The total area of global karst regions is approximately 22 million square kilometers, accounting for roughly 15% of the Earth's land surface. These regions are widely distributed across the globe, boasting abundant natural resources and unique ecosystem characteristics. However, karst ecosystems are currently facing increasingly severe challenges: global warming, shifts in precipitation patterns, and the frequent occurrence of extreme climate events are profoundly impacting hydrological processes, soil weathering, ecosystem functions, and biodiversity in karst areas—rendering regional water resource management, vegetation restoration, and ecological security particularly complex undertakings.

Against the backdrop of climate change, karst ecosystems are subjected to multiple pressures, spanning water resource regulation, soil erosion, and carbon sink functionality. These pressures pose significant challenges to global ecological security and sustainable development. Therefore, investigating the impacts of climate change on karst ecosystems and exploring pathways for their ecological restoration and carbon neutrality holds great significance for formulating global climate change mitigation strategies, safeguarding ecological security, and promoting regional sustainable development.

This Research Topic aims to integrate cutting-edge advances in Earth system science, ecology, and sustainability science to deepen our understanding of the resilience and functional stability of karst ecosystems in the context of climate change. By exploring the complex interactions among hydrological processes, rock weathering, ecological restoration, and carbon cycling, this research seeks to provide valuable insights into the vulnerability and adaptive capacity of these unique landscapes. Its focus will be on assessing the impacts of climate change on water resource regulation and ecosystem security, as well as the role of karst regions in global carbon dynamics. This work is intended to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and contribute to global efforts toward ecological sustainability, with particular emphasis on the challenges and opportunities associated with the conservation and restoration of karst ecosystems. Ultimately, this Research Topic aims to inform sustainable management strategies, enhance ecosystem services, and support efforts related to climate change mitigation and adaptation in karst areas worldwide.

This Research topic invites contributions that explore the impacts of climate change on karst ecosystems, with a focus on the following themes:

1.Karst hydrological processes and water resource regulation;
2.Ecological restoration and vegetation reconstruction in karst landscapes;
3.Carbonate weathering, soil formation, and biogeochemical cycles;
4.Ecosystem security and risk assessment in karst regions;
5.Karst carbon sink mechanisms and carbon neutrality pathways;
6.Land-use transition and sustainable development in karst socio-ecological systems;
7.Rocky desertification control and integrated ecological restoration in karst areas.

We welcome Original Research articles, Review papers, and Case Studies that provide novel insights, methodologies, or theoretical frameworks. Manuscripts that address interdisciplinary approaches, innovative conservation strategies, and climate change adaptation in karst ecosystems are particularly encouraged.

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Karst Ecosystems Under Climate Change: Hydrology, Weathering, and Ecological Security