Urban Biodiversity and Water Pollution Remediation Under Climate Change: Response Mechanisms and Recovery Pathways

Climate change is reshaping global ecosystems. Increasingly frequent extreme weather events are affecting species composition, distribution patterns, and watershed water quality in cities. Biological communities face not only climatic stressors but also compounding pressures from habitat fragmentation and other urbanization-induced impacts. At the same time, industrial activities that underpin modern socio-economic development generate substantial volumes of wastewater. If discharged without effective treatment, this wastewater poses a direct and persistent threat to biological communities.

Against this backdrop, understanding the mechanisms underlying urban biodiversity, the responses of wastewater treatment systems to climate change, and identifying recovery pathways has become urgent. This not only creates opportunities for biodiversity conservation but also represents a key factor in enhancing urban resilience. This research topic aims to explore interactions between climate change and urban biodiversity, with particular emphasis on restoration and conservation strategies. Our goal is to provide both theoretical and practical guidance for sustainable urban ecosystem management under climate change.

Recent research in related fields has advanced our understanding of climate-driven changes in species distribution, population dynamics, and habitat network reorganization. Notable progress includes quantifying the effects of the urban heat island phenomenon on biological populations and predicting the impacts of flooding and drought events on habitat networks. The application of big-data analytical methods and optimization algorithms has introduced new tools and perspectives to this field. However, the complex mechanisms underlying biodiversity and watershed water-quality responses to climate change within urban areas—particularly in densely built urban cores—require further investigation. Current research largely focuses on single indicator species or response patterns within specific habitats, highlighting the need for cross-scale, multi-taxa analytical frameworks.

This Research Topic aims to explore the relationships and underlying mechanisms among climate change, urban biodiversity, and watershed water quality through cutting-edge research and innovative methodologies. Through interdisciplinary collaboration, we seek to establish comprehensive theoretical frameworks and optimization models that account for the high heterogeneity of urban ecosystems. By deepening our understanding of the interactive effects of climate change and urbanization on biodiversity, we aim to identify effective conservation and restoration strategies that will help cities build climate-adaptive and sustainable ecosystems.

We welcome submissions on the following topics and related sub-topics not listed here:

Mechanistic Analysis

• Climate-driven changes in urban species composition and distribution patterns (e.g., avian communities)

• Response mechanisms of populations or ecosystems to urban climate stressors

• Impacts of extreme weather events on urban habitat networks and ecological connectivity

• Climate resilience mechanisms of urban green infrastructure in supporting biodiversity conservation

• Monitoring and modeling techniques for predicting urban biodiversity responses to future climate scenarios

• Treatment technologies for toxic and refractory industrial wastewater

• Ecological restoration and habitat reconstruction techniques for degraded water bodies

Strategic Responses

• Adaptive management strategies for urban biodiversity under climate change

• Planning approaches for blue-green spaces that integrate biodiversity conservation and climate adaptation

• Climate refugia and biodiversity persistence in high-density built environments

• Nature-based solutions for enhancing habitat quality

• Optimization of urban micro-spaces to promote biodiversity connectivity

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
• FAIR² Data
• General Commentary
• Hypothesis and Theory
• Methods
• Mini Review
• Opinion
• ... 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
• FAIR² Data
• 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: Urban biodiversity, Climate change, Urban ecology, Biodiversity conservation, Ecosystem services, Blue-green spaces, Ecological networks, Integrated carbon and pollution reduction, Wastewater treatment

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.