Journal profile · Mycology
LICHENOLOGIST
ISSN 0024-2829 · eISSN 1096-1135 · Cambridge University Press · ENGLAND · Bimonthly · Founded 1958
LICHENOLOGIST: CAS Zone 3 · Biology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.19; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,550; review about 6 months (community reports); community-reported acceptance: easy; 37 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
LICHENOLOGIST is published by Cambridge University Press and is in Zone 3 of Biology in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Lichen and fungal ecology, Botany and Plant Ecology Studies and Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant Interactions, together about 58.6% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
The Lichenologist is the premier scientific journal devoted exclusively to the study of lichens worldwide. As the leading forum for the dissemination of new concepts and topical reviews, The Lichenologist reaches more scientists concerned with the study of lichens and lichen symbionts than any other single journal. Papers are accepted in all areas of lichen biology including taxonomy and systematics, phylogenetics, biogeography, community and population ecology, lichen physiology and anatomy. Published papers can be in the form of a Monograph, Review or Perspective piece, a Standard Paper for research, or a Short Communication. Book reviews can be solicited (see below). As well as its standard issues, The Lichenologist publishes special issues in complex, impactful and/or emerging areas of research, and anyone wishing to be guest editor(s) of a special issue is invited to contact the Senior Editors to discuss their ideas. For more information on the scope of the journal, in addition to the benefits of publishing in The Lichenologist, please see the instructions for authors here.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Mycology
Editorial board by country: none in mainland China; most named United States 3, United Kingdom 3, Germany 2, Italy 2, Spain 2 (19 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Lichen and fungal ecologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences29.6%
- Botany and Plant Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences15.9%
- Mycorrhizal Fungi and Plant InteractionsAgricultural and Biological Sciences13.1%
- Plant Pathogens and Fungal DiseasesBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology7.9%
- Bryophyte Studies and RecordsAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.6%
- Diverse Scientific and Economic StudiesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance5.4%
- Electron and X-Ray Spectroscopy TechniquesMaterials Science2.2%
- Intellectual Property and PatentsBusiness, Management and Accounting2.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Biology Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Mycology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mycology | Zone 4 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Biology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Biology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Mycology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 4 |
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
- 1.19LetPub ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 2.4LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.32LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 44LetPub ·
- h-index
- 76OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,361OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 0.92OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 45.45%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 24LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,674 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 19 | 1 |
| 2025 | 37 | 25 | 29 |
| 2024 | 45 | 32 | 70 |
| 2023 | 60 | 36 | 166 |
| 2022 | 43 | 20 | 157 |
| 2021 | 54 | 28 | 433 |
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 6 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
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 3,550 / GBP 2,460 | — | — |
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)
Article types accepted2
- review articleArticle*Review Article*Short Communication*Recent Literature*Book ReviewPerspectiveEditorialLength not stated
- short communicationArticle*Review Article*Short Communication*Recent Literature*Book ReviewPerspectiveEditorialLength not stated
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
- Cambridge University Press
- Country or region
- ENGLAND
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1958
- ISSN
- 0024-2829
- Electronic ISSN
- 1096-1135
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about LICHENOLOGIST
What CAS zone is LICHENOLOGIST in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, LICHENOLOGIST is in Zone 3 of Biology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Plant Sciences / Mycology. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 4 of Biology. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of LICHENOLOGIST?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.19; CiteScore 2.4, h-index 76.
How long does peer review take at LICHENOLOGIST?
Authors report an average review time of about 6 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.
Where are the editorial board members of LICHENOLOGIST based?
Of the 19 board members whose country the journal's board page names, none are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (3), United Kingdom (3) and Germany (2). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index LICHENOLOGIST?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, LICHENOLOGIST is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is LICHENOLOGIST open access, and what is the APC?
LICHENOLOGIST is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,550.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, Publisher website; 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: .