Journal profile · Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Soil Science
Frontiers in Soil Science
ISSN 2673-8619 · Frontiers Media S.A. · Switzerland
Frontiers in Soil Science: CAS Zone 4 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 6 (journal website); fully open access; APC charged, amount not published; review about 13 weeks (community reports); 82 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Frontiers in Soil Science is published by Frontiers Media S.A. and is in Zone 4 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, Soil Geostatistics and Mapping and Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics, together about 43.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Frontiers in Soil Science provides a forum for research excellence in all aspects of soil science. Indexed in the DOAJ, Scopus and Web of Science (ESCI), the journal publishes articles on agriculture, biofuel, and forest production systems, but also those associated with natural ecosystems from all latitudes. Led by Field Chief Editor Professor Davey Jones (Bangor University, UK), Frontiers in Soil Sciences complements our sister journals in the life sciences, Frontiers in Agronomy and Frontiers in Plant Science. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to: pedometrics plant-soil-microbial interactions soil biogeochemistry & nutrient cycling soil biology, ecosystems and biodiversity soil hydrology soil management soil organic matter dynamics and carbon sequestration soil pollution & remediation soil quality soils and human health. The journal invites article submissions in soil chemistry, physics, and biology, as well as pedology and soil classification and characterization. Submissions that improve our fundamental mechanistic understanding of soil and submissions covering applied aspects of soil science are welcome. Novel methods and techniques for characterizing soils will also be considered, ranging from field and laboratory experimental approaches through to bioinformatic, statistical and advanced data analysis techniques. The editors are especially interested in manuscripts covering plant-soil-microbial interactions, soil informatics or the mathematical modelling of soil processes. Submissions that advance the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially SDG 15: life on land; and SDG 2: zero hunger, are also welcome. All studies must significantly contribute to the advancement of soil science, deepen knowledge in the subject and present new insights. Manuscripts that focus solely on the measurement or quantification of soil organic carbon without a fundamental basis in broader soil science themes such as soil health, soil fertility, or soil-climate interactions are not suitable for publication in this journal. Studies that do not provide new insights into soil processes, soil management, or the role of soil in ecosystems are also outside the scope of this journal. Frontiers in Soil Science is committed to advancing developments in the field of soil science by communicating scientific knowledge to researchers and the public alike, to enable the scientific breakthroughs of the future.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Agricultural and Biological Sciences-Soil Science
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 3, Mainland China 2, France 2, Brazil 2, Egypt 2 (20 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 Sciences30.5%
- Soil Geostatistics and MappingEnvironmental Science7.3%
- Soil and Water Nutrient DynamicsEnvironmental Science5.7%
- Heavy metals in environmentEnvironmental Science5.4%
- Microbial Community Ecology and PhysiologyEnvironmental Science4.3%
- Soil erosion and sediment transportAgricultural and Biological Sciences4%
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.6%
- Soil and Unsaturated FlowEngineering3.3%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
Web of SciencePublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Astrophysics Data System, CLOCKSS, Crossref
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 (publisher)
- 6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7.8LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7.8Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.21LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.26LetPub ·
- h-index
- 28OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 112OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 4.43OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 1.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 77LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 403 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 138 | 138 | 89 |
| 2025 | 82 | 82 | 461 |
| 2024 | 30 | 30 | 557 |
| 2023 | 50 | 50 | 823 |
| 2022 | 79 | 79 | 1,681 |
| 2021 | 24 | 24 | 332 |
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
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 13 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 13 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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 accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | CHF 1,950 | Yes | CC BY | |
| OpenAlex | CHF 1,950 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 2,125 | Yes | — |
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)
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Conflicts of interest, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Use of AI to create written or visual content
Authors should not list a generative AI technology as a co-author or author of any submitted manuscript. Generative AI technologies cannot be held accountable for all aspects of a manuscript and consequently do not meet the criteria required for authorship. If the author of a submitted manuscript has used written or visual content produced by or edited using a generative AI technology, this use mu…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Safeguards against financial conflicts of interest
Only leading researchers acting as Associate Editors, who are not part of Frontiers' staff, can make acceptance decisions based on reviews performed by external experts acting as Community Reviewers or Reviewers. None have a financial incentive to accept articles, i.e. they are not paid for their role as Associate Editor or community Reviewer, and any award scheme is not linked to acceptances of m…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Open access and copyright
All Frontiers' articles from July 2012 onwards are published with open access under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (the current version is CC-BY, version 4.0). This means that the author(s) retains copyright, but the content is free to download, distribute, and adapt for commercial or non-commercial purposes, given appropriate attribution to the original article. Upon submission, the author(s)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access and copyright
APCs apply to accepted articles following peer review. Model summary
All Frontiers' articles from July 2012 onwards are published with open access under the Creative Commons CC-BY license (the current version is CC-BY, version 4.0). This means that the author(s) retains copyright, but the content is free to download, distribute, and adapt for commercial or non-commercial purposes, given appropriate attribution to the original article. Upon submission, the author(s)…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer review
Our rigorous, transparent peer review process combines expert review and constructive dialogue to strengthen your manuscript.
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
- Frontiers Media S.A.
- Country or region
- Switzerland
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2673-8619
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗LetPub
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Frontiers in Soil Science
What CAS zone is Frontiers in Soil Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Frontiers in Soil Science is in Zone 4 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Soil Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Frontiers in Soil Science?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 7.8, h-index 28.
How long does peer review take at Frontiers in Soil Science?
Authors report an average review time of about 13 weeks. 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 Frontiers in Soil Science based?
Of the 20 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (3), Mainland China (2) and France (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Frontiers in Soil Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Frontiers in Soil Science is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists Web of Science; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Frontiers in Soil Science open access, and what is the APC?
Frontiers in Soil Science is a fully open-access journal. APC charged, amount not published.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website, DOAJ; 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: .