Potential Biodiversity Implications of Climate Change for Organisms, Populations and Ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin

The climate crisis is a global threat to species, populations and ecosystems; it affects individual organisms and their interactions with other species and habitats, thus altering ecosystem functions and structures. The impacts of the climate crisis are widespread but not uniform over time and space, as the responses of species and habitats vary according to their relative vulnerability, degree of exposure, sensitivity, and capacity to adapt. This synergy places great pressure on ecosystems, reducing their resilience. The climate crisis is particularly intense in the semi-enclosed Mediterranean Sea basin, designated as a biodiversity hotspot, where the average warming rate is more intense than the global one; indeed, significant increases in average temperatures, extreme temperatures, and the number of heat waves, as well as more frequent and intense drought periods, are being recorded here. Within this context, this Special Issue of Diversity, titled “Potential Biodiversity Implications of Climate Change for Organisms, Populations and Ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin”, will include the following: Spatial and temporal distribution patterns of species and populations under climate change; Populations and ecosystems structure and functional diversity under climate change; Future predictions using recent multi-model initiatives and statistical modeling approaches; Contributions on extreme events and hazards; Climate changes’ effects on the ecotoxicity of emerging pollutants with special focus on coastal ecosystems; Alien species occurrence; Conservation actions for Mediterranean biodiversity.