Journal profile · Ecology
Community Ecology
ISSN 1585-8553 · eISSN 1588-2756 · Springer International Publishing · HUNGARY · Irregular · Founded 2000
Community Ecology: CAS Zone 4 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.47; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,990; median 136 days to acceptance (90 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 58 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Community Ecology is published by Springer International Publishing and is in Zone 4 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 Species Distribution and Climate Change, together about 49.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Community Ecology, established by the merger of two ecological periodicals, Coenoses and Abstracta Botanica was launched in an effort to create a common global forum for community ecologists dealing with plant, animal and/or microbial communities from terrestrial, marine or freshwater systems. Main subject areas: (i) community-based ecological theory; (ii) modelling of ecological communities; (iii) community-based ecophysiology; (iv) temporal dynamics, including succession; (v) trophic interactions, including food webs and competition; (vi) spatial pattern analysis, including scaling issues; (vii) community patterns of species richness and diversity; (viii) sampling ecological communities; (ix) data analysis methods.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editor-in-chief Ferenc JordaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named Italy 14, Hungary 13, Canada 4, United States 3, Germany 3 (49 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science26.2%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences12.8%
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science10.1%
- Botany and Plant Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.3%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science5%
- Animal Ecology and Behavior StudiesEnvironmental Science4.4%
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science3.2%
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
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 | Ecology | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
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, 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
- 1.47LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.6Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.54LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- h-index
- 25LetPub ·
- h-index
- 46OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 412OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.15OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 6.2%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 26.17%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 43LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 123,000Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,036 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 69 | 39 | 13 |
| 2025 | 58 | 24 | 66 |
| 2024 | 58 | 35 | 133 |
| 2023 | 41 | 18 | 155 |
| 2022 | 60 | 28 | 295 |
| 2021 | 34 | 7 | 246 |
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
136 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 89 days – 191 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (91 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 175 days
- Sample
- 90 articles with submission and acceptance dates (139 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)
- over 36 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 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 2,990 / EUR 2,390 / GBP 2,090 | — | — |
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)
What to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 9,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
Article types accepted9, with length limits
- book reviewAuthors can propose a book review directly by contacting the Book Review Editor Marco Ferrante (marco.ferrante@live.it). Publication is at the discretion of the…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- case studyOriginal Research (9,000): Manuscripts which are based on newly generated data which has not previously been published or new analyses of existing data sets. To…Length not stated
- commentaryA Commentary provides remarks on particular topical issues or criticisms of published work in this or other journals that are often controversial and bring atte…Length not stated
- meta-analysisOriginal Research (9,000): Manuscripts which are based on newly generated data which has not previously been published or new analyses of existing data sets. To…Length not stated
- original researchOriginal Research (9,000): Manuscripts which are based on newly generated data which has not previously been published or new analyses of existing data sets. To…Length not stated
- protocolOriginal Research (9,000): Manuscripts which are based on newly generated data which has not previously been published or new analyses of existing data sets. To…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Research (9,000): Manuscripts which are based on newly generated data which has not previously been published or new analyses of existing data sets. To…main text ≤ 12,000 words · abstract ≤ 300 words
- short communicationThese manuscripts provide highly relevant, novel results on hot, trending topics. The review process is considerably faster to support the rapid publication of …main text ≤ 200 words · abstract ≤ 200 words · figures and tables ≤ 2
- systematic reviewOriginal Research (9,000): Manuscripts which are based on newly generated data which has not previously been published or new analyses of existing data sets. To…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Trial registration / reporting guidelines
- 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 ·- Conflicts of interest Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
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 Community Ecology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Trial registration / reporting guidelines Clinical Trial Registration
The World Health Organization (WHO) definition of a clinical trial is "any research study that prospectively assigns human participants or groups of humans to one or more health-related interventions to evaluate the effects on health outcomes". The WHO defines health interventions as “A health intervention is an act performed for, with or on behalf of a person or population whose purpose is to ass…
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
- HUNGARY
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Irregular
- Founded
- 2000
- ISSN
- 1585-8553
- Electronic ISSN
- 1588-2756
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 27, Issue 2 (July 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Community Ecology
What CAS zone is Community Ecology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Community Ecology is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 4 of the minor category 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 Community Ecology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.47; CiteScore 3, h-index 46.
How long does peer review take at Community Ecology?
Based on the dates recorded on 90 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 136 days (interquartile range 89–191 days); authors report an average review time of over 36 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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 Community Ecology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 9,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: 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 Community Ecology based?
Of the 49 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Italy (14), Hungary (13) and Canada (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Community Ecology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Community Ecology 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 Community Ecology open access, and what is the APC?
Community Ecology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,990.
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: .