Journal profile · Engineering, Environmental
Ecological Engineering
ISSN 0925-8574 · Elsevier · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1992
Ecological Engineering: CAS Zone 2 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 4.06; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,910; review about 131 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: 60%; 301 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Ecological Engineering is published by Elsevier 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 Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater Treatment, Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics and Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology, together about 31.2% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Ecosystem RestorationEcological engineering has been defined as the design of ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. The journal is for those involved in designing, monitoring, or restoring ecosystems, and serves as a bridge between the fields of ecology and engineeringSpecific topics covered in the journal include: habitat reconstruction; ecotechnology; synthetic ecology; bioengineering; restoration ecology; ecology conservation; ecosystem rehabilitation; stream and river restoration; reclamation ecology; non-renewable resource conservation. Descriptions of specific applications of ecological engineering are acceptable only when situated within context of adding novelty to current research and emphasizing ecosystem restoration. We do not accept purely descriptive reports on ecosystem structures (such as vegetation surveys), purely physical assessment of materials that can be used for ecological restoration, small-model studies carried out in the laboratory or greenhouse with artificial (waste)water or crop studies, or case studies on conventional wastewater treatment and eutrophication that do not offer an ecosystem restoration approach within the paper.The journal welcomes full papers, short communications, reviews, and letters to the editor. We are pleased to publish papers from multidisciplinary approaches that are pertinent to a wide range of scholars, managers, practitioners, and policymakers across ecological sciences.All papers will be subject to peer review and they will be dealt with as speedily as is compatible with a high standard of presentation.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Engineering, Environmental
Editor-in-chief Jan VymazalPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 18%); most named United States 10, Mainland China 5, Canada 3, Spain 2, France 1 (28 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater TreatmentEnvironmental Science14.4%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science10.6%
- Peatlands and Wetlands EcologyEnvironmental Science6.3%
- Soil and Water Nutrient DynamicsEnvironmental Science6%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science4.8%
- Soil erosion and sediment transportAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Wastewater Treatment and Nitrogen RemovalEnvironmental Science4.7%
- Hydrology and Watershed Management StudiesEnvironmental Science4.3%
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 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | 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 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
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 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Environmental | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
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)
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 9.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 9.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.2LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.27LetPub ·
- h-index
- 109LetPub ·
- h-index
- 196OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 5,829OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.18OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 33.19%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 280LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 7,670 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 218 | 103 | 91 |
| 2025 | 301 | 103 | 1,121 |
| 2024 | 248 | 129 | 1,995 |
| 2023 | 211 | 66 | 2,691 |
| 2022 | 282 | 85 | 5,875 |
| 2021 | 287 | 85 | 6,595 |
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
131 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 3 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 3 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 60%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 8 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 57 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 131 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 7 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single 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 3,910 / EUR 3,660 / GBP 3,130 / JPY 484,960 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,850 | — | — |
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 papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare8 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted12
- brief communicationThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- commentsThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation.Length not stated
- full paperThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- full papersThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation.Length not stated
- letterThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- letters to the editorThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- research paperThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- reviewThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- review articleThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- review articlesThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation.Length not stated
- short communicationThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation. SHORT COMMUNICATIONS:…Length not stated
- short communicationsThe journal welcomes full papers, short communications, comments, letters to the Editor, and will publish review articles upon invitation.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI use
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 Group authorship
Group authorship refers to the attribution of an article to a defined and named group of authors whose members have contributed to the work. Examples include research consortia, clinical trial groups, collaborative networks, task forces or working groups, expert panels or consensus groups, and participatory research groups. Group authorship must be declared on the title page at submission. When av…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
All authors must disclose any financial and personal relationships with other people or organizations that could inappropriately influence or bias their work. Examples of potential competing interests include:EmploymentConsultanciesStock ownershipHonorariaPaid expert testimonyPatent applications or registrationsGrants or any other fundingAffiliation with the journal as an Editor or Advisory Board …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright License options
Authors will be offered open access user license options which will determine how you, and third parties, can reuse your open access article. We advise that you review these options and any funding body license requirements before selecting a license option.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access
We refer you to our open access information page to learn about open access options for this journal.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Single anonymized review process Model summary
This journal follows a single anonymized review process. Your submission will initially be assessed by our editors. If your submission is deemed suitable, it will typically be sent to be reviewed by a minimum of two reviewers for an independent expert assessment of the scientific quality. The decision as to whether your article is accepted or rejected for publication will be made by our editors.Re…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprints
Preprint sharing allowed Model summary
Preprint sharingAuthors may share preprints in line with Elsevier's article sharing policy. Sharing preprints, such as on a preprint server, will not count as prior publication.We advise you to read our policy on multiple, redundant or concurrent publication. In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service on SSRN, Elsevier’s preprint and early research …
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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1992
- ISSN
- 0925-8574
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Ecological Engineering
What CAS zone is Ecological Engineering in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Ecological Engineering is in Zone 2 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Ecology / Engineering, Environmental / Environmental Sciences. 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 Ecological Engineering?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.06; CiteScore 9.1, h-index 196.
How long does peer review take at Ecological Engineering?
The publisher reports about 131 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 3 months; the community-reported acceptance is “60%”. 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 Ecological Engineering?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; 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 Ecological Engineering based?
Of the 28 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 18%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (10), Mainland China (5) and Canada (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Ecological Engineering?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Ecological Engineering is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Ecological Engineering open access, and what is the APC?
Ecological Engineering is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,910.
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: .