The global karst area is approximately 22 million km², with about 5.1 million km² being exposed. This exposed karst area is mainly distributed in the East Asian Karst Region, the Mediterranean Rim Karst Region in Europe, and the Eastern Karst Region of the United States. Karst habitats are notably complex and diverse, harboring unique plant species and extremely high biodiversity. Studying the genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity of karst plants is essential for the protection of endemic and rare species. Over prolonged geological evolution, karst plants have developed distinctive traits like lithophyly, xerophyly, and high calcium tolerance, along with adaptive strategies such as high photosynthetic efficiency, nitrogen assimilation, and diversified water metabolism. Additionally, karst plants enhance soil and water conservation through their robust root systems, which are vital for ecosystem stability under human impact and controlling rocky desertification.

Current research on karst plants mostly focuses on species diversity, while paying insufficient attention to genetic diversity and functional diversity of plants. The evolutionary pathways and adaptive traits under specific habitats, especially in the context of geological history, remain under-researched. Moreover, there are technical limitations in studying the ecological functions of plant roots in karst ecosystems, resulting in discrepancies between research findings and actual conditions. Future studies should aim to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration, refine methodologies, and advance technical capabilities to deepen understanding of their diversity, evolution, and ecological functions.

In this Research Topic, we welcome all article types published by Frontiers in Plant Science that dissect the diversity, evolution and ecological functions of karst plant especially those that focus on:

• Genetic diversity, functional diversity and ecosystem diversity of karst plants under the influence of human activities.
• Evolution of functional traits of karst plants and their utilization strategies of water, nutrients, etc.
• Diversity, spatial distribution of karst species and their association with heterogeneous habitats.
• Synergistic relationship between the underground and above-ground processes of karst plant roots.
• Cascade effect of karst plant-soil multi-trophic levels and its ecological functions.
• Karst economic plants (medicinal plants, fruit trees, etc.) and endangered plants, etc.
• Other studies related to karst plants.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Plants in Karst Degraded Habitats: Diversity, Evolution, and Ecological Functions