Formation and Maintenance Mechanisms of Biodiversity in Typical Ecological Barrier Zones-Ecological Barriers and Transboundary Biodiversity Conservation

Ecological barrier zones, such as mountainous regions, karst landscapes, and transboundary biodiversity hotspots, play a vital role in maintaining ecological security and biodiversity patterns across large spatial scales. Despite their importance, the processes shaping biodiversity formation, maintenance, and response to environmental change in these zones remain insufficiently understood. Recent advances in phylogeography, evolutionary genetics, and ecosystem ecology have revealed complex biogeographic patterns and evolutionary trajectories that drive species diversification and ecological adaptation. However, challenges persist in linking such evolutionary mechanisms to spatial patterns of biodiversity and in understanding how ecosystems in these sensitive environments respond to anthropogenic pressures and climate-induced disturbances. There is a growing need to integrate multi-scale ecological, genetic, and functional perspectives to uncover how biodiversity sustains ecosystem multifunctionality and resilience in ecological barrier systems.This Research Topic aims to advance the mechanistic understanding of biodiversity formation and maintenance in ecological barrier zones, elucidate the adaptive evolutionary and genetic response mechanisms of key species to environmental changes, and assess how biodiversity (including species, genetic, and functional diversity) contributes to ecosystem stability and resilience. It also seeks to identify and optimise conservation strategies and protected area networks that sustain ecological integrity under global change. By bridging species-level evolutionary processes with ecosystem dynamics, this Research Topic will foster interdisciplinary research that supports major strategies for biodiversity conservation and ecological security.The Research Topic encompasses theoretical, methodological, and applied studies related to biodiversity dynamics in typical ecological barrier zones. To gather further insights into these mechanisms and applications, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:• Phylogeography and phylogenetic diversity of biodiversity in ecological barrier zones• Adaptive evolutionary and genetic responses of rare, endangered, and endemic species to environmental change• Sensitivity, thresholds, and resilience of karst and mountain forest ecosystems under global change• Assessment and optimisation of protected area networks and identification of conservation priority regions under climate change• Mechanisms linking biodiversity facets (species, genetic, functional) to ecosystem multifunctionality and stability• Ecological connectivity and transboundary biodiversity conservation strategies• Development of near-natural restoration techniques to enhance landscape connectivity in fragmented habitats• Application of environmental DNA, genomics, and predictive modelling for intelligent biodiversity monitoring and conservation Topic editors: Tang Jianmin, Shengfeng Chai, Muzammil Hussain, M. Imran Hamid Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/76948/formation-and-maintenance-mechanisms-of-biodiversity-in-typical-ecological-barrier-zones-ecological-barriers-and-transboundary-biodiversity-conservation