Journal History

Journal History

Plant Diversity of Central Asia (PDCA) is an international, peer-reviewed, Open Access journal published by the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the leading botanical research institution in the region.

Foundation and mission

The journal was established to create a dedicated, internationally visible platform for research on the flora and vegetation of Central Asia — one of the world’s most floristically rich and least documented regions. Spanning deserts, steppes, wetlands, river valleys and the great mountain systems of the Tian Shan and Pamir-Alay, Central Asia harbours thousands of vascular plant species and a high proportion of endemics, many of them of conservation concern.

Scope and languages

PDCA publishes original research articles, reviews and short communications covering plant systematics and taxonomy, floristics, geobotany, vegetation science, ecology, phytogeography, ethnobotany and the conservation of plant diversity. To serve both the regional and the international community, the journal accepts manuscripts in English, Uzbek and Russian, with English metadata required for all articles.

Publishing standards

From its inception, the journal has been committed to the highest standards of scholarly publishing: transparent double-blind peer review, registered Crossref DOIs for every article, full Open Access under a CC BY 4.0 licence, adherence to COPE ethics guidelines, and long-term digital preservation.

Looking ahead

The editorial board is committed to building a reliable publication record and to seeking inclusion in leading international abstracting and indexing databases, thereby increasing the visibility and impact of Central Asian botanical research worldwide.