Journal profile · Ecology
Diversity and Distributions
ISSN 1366-9516 · eISSN 1472-4642 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1998
Diversity and Distributions: CAS Zone 1 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.06; fully open access; APC about USD 3,430; median 205 days to acceptance (86 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly hard; 186 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Diversity and Distributions is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd and is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Species Distribution and Climate Change, Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies and Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, together about 51.7% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Diversity and Distributions is a journal of conservation biogeography. We publish papers that deal with the application of biogeographical principles, theories, and analyses to problems concerning the conservation of biodiversity. Appropriate topics include identifying the agents of global change, including how climate change, land use change, overexploitation, pollution and invasive species affect the abundance, distribution, spatial genetic composition and range boundaries of species; innovative applications or methods of species distribution modelling and individual-based modelling with applications in conservation biogeography; the application of island biogeographic principles to conservation; phylogeographical or landscape genetics/genomics studies with clear conservation implications; developing paradigms, models and frameworks for conservation planning and risk assessment; investigating ecological and anthropogenic factors favouring the emergence of infectious diseases (EIDs). Papers must meet five criteria to be considered for publication: (1) they must have a strong biogeographic focus with a clear conservation implications outlined in a dedicated 'conservation implications' section in the discussion, or a strong conservation or global change focus related to biogeographic patterns or principles. Conservation implications can also relate to conservation theory. Please note that biogeography studies that are potentially informative for conservation, but where conservation implications are not well elaborated, are not a good fit for the journal. Similarly the threatened or exploited status of species (or studying sites within protected areas) in a study is not a sufficient condition to meet this criterion.(2) submissions must derive novel insights from biogeographic patterns and processes and biodiversity status and trends.(3) the research must be conducted across large spatial, temporal or taxonomic scales, and results - or methodological approaches proposed - must be relevant beyond the specific study system.(4) results must have clear and important implications for our understanding of biogeography or conservation and must be of potential broad interest to the readership.(5) they must have a solid theoterical underpinning, a clear study design and robust methods, and the findings must be presented clearly and concisely. * Please note that biogeography studies that are potentially informative for conservation, but where conservation implications
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editorial board by country: 9 in mainland China (about 14%); most named Mainland China 9, United Kingdom 7, Italy 6, United States 5, Germany 5 (63 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science20.5%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science19%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science12.2%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.6%
- Genetic diversity and population structureBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology4%
- Fish Ecology and Management StudiesEnvironmental Science3.5%
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems StudiesEnvironmental Science2.4%
- Avian ecology and behaviorEnvironmental Science2.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Biodiversity Conservation | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview 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 | Biodiversity Conservation | 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
CAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System
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
- 4.06LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 8.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 8.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.6LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.59LetPub ·
- h-index
- 104LetPub ·
- h-index
- 179OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,436OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.4OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 4.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 141LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 144Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 820,404Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,664 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 136 | 136 | 40 |
| 2025 | 186 | 186 | 462 |
| 2024 | 156 | 156 | 1,123 |
| 2023 | 146 | 146 | 1,388 |
| 2022 | 216 | 216 | 3,514 |
| 2021 | 232 | 232 | 6,671 |
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
205 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 162 days – 285 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 23 days (86 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 235 days
- Sample
- 86 articles with submission and acceptance dates (341 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)
- 8–16 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly hardLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 22%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 11 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 226 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 23 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Double anonymous peer reviewLetPub
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 accessOpenAlex
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 3,430 / EUR 2,920 / GBP 2,610 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 3,770 / GBP 2,870 / EUR 3,210 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
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 prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Keywords
- ≥ 6
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- commentaryThe Journal publishes articles under the following main headers: 1) Research Article, 2) Review Article, 3) Method, 4) Perspective, 5) Commentary. 6) Data Paper…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- data paperThe Journal publishes articles under the following main headers: 1) Research Article, 2) Review Article, 3) Method, 4) Perspective, 5) Commentary. 6) Data Paper…main text ≤ 6,000 words
- methodThe Journal publishes articles under the following main headers: 1) Research Article, 2) Review Article, 3) Method, 4) Perspective, 5) Commentary. 6) Data Paper…Length not stated
- method articlef methods in conservation biogeography. Method articles are up to 6000 words in length (the word limit refers to text from the start ofmain text ≤ 6,000 words
- perspectiveThe Journal publishes articles under the following main headers: 1) Research Article, 2) Review Article, 3) Method, 4) Perspective, 5) Commentary. 6) Data Paper…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- research articleThe Journal publishes articles under the following main headers: 1) Research Article, 2) Review Article, 3) Method, 4) Perspective, 5) Commentary. 6) Data Paper…Length not stated
- reviewThe Journal publishes articles under the following main headers: 1) Research Article, 2) Review Article, 3) Method, 4) Perspective, 5) Commentary. 6) Data Paper…Length not stated
- review articleThe Journal publishes articles under the following main headers: 1) Research Article, 2) Review Article, 3) Method, 4) Perspective, 5) Commentary. 6) Data Paper…main text ≤ 6,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Artificial Intelligence Generated Content
Please find Wiley’s policy on Artificial Intelligence Generated Content (AIGC) here.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
Author name change policy Model summary
The list of authors should accurately illustrate who contributed to the work and how. All those listed as authors should qualify for authorship according to all of the following criteria:
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest
The journal requires that all authors disclose any potential sources of conflict of interest. Any interest or relationship, financial or otherwise that might be perceived as influencing an author's objectivity is considered a potential source of conflict of interest. These must be disclosed when directly relevant or directly related to the work that the authors describe in their manuscript. Potent…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data sharing
Mandates data sharing Model summary
This journal mandates data sharing. You can learn more about data sharing in Data Sharing Policy | Wiley.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics 5. EDITORIAL POLICIES AND ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS
Member of COPE Model summary
Wiley’s Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics applies to Diversity and Distributions. Editorial Review and Acceptance
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access 6. AUTHOR LICENSING AND OPEN ACCESS FEES
Diversity and Distributions operates an Open Access model. The journal does not charge any submission fees. To find out more about the journal’s APCs, click here. Authors who have no funding available to pay APCs are eligible for a waiver - this needs to be requested on submission. If the waiver is not requested at submission, authors should inform the editorial office as soon as possible. DDI Ass…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review
Policy on RAPD markers Model summary
The appropriateness of RAPD markers for population genetic inference is increasingly questioned by our reviewers and editors because of concerns about reproducibility, dominance, and homology.
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
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1998
- ISSN
- 1366-9516
- Electronic ISSN
- 1472-4642
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 32, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Diversity and Distributions
What CAS zone is Diversity and Distributions in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Diversity and Distributions is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Biodiversity Conservation / Ecology; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Diversity and Distributions?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.06; CiteScore 8.7, h-index 179.
How long does peer review take at Diversity and Distributions?
Based on the dates recorded on 86 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 205 days (interquartile range 162–285 days); authors report an average review time of 8–16 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly hard”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 22% (2025). 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.
Where are the editorial board members of Diversity and Distributions based?
Of the 63 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 9 (about 14%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (9), United Kingdom (7) and Italy (6). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Diversity and Distributions?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Diversity and Distributions is indexed in SCIE, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Diversity and Distributions open access, and what is the APC?
Diversity and Distributions is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 3,430.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; 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: .