Call for Papers for Upcoming Special Issues

Submissions to open calls are made via our regular submissions site. When submitting, please choose the appropriate special issue title in the "Special Section" pull down menu.

 

Educational Reviews

Annals of Botany is delighted to launch a new type of article, Educational Reviews, as part of our commitment to quality botanical education. These articles will bridge the gap between introductory knowledge of a field and more advanced specialties typically presented in original research articles.

Educational reviews will bring the complexity and excitement of plant science research to a wider audience, with an explanatory writing style supported by educational diagrams and explanation of necessary terminology. The forefront of plant sciences has moved well beyond textbooks, leaving students or those looking at working across interdisciplinary fields, in limbo. Educational Reviews would thus serve to update the botanical audience at large by building the bridge from where their understanding might be to where it needs to be to grasp current research output.

We invite you to enhance the understanding of your area of expertise by submitting an Educational Review. Pre-submission enquiries regarding possible titles or scope can be sent to [email protected] and full details regarding Educational Reviews can be found here: Author Guidelines | Annals of Botany | Oxford Academic

There is no submission deadline for this call for papers, and manuscripts will be published in regular issues.

Call for Papers: Plant Conservation Genetics

As we enter the United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration (2021-2030), conservation genetics is being used increasingly to inform conservation and restoration management decisions. This Special Issue will provide an up-to-date perspective on different approaches to plant conservation, highlighting the benefits of using next generation sequencing and novel genetic tools to plan and assess conservation actions and pointing out future directions in the field. 

Examples of Topics in this Special Issue:

• Study of threatened species in situ
• Ex situ practices that aim to safeguard species germplasm
• Genetic assessment or monitoring of reintroductions and restorations 

This Special Issue will be highlighted as part of a Symposium sponsored by Annals of Botany at the 2024 International Botanical Congress. Funding is available to help support symposium participant attendance. A reception for all Special Issue authors will occur during the conference.

Timeline:

• Nov. 30, 2023: Abstract submissions due (for Symposium attendees)
• Sep 1, 2024: Special Issue Abstract submissions due (all contributors)
• July 21-27, 2024: Symposium at XX International Botanic Congress
• Nov. 1, 2024: Final date for manuscript submission to AoB

Guest Editor:

Jeremie Fant (Chicago Botanic Garden, USA)

AoB Editors:

Michele Dudash (South Dakota State University, USA) & Rachel Spigler (Temple University, USA)

Submission Deadline:

1 November 2024

Call for Papers: Stress Physiology of Root Systems

Roots are the anchor and lifeline of plants, playing a pivotal role in their response to environmental stressors such as drought, salinity, and nutrient deficiency. This special issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for researchers to delve into the intricate mechanisms and adaptations that root systems employ to withstand and mitigate stress. The Editors of Annals of Botany have commissioned a special issue to comprehensively address the effects of abiotic stress on root system physiology, morphology, and architecture.

Scientists studying the impacts of abiotic and biotic stress physiology in root systems are encouraged to submit original research articles, review papers, or perspectives to the special issue. Contributions shall advance our understanding of the molecular, physiological, and ecological aspects of root stress responses, shedding light on how plants sense, signal, and strategize their reactions to challenging conditions.

Examples of Topics in the Special Issue:

• Root structure and function for stress tolerance
• Metabolic processes in the root in response to stress
• Uptake and transport of water and ions

This call for papers is in conjunction with the International Society of Root Research Conference (June 2024, Leipzig, Germany).

Guest Editor:

Doris Vetterlein (UFZ Helmholtz, Germany)

AoB Editor:

Hannah Schneider (Leibniz Institute of Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research, Germany)

Submission Deadline:

30 April 2025

Call for Papers: Plant Senescence

Plant senescence is a complex, genetically programmed phenomenon that affects plant longevity, and in agricultural systems affects yield and quality of crops. Natural senescence is controlled both by developmental age and environmental stresses and affects different organs such as leaves, flowers and fruit. This Special Issue aims to provide a broad understanding of senescence: from a fundamental understanding of senescence mechanisms at a cellular, genetic and epigenetic level to the developmental and environmental factors that trigger and modulate senescence progression. This Special Issue aims to cover how senescence can be manipulated to enhance agricultural traits such as resistance to abiotic stresses and improve postharvest quality of produce.

Examples of Topics:

• Molecular mechanisms involved in senescence regulation

• Metabolic and biochemical changes during senescence

• Natural and postharvest induced senescence

• Biotic and Abiotic stresses in senescence regulation

• Nutrients and senescence

• Autophagy, cell death, and senescence

• Non-destructive techniques for monitoring plant senescence

This call for papers is associated with the 10th International Symposium on Plant Senescence held in Pisa 17-19 July 2024.

Guest Editor:

Antonio Ferrante (University of Sant’Anna, Pisa, Italy)

AoB Editor:

Hilary Rogers (Cardiff University, UK)

Submission Deadline:

31 May 2025

Call for Papers: Advances in Crucifer Research in the -Omics Era

Thanks to Arabidopsis thaliana, the mustard family (Brassicaceae) has become a prominent model group in every aspect of plant biology. The last quarter century has been marked by remarkable advances in phylogenetics, phylogenomics, systematics and the study of genome evolution in the Brassicaceae. Numerous omics approaches are well-established in Brassicaceae research. These advances provide new opportunities for previously unthinkable comparative studies,  bridging disciplines and confirming the Brassicaceae as one of the most important model families of flowering plants. This AoB Special Issue attempts to summarize recent advances in systematics, phylogenomics, genomics and evolutionary research in the Brassicaceae.

This call for papers is in conjunction with the symposium Advances in phylogenomics and systematics of the Brassicaceae at the International Botanical Congress 2024 (Madrid).

Guest Editor:

Marcus Koch (Universität Heidelberg, Centre for Organismal Studies, Germany)

AoB Editor:

Martin Lysak (Central European Institute of Technology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic)

Submission Deadline:

31 January 2025

Call for Papers: Big Lineages/Phylogenomics

Diversity is not evenly distributed over the tree of life. Of the 13,803 flowering plant genera accepted in the World Flora Online, 70% have ten or fewer species. In contrast, just 87 “big” genera each include >500 species and collectively account for a quarter of all flowering plant species. The diversity of big plant genera was last reviewed in 2004 in a landmark review by David Frodin. In the two decades that have followed, more than ten thousand species have been newly described in big plant genera and the boundaries of many genera have been altered in response to molecular studies. Further, revolutions in plant genetics and bioinformatics have permitted the first genus and genome wide studies in big genera. This special issue will provide an overview of the current state of knowledge in big plant genera and answer the following questions: what and where are the big genera, and what in their biology has allowed them to become big?

We invite submissions in the following four major topics and will consider submissions focused one or more of the 87 big plant genera:

• What are the big plant genera, and why do we recognise them as big?
• What are the geographic and environmental distributions of big plant genera?
• How have the traits of big plant genera underpinned their success?
• How have the genetic and genomic traits of big plant genera promoted their diversification?

This call for papers is in conjunction with a symposium at the International Botanical Congress 2024 (Madrid).

Guest Editor:

Peter Moonlight (Trinity College Dublin, Ireland)

AoB Editor:

Zoë Popper (Botany and Plant Science, NUI Galway, Ireland)

Submission Deadline:

30 June 2025

Call for Papers: Milestones and trends: the role of the fossil record in reconstructing plant evolution

For the past two centuries paleobotanists have documented myriad plant fossils. The steady stream of fossils that continue to be published on a daily basis shows that the pattern of discovery has no end in sight. The fossil record thus revealed provides snapshots of plant life that span more than 400 million years and offer the only direct insights into plant diversity, structure and ecology throughout the evolutionary history of plants. The fossil record has been brought to bear on the reconstruction of plant evolution from the very beginnings of paleobotanical studies. The combination of recent advances in: the understanding of developmental regulatory factors that determine phenotype; analytical approaches for documenting plant structure and fossil material; and methods of phylogenetic inference, has given renewed impetus to studies that integrate the body of data stored in the fossil record with those developed from living plants, toward a more detailed and comprehensive reconstruction of evolutionary history. 

For this special issue emphasizing the role of the fossil record in illuminating the events and processes of plant evolution, we invite submissions of original research and review papers in the following five major topics:

• Integration of morphological (including anatomical, ultrastructural) or developmental data from living and fossil plants for testing or formulating hypotheses on the evolution of development
• Discussion of plant fossils whose traits (morphology, anatomy, ultrastructure) document milestones in the evolution of morphology and development or provide clues on the timing or sequence of evolutionary processes
• Phylogenetic inference involving inclusion of fossil taxa as terminals (as opposed to using data from the fossil record only as calibration points) to address systematics, character evolution, or diversity trends through time and space
• Development and application of new methods for documenting plant diversity or plant morphology in the fossil record, with implications for systematics, evolution or ecology
• Analyses of large datasets including fossils toward illuminating patterns in plant diversity (in time or space), evolution or ecology

AoB Editor:

Alexandru (Mihai) Tomescu (California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, USA)

Guest Editor:

Anne-Laure Decombeix (Université de Montpellier), Alexander Hetherington (University of Edinburgh) and Brian Atkinson (University of Kansas)

Submission Deadline:

1 May 2025

 Call for Papers: State of the Global Flora (Cerrado/Tropical Grasslands) 

Cerrado and tropical grasslands represent key ecosystems for biodiversity and provision of ecosystem services for humans across different regions of the world. At the same time, these ecosystems also contain leading areas for agricultural and livestock production, placing their rich and unique flora at risk. Cerrado and tropical grassland plants have been widely investigated for their complex spatiotemporal patterns of plant phenologies that are closely related to ecological and physiological strategies to cope with harsh conditions such as a highly seasonal climate, frequent fires, and nutrient-deprived soils. The growing number of studies focusing on these ecosystems make them model systems for research on evolution, functioning, ecophysiology, restoration and fire ecology.

There is a need to increase the visibility of Cerrado/tropical grasslands, which are still neglected ecosystems in terms of research priority, conservation, and public awareness. This special issue welcomes original research articles, research-in-context articles, reviews and perspectives focused on the various aspects of Cerrado and tropical grassland plants, including ecology, evolution, systematics, conservation, physiology, anatomy, population genetics and genomics. Contributions will advance our understanding on how these species-rich flora successfully cope and thrive in highly threatened hotspots of biodiversity.

Examples of topics in the Special Issue:

• Plant diversity, distribution, evolution and conservation in Cerrado/Tropical Grasslands
• Vegetation responses to fire regimes and climate change
• Ecological restoration
• Ecosystem functioning and plant traits
• Ecophysiological responses to multiple stresses
• Domestication and other applications of Cerrado/Tropical Grasslands plant diversity

This call for papers is associated with a symposium at the 74th Brazilian Botanical Congress (10-15 November 2024, Brasilia).

Timeline:

• 10-15 November 2024: Symposium at 74th Brazilian Botanical Congress
• 31 July 2025: Manuscript submission deadline
• Authors should select the ‘State of the Global flora (Cerrado/Tropical Grasslands)’ Special Issue during the submission process
• Questions regarding submission can be sent via email to the AoB Editor Robert Miller

Guest Editors:

Marcelo Simon (Embrapa - Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, Brazil), Cássia Beatriz Rodrigues Munhoz (University of Brasilia, Brazil), Augusto Cesar Franco (University of Brasilia, Brazil)

AoB Editor:

Robert Miller (University of Brasilia, Brazil)