Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forward
This editorial introduces the Special Collection “Grasslands of Asia” in Vegetation Classification and Survey, highlighting the urgent need for systematic vegetation classification across Asia’s diverse grassland ecosystems. Despite their vast ecological, climatic, and cultural significance, Asian g...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Pensoft Publishers
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS) |
| Online Access: | https://vcs.pensoft.net/article/151773/download/pdf/ |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849725692560801792 |
|---|---|
| author | Alireza Naqinezhad Idoia Biurrun Victor Chepinoga Jürgen Dengler Arkadiusz Nowak |
| author_facet | Alireza Naqinezhad Idoia Biurrun Victor Chepinoga Jürgen Dengler Arkadiusz Nowak |
| author_sort | Alireza Naqinezhad |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This editorial introduces the Special Collection “Grasslands of Asia” in Vegetation Classification and Survey, highlighting the urgent need for systematic vegetation classification across Asia’s diverse grassland ecosystems. Despite their vast ecological, climatic, and cultural significance, Asian grasslands remain underrepresented in global vegetation studies. This gap results from uneven research capacities, methodological fragmentation, limited data accessibility, and complex geopolitical barriers. Grasslands across Asia, which include both natural types like steppes, savannas, and alpine meadows and semi-natural ecosystems, face escalating threats including climate change, overgrazing, land-use changes, habitat fragmentation, and socio-political disruptions. Inspired by discussions at the inaugural Asian Grassland Conference in 2022 and the establishment of the Asian Regional Section of the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS), this Special Collection aims to promote standardized vegetation classification methods, enhance cross-regional data sharing, and foster international collaboration. Although only seven contributions from West and Middle Asia were ultimately included, they significantly advance the understanding of grassland typologies in these regions. Moving forward, coordinated efforts at local, regional, and continental scales are essential, supported by platforms such as the Asian Regional Section of IAVS. Strengthening vegetation classification frameworks and regional databases will bridge existing methodological gaps and provide critical support for conservation planning, sustainable management, and biodiversity research in Asia’s grassland ecosystems. Abbreviations: China-VCS = China Vegetation Classification System; EDGG = Eurasian Dry Grassland Group; GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases; IAVS = International Association for Vegetation Science; IVC = International Vegetation Classification; TWINSPAN = Two Way Indicator Species Analysis. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8f94b2100aad43e2a5130c0d63585d2c |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2683-0671 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Pensoft Publishers |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS) |
| spelling | doaj-art-8f94b2100aad43e2a5130c0d63585d2c2025-08-20T03:10:24ZengPensoft PublishersVegetation Classification and Survey (VCS)2683-06712025-04-016799710.3897/VCS.151773151773Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forwardAlireza Naqinezhad0Idoia Biurrun1Victor Chepinoga2Jürgen Dengler3Arkadiusz Nowak4University of MazandaranUniversity of the Basque Country UPV/EHULeibniz University HannoverUniversity of BayreuthPolish Academy of Sciences, Botanical Garden – Center for Biological Diversity Conservation in PowsinThis editorial introduces the Special Collection “Grasslands of Asia” in Vegetation Classification and Survey, highlighting the urgent need for systematic vegetation classification across Asia’s diverse grassland ecosystems. Despite their vast ecological, climatic, and cultural significance, Asian grasslands remain underrepresented in global vegetation studies. This gap results from uneven research capacities, methodological fragmentation, limited data accessibility, and complex geopolitical barriers. Grasslands across Asia, which include both natural types like steppes, savannas, and alpine meadows and semi-natural ecosystems, face escalating threats including climate change, overgrazing, land-use changes, habitat fragmentation, and socio-political disruptions. Inspired by discussions at the inaugural Asian Grassland Conference in 2022 and the establishment of the Asian Regional Section of the International Association for Vegetation Science (IAVS), this Special Collection aims to promote standardized vegetation classification methods, enhance cross-regional data sharing, and foster international collaboration. Although only seven contributions from West and Middle Asia were ultimately included, they significantly advance the understanding of grassland typologies in these regions. Moving forward, coordinated efforts at local, regional, and continental scales are essential, supported by platforms such as the Asian Regional Section of IAVS. Strengthening vegetation classification frameworks and regional databases will bridge existing methodological gaps and provide critical support for conservation planning, sustainable management, and biodiversity research in Asia’s grassland ecosystems. Abbreviations: China-VCS = China Vegetation Classification System; EDGG = Eurasian Dry Grassland Group; GIVD = Global Index of Vegetation-Plot Databases; IAVS = International Association for Vegetation Science; IVC = International Vegetation Classification; TWINSPAN = Two Way Indicator Species Analysis.https://vcs.pensoft.net/article/151773/download/pdf/ |
| spellingShingle | Alireza Naqinezhad Idoia Biurrun Victor Chepinoga Jürgen Dengler Arkadiusz Nowak Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forward Vegetation Classification and Survey (VCS) |
| title | Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forward |
| title_full | Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forward |
| title_fullStr | Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forward |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forward |
| title_short | Advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across Asia: current status and way forward |
| title_sort | advancing vegetation classification of grassland ecosystems across asia current status and way forward |
| url | https://vcs.pensoft.net/article/151773/download/pdf/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alirezanaqinezhad advancingvegetationclassificationofgrasslandecosystemsacrossasiacurrentstatusandwayforward AT idoiabiurrun advancingvegetationclassificationofgrasslandecosystemsacrossasiacurrentstatusandwayforward AT victorchepinoga advancingvegetationclassificationofgrasslandecosystemsacrossasiacurrentstatusandwayforward AT jurgendengler advancingvegetationclassificationofgrasslandecosystemsacrossasiacurrentstatusandwayforward AT arkadiusznowak advancingvegetationclassificationofgrasslandecosystemsacrossasiacurrentstatusandwayforward |