Journal profile · Forestry
Forest Policy and Economics
ISSN 1389-9341 · eISSN 1872-7050 · Elsevier · UNITED STATES · Quarterly
Forest Policy and Economics: CAS Zone 1 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal); impact factor 4.58; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,370; review about 169 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 205 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Forest Policy and Economics is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition, Top journal). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Forest Management and Policy, Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management and Economic and Environmental Valuation, together about 53.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Global and Planetary Change. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Forest Policy and Economics is the leading hub for social sciences research on forests. It developed into a globally leading scientific journal that publishes peer-reviewed policy and economics research relating to forests, forested landscapes, forest-related industries, and other forest-relevant land uses. It also welcomes contributions from other social sciences and humanities perspectives. These disciplines include, but are not limited to, sociology, anthropology, human geography, history, jurisprudence, planning, development studies, and psychology research on forests. We only welcome works that make clear theoretical, conceptual or methodological contributions to the existing state-of-the-art literature. This includes a systematic positioning of works in recent international literatures. We, hence, discourage simple case studies, surveys, consultancy works or reports, which do not make such universal contributions and which do not reflect beyond the individual case.Forest Policy and Economics is global in scope and acceptance for publication is subject to a double-blind peer-review process. The journal publishes the following, article types, all of which are peer-reviewed and fully citable: Regular research articles are full-length original scientific publications based on clearly defined methods and adequate dataReview articles provide a systematic, analytical, and global overview of a specific field of scientific literature based on the systematic analysis of a well-defined body of existing international publicationsSpecial Issues consist of a collection of articles resulting from previous scientific exchange among a group. Potential Guest Editors are invited to submit 1-3 page proposals for Special Issues, including envisaged contributions, to salibu@agro.unlp.edu.ar Commentaries are science-based, peer-reviewed, short communications formulated as one of the following types:Science Critiques critically discuss previous research published in our journal or in other high-impact outlets.Research Trends (including book reviews) identify emerging empirical phenomena and issues of importance that should be addressed by future research.Policy Forum are short commentary pieces on contemporary, internationally relevant forest or forest-related policy issues that enable researchers, policy makers, and practitioners to make timely contributions to policy debates.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Forestry
Editorial board by country: 4 in mainland China (about 5%); most named Germany 21, United States 10, Finland 8, Mainland China 4, United Kingdom 4 (86 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Forest Management and PolicyEnvironmental Science26.4%
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource ManagementEnvironmental Science18%
- Economic and Environmental ValuationEconomics, Econometrics and Finance9.5%
- Global trade, sustainability, and social impactBusiness, Management and Accounting4.4%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance3.4%
- Human auditory perception and evaluationEngineering3.4%
- Educational Robotics and EngineeringComputer Science3.1%
- Forest Biomass Utilization and ManagementEngineering3.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Forestry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 1
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Forestry | Zone 1 |
Top journal: yesReview 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 | Forestry | Zone 1 |
| Minor | Economics | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Environmental Studies | Zone 3 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIESSCIScopusLetPub
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
- 4.58LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 4.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.29LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.57LetPub ·
- h-index
- 60LetPub ·
- h-index
- 118OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,262OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.71OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 19.6%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 46.43%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 188LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,472 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 159 | 105 | 90 |
| 2025 | 205 | 131 | 849 |
| 2024 | 189 | 106 | 1,664 |
| 2023 | 162 | 88 | 2,415 |
| 2022 | 132 | 64 | 2,727 |
| 2021 | 203 | 100 | 4,839 |
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
169 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports 12–24 weeks
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)
- 12–24 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 78 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 169 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 10 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 4,370 / EUR 4,090 / GBP 3,500 / JPY 542,010 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 4,020 | — | — |
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 prepare1 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
Article types accepted4
- commentariesCommentaries are science-based, peer-reviewed, short communications formulated as one of the following types:Length not stated
- regular research articlesRegular research articles are full-length original scientific publications based on clearly defined methods and adequate dataLength not stated
- review articlesReview articles provide a systematic, analytical, and global overview of a specific field of scientific literature based on the systematic analysis of a well-de…Length not stated
- special issuesSpecial Issues consist of a collection of articles resulting from previous scientific exchange among a group.Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, 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 ·- Data availability
Data statement required Model summary
To foster transparency, you are required to state the availability of any data at submission.
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
Double anonymized peer review Model summary
This journal follows a double 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. Note that this journal follows a double anonymized peer review process, and therefore submissions should not be published as a preprint befo…
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
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- ISSN
- 1389-9341
- Electronic ISSN
- 1872-7050
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Forest Policy and Economics
What CAS zone is Forest Policy and Economics in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Forest Policy and Economics is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 1 of the minor category Forestry / Economics / Environmental Studies; it is a Top journal. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 1 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Forest Policy and Economics?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 4.58; CiteScore 7.6, h-index 118.
How long does peer review take at Forest Policy and Economics?
The publisher reports about 169 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of 12–24 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “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.
Where are the editorial board members of Forest Policy and Economics based?
Of the 86 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 4 (about 5%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Germany (21), United States (10) and Finland (8). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Forest Policy and Economics?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Forest Policy and Economics is indexed in SCIE, SSCI and Scopus.
Is Forest Policy and Economics open access, and what is the APC?
Forest Policy and Economics is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,370.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .