Water-Related Ecosystems in Drylands: Water Dynamics, Carbon Storage and Resilience to Climate Change and Human Actions

Water-related ecosystems (WRE) are well known to provide many economic, social and environmental functions and have considerable value, particularly in drylands. They play a great role in water resources management and drinking water supply. However, they are increasingly being affected by human activities and climate change, leading to severe water scarcity in rivers and loss in natural wetlands. This was surely the main justification for the SDG target 6.6 which aims to protect and restore these ecosystems. Investigating the responses of water-related ecosystems to climate change, particularly the increase in the frequency, severity, and extent of drought, will enhance the adaptation strategies and facilitate the decision-making processes at national levels.

Submissions are expected to address, but not limited to, the following questions:
• What is the current status of water dynamics and carbon storage in WRE?
• How does remote sensing contribute to filling the data gaps for monitoring these ecosystems?
• How are ecosystem process models used to inform on WRE functioning?
• What are the responses of WRE to anthropic actions and climate change?

In general, we hope that this Research Topic will allow to have an overall view of monitoring efforts done so far toward the achievement of the SDG target 6.6.

In this Research Topic, we welcome Original Research articles, Short Communications and Review papers studying WRE in terrestrial environments, including wetlands, swamps, bogs, and marshes, and the margins of streams, rivers, lakes, estuaries and mangroves. In particular, submissions about in situ monitoring of water quality and quantity, productivity and diversity, remote sensing-based mapping and monitoring, carbon sequestration, water use efficiency, ecological restoration and ecosystem responses to climate change are encouraged.

Article types and fees

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

• Brief Research Report
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• ... 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
• Community Case Study
• Conceptual Analysis
• Data Report
• Editorial
• FAIR² Data
• FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Policy and Practice Reviews
• Policy Brief
• Review
• Systematic Review
• Technology and Code

Keywords: water, carbon stock, ecosystem fluxes, climate change, drylands

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.