Journal profile · Environmental Sciences
Journal of Arid Environments
ISSN 0140-1963 · eISSN 1095-922X · Academic Press Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly · Founded 1978
Journal of Arid Environments: CAS Zone 3 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.38; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,200; review about 121 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: easy; 197 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Journal of Arid Environments is published by Academic Press Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies, Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology and Plant Water Relations and Carbon Dynamics, together about 28.8% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Journal of Arid Environments is an international journal publishing high-quality research papers that provide original insights into critical scientific, environmental, ecological, and people-nature issues in the world's drylands. The journal recognises the value of interdisciplinary and multi-disciplinary approaches to investigate and better understand the complex scientific and societal issues facing the world's drylands, as well as original single-discipline research. Papers must represent rigorous research from and specifically relevant to hyper-arid, arid, semi-arid or dry-subhumid environments, into past, present, or future conditions.Papers must have international relevance, and address clearly stated aims, hypotheses, or research questions. The journal does not accept case studies. A case study is a report or research that applies existing knowledge to a specific context or place, and does not advance knowledge or its research field sufficiently to have appeal to an international audience.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Sciences
Editor-in-chief Lixin WangPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 6 in mainland China (about 27%); most named Mainland China 6, Spain 6, United Kingdom 5, United States 2, Malaysia 2 (22 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science15.3%
- Rangeland Management and Livestock EcologyEnvironmental Science6.8%
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsEnvironmental Science6.7%
- Rangeland and Wildlife ManagementEnvironmental Science6.6%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science6.6%
- Soil erosion and sediment transportAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.7%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.5%
- Aeolian processes and effectsEarth and Planetary Sciences4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | 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 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | 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
- 2.38LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.5Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.71LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.91LetPub ·
- h-index
- 100LetPub ·
- h-index
- 176OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 4,577OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.53OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 23.82%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 187LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 7,250 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 167 | 66 | 42 |
| 2025 | 197 | 61 | 535 |
| 2024 | 150 | 50 | 723 |
| 2023 | 129 | 50 | 1,043 |
| 2022 | 142 | 37 | 1,748 |
| 2021 | 226 | 71 | 3,101 |
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
121 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 12 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 12 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 1 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 66 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 121 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 8 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 3,200 / EUR 2,990 / GBP 2,560 / JPY 396,900 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,180 | — | — |
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 websiteWhat to prepare5 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- research articleResearch Articles: reporting original and previously unpublished work. Research papers have a reference limit of 50 cites. Short Communications: These are conci…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch Articles: reporting original and previously unpublished work. Research papers have a reference limit of 50 cites.Length not stated
- research paperResearch Articles: reporting original and previously unpublished work. Research papers have a reference limit of 50 cites. Short Communications: These are conci…Length not stated
- reviewResearch Articles: reporting original and previously unpublished work. Research papers have a reference limit of 50 cites. Short Communications: These are conci…Length not stated
- review articleResearch Articles: reporting original and previously unpublished work. Research papers have a reference limit of 50 cites. Short Communications: These are conci…Length not stated
- review articlesReview Articles: Critical evaluation of existing data, defined topics or emerging fields of investigation, critical issues of public concern, sometimes includin…Length not stated
- short communicationResearch Articles: reporting original and previously unpublished work. Research papers have a reference limit of 50 cites. Short Communications: These are conci…main text ≤ 2,400 words
- short communicationsShort Communications: These are concise, but complete descriptions of a limited investigation, which will not be included in a later paper.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
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 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
- Academic Press Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1978
- ISSN
- 0140-1963
- Electronic ISSN
- 1095-922X
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Journal of Arid Environments
What CAS zone is Journal of Arid Environments in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Journal of Arid Environments is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Ecology / Environmental Sciences. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Journal of Arid Environments?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.38; CiteScore 5.2, h-index 176.
How long does peer review take at Journal of Arid Environments?
The publisher reports about 121 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 12 months; 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.
What are the manuscript requirements of Journal of Arid Environments?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional. 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 Journal of Arid Environments based?
Of the 22 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 6 (about 27%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (6), Spain (6) and United Kingdom (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Journal of Arid Environments?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Journal of Arid Environments is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Journal of Arid Environments open access, and what is the APC?
Journal of Arid Environments is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,200.
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: .