends disciplines, environments, habitats and species. The research topic will encourage submissions on applied as well as theoretical content and embrace inter-disciplinarity.

In this Research Topic we seek to build a collection of articles addressing how aquatic plants respond to their physical and biological environment and the factors influencing their loss and recovery. This includes focus on how top-down and bottom up processes interact to control aquatic plant communities. This is particularly with respect to biodiversity-ecosystem functioning and what aspects and traits of the communities facilitate ecosystem resilience and how these changes influence ecosystem service delivery (e.g. Blue Carbon, fisheries productivity).
This research topic will include submissions on reproduction, connectivity and dispersal with respect to their implications for conservation biology. It will also include submissions on the floral-faunal interactions. We also welcome submissions that relate to indicators and thresholds relevant to ecological assessment and conservation management of these systems. Importantly, aquatic plants are part of linked social-ecological systems and as such their conservation management is as much about understanding human-environment relationships. We therefore encourage interdisciplinary submissions at the edges of conservation biology and socio-economics.

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.

Frequently asked questions

• What is a Research Topic?

  Frontiers' Research Topics are collaborative hubs built around an emerging theme.Defined, managed, and led by renowned researchers, they bring communities together around a shared area of interest to stimulate collaboration and innovation.

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  Research Topics originate from the scientific community. Many of our Research Topics are suggested by existing editorial board members who have identified critical challenges or areas of interest in their field.

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    In 2023, 80% of the Research Topics we published were edited or co-edited by our editorial board members, who are already familiar with their journal's scope, ethos, and publishing model. All other topics are guest edited by leaders in their field, each vetted and formally approved by the specialty chief editor.

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  Our larger Research Topics are also converted into ebooks and receive social media promotion from our digital marketing team.

   
• What types of articles can be published in a Research Topic?

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  As a topic editor (TE), you will take the lead on all editorial decisions for the Research Topic, starting with defining its scope. This allows you to curate research around a topic that interests you, bring together different perspectives from leading researchers across different fields and shape the future of your field. 

   

  You will choose your team of co-editors, curate a list of potential authors, send calls for participation and oversee the peer review process, accepting or recommending rejection for each manuscript submitted.

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  If you’re an early-stage researcher, we will offer you the opportunity to coordinate your topic, with the support of a senior researcher as the topic editor. This provides you with valuable editorial experience, improving your ability to critically evaluate research articles and enhancing your understanding of the quality standards and requirements for scientific publishing, as well as the opportunity to discover new research in your field, and expand your professional network.

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  Yes, certificates can be issued on request. We are happy to provide a certificate for your contribution to editing a successful Research Topic.

• Who will I collaborate with?

  Research Topics thrive on collaboration and their multi-disciplinary approach around emerging, cutting-edge themes, attract leading researchers from all over the world.

• How long does it take to publish a Research Topic?

  As a topic editor, you can set the timeline for your Research Topic, and we will work with you at your pace. Typically, Research Topics are online and open for submissions within a few weeks and remain open for participation for 6 – 12 months. Individual articles within a Research Topic are published as soon as they are ready.

  Find out more about our Research Topics

• What fee support is available to authors publishing in a Research Topic?

  Our fee support program ensures that all articles that pass peer review, including those published in Research Topics, can benefit from open access – regardless of the author's field or funding situation.

  Authors and institutions with insufficient funding can apply for a discount on their publishing fees. A fee support application form is available on our website.

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