Journal profile · Ecology
Biological Invasions
ISSN 1387-3547 · eISSN 1573-1464 · Springer International Publishing · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1999
Biological Invasions: CAS Zone 2 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.64; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,690; median 192 days to acceptance (103 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 221 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Biological Invasions is published by Springer International Publishing 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 Fish Ecology and Management Studies, together about 31.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Biological Invasions publishes research and synthesis papers on patterns and processes of biological invasions in terrestrial, freshwater, and marine (including brackish) ecosystems. Also of interest are scholarly papers on management and policy issues as they relate to conservation programs and the global amelioration or control of invasions. The journal will consider proposals for special issues resulting from conferences or workshops on invasions.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editor-in-chief Laura A. MeyersonPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 12 in mainland China (about 9%); most named United States 42, Canada 14, Mainland China 12, Argentina 10, Spain 7 (141 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science14.8%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences10.9%
- Fish Ecology and Management StudiesEnvironmental Science6.1%
- Aquatic Invertebrate Ecology and BehaviorEnvironmental Science5.7%
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science5.4%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science5.3%
- Animal Ecology and Behavior StudiesEnvironmental Science5.2%
- Marine Ecology and Invasive SpeciesEnvironmental Science4.6%
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 | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
CAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 2.64LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 3.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.5LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.23LetPub ·
- h-index
- 97LetPub ·
- h-index
- 167OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,794OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.54OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.4%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 41.94%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 221LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 1,300,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,453 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 206 | 110 | 50 |
| 2025 | 221 | 125 | 426 |
| 2024 | 284 | 147 | 1,331 |
| 2023 | 238 | 122 | 1,825 |
| 2022 | 285 | 115 | 3,806 |
| 2021 | 272 | 121 | 4,296 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
192 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 129 days – 255 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 20 days (103 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 214 days
- Sample
- 103 articles with submission and acceptance dates (486 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 15 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
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
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,690 / EUR 2,890 / GBP 2,490 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | No APC | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
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)
Open calls for papers1, by deadline
- Biological Invasions in IcelandDeadline
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Required, 4
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted2, with length limits
- original paperInvasion Notes, as a guide the average original paper contains approximately 8,000 words. Longer papers may be considered if the information justifimain text ≤ 8,000 words
- reviews to advance the field. A typical Elton Review is 6000 - 8000 words long, with up to 150 references and 8 figures. Prospectivemain text ≤ 8,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship Guidelines
Authorship credit should be based on: 1) substantial contributions to conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; AND 2) drafting the article or revising it critically for important intellectual content; AND 3) final approval of the version to be submitted for publication. All of these conditions should be met by all authors. Acquisition of funding, collecti…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Biological Invasions, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
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
- Springer International Publishing
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1999
- ISSN
- 1387-3547
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-1464
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Biological Invasions
What CAS zone is Biological Invasions in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Biological Invasions is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Biodiversity Conservation / Ecology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Biological Invasions?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.64; CiteScore 5.5, h-index 167.
How long does peer review take at Biological Invasions?
Based on the dates recorded on 103 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 192 days (interquartile range 129–255 days); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”. 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 Biological Invasions?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Required, 4; Cover letter: Required. 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 Biological Invasions based?
Of the 141 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 12 (about 9%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (42), Canada (14) and Mainland China (12). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Biological Invasions?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Biological Invasions is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Biological Invasions open access, and what is the APC?
Biological Invasions is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,690.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .