Plant Responses to a Changing Climate: Ecological and Evolutionary Perspectives

Anthropogenic climate change is already having a profound impact on natural ecosystems, disrupting important ecological processes, altering the ecosystem functionality, and accelerating biodiversity loss. Being directly affected by changing climate, plants play a central role in ecosystem responses to these environmental changes. This reprint provides a multidisciplinary overview of plant responses to climate change, encompassing physiological, phenological, and biogeographical aspects. The collected articles examine trait plasticity, stress tolerance mechanisms, and species distribution dynamics across a range of ecosystems and climate scenarios. Through experimental approaches, ecological modelling, and remote sensing, the presented studies shed light on both the current impacts and future trajectories of climate-induced changes in plant systems. Together, they provide valuable insights into the resilience and vulnerability of species and the broader ecological consequences of climate change. The results presented here provide a critical foundation for guiding future research and updating conservation strategies aimed at mitigating biodiversity loss in the face of ongoing climate change.