The journal Climate Change Responses is now accepting submissions for a special thematic series on 'Mechanisms underlying dynamics of montane ecosystems and species in an era of climate variability and change.'

Climate Change Responses is an open access interdisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing exceptional research on ecological and evolutionary responses to climate change. This special series is looking for papers examining the interactions between abiotic and biotic processes in montane ecosystems from community, species, and genetic perspectives; all taxonomic focuses are welcome.

Montane ecosystems are globally recognized as being highly vulnerable to climatic shifts due to their typically poorly developed soils, short growing season, sharp abiotic gradients, and climatic harshness. Warming temperatures and shifts in precipitation are expected to bring about extensive and possibly rapid changes to the structure, function, and composition of these high-elevation systems. Evidence abounds that changes in montane systems have been and are continuing to occur. However, there are also many indications from both paleontological and contemporary data that climate shifts will not necessarily have uniformly predictable effects on montane biota. Species responses can be very heterogeneous, with range shifts occurring in some regions and species but not others, or changes in abundance being driven by interactions among multiple biotic and abiotic processes. Moreover, these changes may not necessarily be driven directly or exclusively by climate (e.g., productivity in some mountain ecosystems is limited by nitrogen). Rather, they may occur through various pathways as a result of indirect effects from multiple factors interacting with climate. Furthermore, the high topographic heterogeneity and structural complexity create numerous types of microrefugia, which can allow species to delay distributional shifts by years to decades to numerous centuries.

The goal of this series is to focus on interactions between abiotic and biotic processes in high-elevation ecosystems. Manuscripts should focus on: (1) mechanisms of change; and, (2) relationships among animal communities, vegetation communities, and climate. By focusing on mechanisms, the journal hopes to advance perspectives beyond what might happen to the reasons why and how animals are being affected by climate, how these relate to adaptations to changes in climate and their habitat, and how interactions such as herbivory and granivory could alter what are assumed to be inevitable changes in high-elevation vegetation communities. 

Submissions will continue to be welcomed for inclusion in the introductory article through September 2018. Articles can be added to the issue after September 2018, but will not be featured in the summary introductory article. All articles go through the peer-review process.