Advances in the knowledge of the natural history of aquatic plants in the Neotropics

Abstract

Until the mid-XX century, little awareness on the ecological services or socio-environmental problems and benefits related to aquatic plants culminated in bottlenecks on their natural history, especially for the Neotropics. In this context, Acta Botanica Brasilica (ABB) organized this special issue to promote the advancement of knowledge on this ecological group in the Neotropics, supported by Sociedade Botânica do Brasil's group of aquatic plants specialists. We selected and evaluated manuscripts gathering unprecedented findings, resulting from studies on aquatic plants, with little investigated or documented approaches, such as the improper use of methodological paradigms and aspects of biogeography, ecophysiology, morphoanatomy, structuration of communities, functional ecology, and human use. Here we present a synthesis of these reports' findings that shall contribute to deepening the knowledge on the natural history, sustainable use, and conservation of aquatic plants and guide future research, mainly in Neotropical aquatic ecosystems. The publication of special issues on themes with insufficient knowledge to Science can reduce such gaps and expand the journal's perspectives. Therefore, we believe that this special issue of ABB will boost the understanding of aquatic plants' natural history as much as incentivizing journals with specific scopes of the area of Plant Biology to similar initiatives.