Journal profile · Ecology
Ecology Letters
ISSN 1461-023X · eISSN 1461-0248 · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · ENGLAND · Monthly · Founded 1998
Ecology Letters: CAS Zone 1 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 7.64; hybrid open access; APC about USD 5,300; median 192 days to acceptance (93 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: 33%; 286 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Ecology Letters 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 Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies, Plant and animal studies and Species Distribution and Climate Change, together about 45% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
100% of editorial decisions are made within published limits and our average time from submission to first decision is currently 22 days. Maximum time to first editorial decision is 8 weeks. Ecology Letters is a forum for the very rapid publication of the most novel research in ecology. Manuscripts relating to the ecology of all taxa, in any biome and geographic area will be considered, and priority will be given to those papers exploring or testing clearly stated hypotheses. The journal publishes concise papers that merit urgent publication by virtue of their originality, general interest and their contribution to new developments in ecology. We discourage purely descriptive papers and those merely confirming or extending results of previous work. Seven types of article are published in Ecology Letters: Letter: exciting findings in fast-moving areas; Perspective, Synthesis and Method: are commissioned by one of two processes: (1) Direct invitations from the Perspective, or Synthesis or Method Editors, with consultation with the Editorial Board and Editor-in-Chief or (2) Unsolicited proposals, which will be evaluated by the Perspective or Synthesis or Method Editors, in consultation with the Editorial Board and Editor-in-Chief, prior to a full submission; Method: reports on new instrumentation, experimental procedures and statistical models that are expected to catalyse significant breakthroughs across ecology's sub‐disciplines; Perspectives: novel essays for a general audience; Synthesis: syntheses of important subjects meriting urgent coverage; Technical Note: represent important advances focusing on papers published in Ecology Letters. Technical Note papers can be on any aspect of the science from experimental design, through statistical analysis, to concerns about data authenticity; Viewpoint: topical editorials linked to an online curated platform to enable scientists and others to engage transparently in dialogue around issues raised in the editorials.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editor-in-chief Peter H ThrallPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 3%); most named United States 40, France 16, United Kingdom 9, Germany 7, Australia 6 (129 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science18.7%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences17.8%
- Species Distribution and Climate ChangeEnvironmental Science8.5%
- Evolution and Genetic DynamicsBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.6%
- Animal Ecology and Behavior StudiesEnvironmental Science5.5%
- Animal Behavior and ReproductionAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science4.6%
- Evolutionary Game Theory and CooperationSocial Sciences3.4%
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 | Ecology | Zone 1 |
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 | Ecology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
MEDLINEPubMedCAB AbstractsGeoRefCurrent 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
- 7.64LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 7.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 13.3LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 13.3Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 3.38LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 2.5LetPub ·
- h-index
- 234LetPub ·
- h-index
- 397OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,851OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 7.24OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 3.9%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 63.83%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 172LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,166 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 163 | 120 | 155 |
| 2025 | 286 | 219 | 1,637 |
| 2024 | 256 | 209 | 3,313 |
| 2023 | 223 | 180 | 4,822 |
| 2022 | 220 | 142 | 9,067 |
| 2021 | 285 | 166 | 12,231 |
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 151 days – 262 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 29 days (93 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 244 days
- Sample
- 93 articles with submission and acceptance dates (500 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 1.8 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 33%LetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 14%Publisher website ·
- Desk decision
- 56 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 9 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Open 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 5,300 / EUR 4,440 / GBP 3,510 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- No page charges
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
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted7, with length limits
- data articleds and 6 figures, tables or text boxes. Data Article: Maximum of 2000 words and 2 figures, tables or text boxes. The maximum number ofmain text ≤ 2,000 words
- letterrvice. Back To Top 2. TYPES OF ARTICLES Letter: Maximum of 5000 words and 6 figures, tables or text boxes. Data Article: Maximummain text ≤ 5,000 words
- methodMethod: Maximum of 5000 words and 6 figures, tables or text boxes.Length not stated
- perspectiveds and 6 figures, tables or text boxes. Perspective: Maximum of 7500 words and 10 figures, tables or text boxes. Synthesis: Maximum ofmain text ≤ 7,500 words
- synthesisSynthesis: Maximum of 7500 words and 10 figures, tables or text boxes.Length not stated
- technical noteTechnical Note: Must address articles published in Ecology Letters. Maximum 800 words and 2 figures or tables.Length not stated
- viewpointor tables. Text boxes are not allowed. Viewpoint: Maximum of 2000 words and 2 figures or tables. Text boxes are not allowed.The maxmain text ≤ 2,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websitePeer review
- Peer review TRANSPARENT PEER REVIEW
This journal supports Peer Review Transparency. You have the choice to opt-out during the submission process. By submitting to this journal, you agree that the reviewer reports, their responses, and the editor’s decision letter will be linked from the published article to where they appear on Web of Science in the case that the article is accepted. Reviewers can choose to remain anonymous unless t…
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
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1998
- ISSN
- 1461-023X
- Electronic ISSN
- 1461-0248
- Society / sponsor
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 29, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Ecology Letters
What CAS zone is Ecology Letters in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Ecology Letters is in Zone 1 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 1 of the minor category 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 Ecology Letters?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 7.64; CiteScore 13.3, h-index 397.
How long does peer review take at Ecology Letters?
Based on the dates recorded on 93 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 192 days (interquartile range 151–262 days); authors report an average review time of about 1.8 months; the community-reported acceptance is “33%”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 14%. 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 Ecology Letters based?
Of the 129 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 4 (about 3%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (40), France (16) and United Kingdom (9). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Ecology Letters?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Ecology Letters is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists MEDLINE, PubMed, CAB Abstracts, GeoRef and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Ecology Letters open access, and what is the APC?
Ecology Letters is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 5,300.
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: .