Journal profile · Ecology
Basic and Applied Ecology
ISSN 1439-1791 · eISSN 1618-0089 · Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena · GERMANY · Bimonthly · Founded 2000
Basic and Applied Ecology: CAS Zone 2 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.18; fully open access; APC about USD 1,800; review about 167 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: about 80%; 108 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Basic and Applied Ecology is published by Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena and is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies, Plant and animal studies and Plant Parasitism and Resistance, together about 45.6% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Basic and Applied Ecology (BAAE) is a peer-reviewed, open-access journal that publishes high-quality research that advances both the theoretical foundations and practical applications of ecology worldwide. We welcome original research articles, reviews, meta-analyses, perspectives, and special issues that contribute to the understanding and application of ecology across ecosystems, species, functions, and landscapes.Our scope covers a wide range of ecological topics, including but not limited to:Biodiversity and ecosystem functions and servicesSpecies interactions and multitrophic relationshipsResponses to global change across ecosystems and latitudesConservation ecology and applied ecological solutionsCommunity and population ecologyLandscape and ecosystem ecologyTheoretical ecology and modellingFunctional ecologyEvidence syntheses, reviews, and meta-analysesWe welcome submissions that advance ecological science through both basic/fundamental and applied research. Studies that foster the development of ecological theory and fundamental understanding, as well as those translating ecological insights into actionable recommendations for policy, conservation, and sustainable management, are equally valued. Based on our experience, studies based on clearly described, testable hypotheses and well-replicated design that contribute to novel understanding of basic and applied ecology within and beyond their study area are most likely to be positively reviewed and considered for publication in our journal. We encourage such submissions from traditional ecological disciplines, as well as contributions that integrate multiple ecological disciplines through cross-disciplinary approaches or findings from underrepresented regions or fields. To better understand the types of articles we publish, we invite you to explore our latest issues and consult the Guide for Authors. Submissions not aligned with our guidelines, aims and scope may be rejected without external review.About the Journal and Society: Basic and Applied Ecology is the official journal of the Ecological Society of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (GfÖ) and was founded in 2000. The GfÖ is an internationally active society that fosters ecological research and knowledge exchange. We welcome contributions from researchers worldwide who are advancing the field of ecology in both theory and practice.For more information on becoming a member of the GfÖ, please contact us at info@gfoe.org
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editor-in-chief Ingo GrassPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 3%); most named Germany 17, Switzerland 5, Austria 5, United States 2, Italy 2 (37 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science20.9%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences17.8%
- Plant Parasitism and ResistanceAgricultural and Biological Sciences6.9%
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science5.3%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Insect-Plant Interactions and ControlAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.6%
- Insect and Pesticide ResearchAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.8%
- Animal Ecology and Behavior StudiesEnvironmental Science3.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PubMedPublisher website
Other: Crossref
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 4.18LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.23LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.39LetPub ·
- h-index
- 69LetPub ·
- h-index
- 121OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,420OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.91OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 97LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,279 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 71 | 71 | 19 |
| 2025 | 108 | 108 | 281 |
| 2024 | 88 | 88 | 745 |
| 2023 | 72 | 72 | 810 |
| 2022 | 107 | 107 | 1,613 |
| 2021 | 138 | 73 | 2,888 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Publisher-reported review time from the journal's website
167 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 2 months
The publisher's own definition applies; dates from this journal's articles in the last 24 months are not available yet, so the publisher's figure is used.
Figures by source
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 80%LetPub ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 167 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 27 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 1,800 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,800 / EUR 1,680 / GBP 1,440 / JPY 223,250 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,070 | — | — |
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare3 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- APA
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- book reviewBook reviews will be included in the journal on a range of relevant and recent titles. These are usually less than 2,000 words. Please submit your requests/idea…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- book reviewsBook reviews will be included in the journal on a range of relevant and recent titles. These are usually less than 2,000 words.Length not stated
- letters to the editorLetters to the Editor (Correspondence) papers are responses to recently published papers and include only few key references . For this article type no abstract…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- opinionnd thought-provoking line of arguments. Opinion papers should not exceed 6,000 words. Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor (Correspondencmain text ≤ 6,000 words
- opinion papers (perspectives and invited views)Opinion papers provide a novel, distinctive viewpoint on any subject within the journal's scope. The articles should be well grounded in evidence and adequately…Length not stated
- research papersResearch papers report the results of original research. The material must not have been previously published elsewhere. Full length articles are up to 6,000 wo…Length not stated
- review articleesearch in a field of current interest. Review articles are up to 10,000 words and must include a methods section explaining how the litermain text ≤ 10,000 words
- review articlesReviews summarize the status of research in a field of current interest. Review articles are up to 10,000 words and must include a methods section explaining ho…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
Generative AI use must be declared Model summary
Authors must declare the use of generative AI tools in the manuscript preparation process upon submission of the paper.Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies (“AI tools”) have been rapidly adopted in research and scholarly publishing, offering significant benefits while requiring clear standards for responsible and transparent use.Authors preparing a manuscript for this journal may use AI tool…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Author contributions
For transparency, we require corresponding authors to provide co-author contributions to the manuscript using the relevant CRediT roles. The CRediT taxonomy includes 14 different roles describing each contributor's specific contribution to the scholarly output. The roles are: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Funding acquisition; Investigation; Methodology; Project administration;…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interest
Competing interests must be disclosed Model summary
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence (bias) their work. Examples of potential conflicts of interest include employment, consultancies, stock ownership, honoraria, paid expert testimony, patent applications/registrations, and grants or other funding. Authors should complete the declaration of compe…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
License agreement upon acceptance Model summary
Upon acceptance of an article, authors will be asked to complete a 'License Agreement' (see more information on this). Permitted third party reuse of open access articles is determined by the author's choice of user license.Author rightsAs an author you (or your employer or institution) have certain rights to reuse your work. More information.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
Please visit our Open Access page for more information about open access publishing in this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal operates a single anonymized review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor'…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint references
Where a preprint has subsequently become available as a peer-reviewed publication, the formal publication should be used as the reference. If there are preprints that are central to your work or that cover crucial developments in the topic, but are not yet formally published, these may be referenced. Preprints should be clearly marked as such, for example by including the word preprint, or the nam…
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 2000
- ISSN
- 1439-1791
- Electronic ISSN
- 1618-0089
- Society / sponsor
- Ecological Society of Germany
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Basic and Applied Ecology
What CAS zone is Basic and Applied Ecology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Basic and Applied Ecology is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Ecology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Basic and Applied Ecology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.18; CiteScore 6.7, h-index 121.
How long does peer review take at Basic and Applied Ecology?
The publisher reports about 167 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 80%”. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
What are the manuscript requirements of Basic and Applied Ecology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: APA; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: Optional. A model extracted these from the author guidelines and each was checked against the text; check the latest version on the journal's website before submitting.
Where are the editorial board members of Basic and Applied Ecology based?
Of the 37 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (17), Switzerland (5) and Austria (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Basic and Applied Ecology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Basic and Applied Ecology is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists PubMed; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Basic and Applied Ecology open access, and what is the APC?
Basic and Applied Ecology is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,800.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .