Journal profile · Ecology
European Journal of Soil Biology
ISSN 1164-5563 · eISSN 1778-3615 · Elsevier Masson SAS · FRANCE · Quarterly · Founded 1993
European Journal of Soil Biology: CAS Zone 2 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.93; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,800; review about 124 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: about 75%; 65 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
European Journal of Soil Biology is published by Elsevier Masson SAS and is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics, Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology and Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology, together about 35.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The European Journal of Soil Biology is dedicated to exploring the biology and ecology of soil organisms, emphasizing the important role of soil biodiversity for ecosystem functioning. Contributions to the journal must provide information on the soil organisms involved with a clear link to the conditions in the soil. The journal welcomes contributions across all scales, from detailed mechanistic pot-scale experiments to global ecosystem analyses, with a special interest in field-scale studies. Research is considered at various levels of biological organization from individuals and populations to communities and ecosystems. The journal seeks to incorporate cutting-edge technologies and cross-disciplinary methodologies to enhance our knowledge of soil biological interactions and their effects on ecosystem functions.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editor-in-chief Mo BahramPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 16 in mainland China (about 23%); most named Mainland China 16, Germany 11, Netherlands 7, Switzerland 7, Spain 4 (71 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences22.1%
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and EcologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences7.2%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science6.4%
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.8%
- Legume Nitrogen Fixing SymbiosisAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.6%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science4.5%
- Peatlands and Wetlands EcologyEnvironmental Science4.3%
- Nematode management and characterization studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.2%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Ecology | 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
- 3.93LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.03LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.92LetPub ·
- h-index
- 61LetPub ·
- h-index
- 112OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,356OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.83OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 2.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 25.33%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 60LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,934 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 61 | 30 | 15 |
| 2025 | 65 | 25 | 182 |
| 2024 | 95 | 42 | 870 |
| 2023 | 83 | 38 | 891 |
| 2022 | 50 | 13 | 827 |
| 2021 | 72 | 20 | 1,635 |
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
124 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 3.2 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 3.2 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- 75%LetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 48 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 124 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 6 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 3,800 / EUR 3,550 / GBP 3,040 / JPY 471,310 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,810 | — | — |
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
Publisher websiteArticle types accepted8, with length limits
- original articleContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …Length not stated
- original research articleContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …main text ≤ 6,000 words
- original research paperContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …Length not stated
- perspectiveContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …Length not stated
- research paperContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …Length not stated
- reviewContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …main text ≤ 3,000 words
- short communicationContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …main text ≤ 1,200 words
- viewpointContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication:Original research papers ("Original article") - Manuscripts must contain …Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, 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 ·- 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
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 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 Masson SAS
- Country or region
- FRANCE
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- Founded
- 1993
- ISSN
- 1164-5563
- Electronic ISSN
- 1778-3615
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about European Journal of Soil Biology
What CAS zone is European Journal of Soil Biology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, European Journal of Soil Biology is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Ecology / Soil Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of European Journal of Soil Biology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.93; CiteScore 6, h-index 112.
How long does peer review take at European Journal of Soil Biology?
The publisher reports about 124 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 3.2 months; the community-reported acceptance is “about 75%”. 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 European Journal of Soil Biology based?
Of the 71 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 16 (about 23%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (16), Germany (11) and Netherlands (7). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index European Journal of Soil Biology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, European Journal of Soil Biology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is European Journal of Soil Biology open access, and what is the APC?
European Journal of Soil Biology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,800.
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: .