Journal profile · Ecology
Pedobiologia
ISSN 0031-4056 · eISSN 1873-1511 · Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena · GERMANY · Bimonthly · Founded 1961
Pedobiologia: CAS Zone 3 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.61; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,260; review about 121 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 49 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Pedobiologia is published by Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena and is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology, Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics and Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology Studies, together about 31% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Journal of Soil Ecology publishes high-quality, mechanistic, and integrative research advancing understanding of soil as a dynamic biological system. The journal aims to serve as a leading platform for the best research in soil ecology, with a strong emphasis on soil microbiome while maintaining a broad and inclusive scope across all soil biota, including fauna, flora, and microorganisms.Soil represents the most biodiverse habitat on Earth, yet the ecological processes governing belowground communities remain poorly resolved. The journal therefore particularly encourages research that moves beyond descriptive surveys towards process-based understanding of how soil organisms interact across spatial, temporal, and organizational scales, and how these interactions regulate ecosystem functioning, resilience, and biogeochemical cycling.The journal welcomes empirical, theoretical, and synthesis research spanning the full spectrum of soil ecology, from viruses and prokaryotes to macrofauna and plant root systems. Particular areas of interest include:Soil microbiome, including microbial diversity, community assembly, biogeochemical functions, diversity–function relationships, and the ecological roles of bacteria, archaea, fungi, protists, and viruses.Soil animal diversity, ecological function and their interactions with factors in their biotic and abiotic environments.Multi-taxa soil ecology and soil food webs, including interactions among faunal, microbial and plant communities, plant–soil feedbacks, and rhizosphere ecology.Ecological responses of soil communities to global change drivers, disturbance, land use, and conservation interventions.Soil biodiversity and ecosystem functioning under natural, managed, changing environmental conditions, and in the Anthropocene.The journal builds upon its historical strengths in soil faunal ecology while actively encouraging high-impact contributions in soil microbiology, microbial ecology, and integrative multi-taxa research that advance contemporary soil ecological theory and understanding.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editor-in-chief Zoë LindoPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 11 in mainland China (about 28%); most named Mainland China 11, Canada 6, Japan 5, United States 3, United Kingdom 2 (40 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Invertebrate Taxonomy and EcologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences11.6%
- Soil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsAgricultural and Biological Sciences11.4%
- Collembola Taxonomy and Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.1%
- Study of Mite SpeciesAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.5%
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and BehaviorBiochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology5.1%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science5%
- Health, Medicine and SocietyHealth Professions4.6%
- Hermeneutics and Narrative IdentityArts and Humanities4.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | 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 | Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Soil Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Soil Science | 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
- 2.61LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.1LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.1Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.73LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- h-index
- 61LetPub ·
- h-index
- 110OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,011OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.17OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 7.7%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 30.7%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 40LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 3,704 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 58 | 24 | 16 |
| 2025 | 49 | 16 | 79 |
| 2024 | 50 | 28 | 246 |
| 2023 | 35 | 13 | 260 |
| 2022 | 41 | 18 | 321 |
| 2021 | 51 | 15 | 675 |
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 over 36 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)
- over 36 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 54 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 121 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 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 3,260 / EUR 3,050 / GBP 2,610 / JPY 404,340 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 3,550 | — | — |
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 prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Reference style
- Vancouver
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
- Cover letter
- Required
Article types accepted14
- editorialOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- letters to the editorOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- opinionOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- opinion papersOpinion papers are articles that provide an insightful perspective on any subject covered by the aims and scope of Pedobiologia.Length not stated
- original researchOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- original research paperOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- original research papersOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- perspectiveOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- regular paperOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- research paperOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- review articleOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
- review articlesReview articles should cover a subject of active current interest. They may be submitted or invited.Length not stated
- short communicationOriginal research papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a prelimina…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, 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 ·- Publication ethics
Publishing ethics policy Model summary
Authors must follow ethical guidelines stated in Elsevier's Publishing Ethics Policy.
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 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. 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
- Urban und Fischer Verlag Jena
- Country or region
- GERMANY
- Language
- Multi-Language
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- Founded
- 1961
- ISSN
- 0031-4056
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-1511
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Pedobiologia
What CAS zone is Pedobiologia in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Pedobiologia is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 4 of the minor category Ecology / 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 Pedobiologia?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.61; CiteScore 4.1, h-index 110.
How long does peer review take at Pedobiologia?
The publisher reports about 121 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of over 36 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly 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 Pedobiologia?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Reference style: Vancouver; Highlights: Required; Graphical abstract: Optional; Cover letter: Required. 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 Pedobiologia based?
Of the 40 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 11 (about 28%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (11), Canada (6) and Japan (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Pedobiologia?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Pedobiologia is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Pedobiologia open access, and what is the APC?
Pedobiologia is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,260.
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 2026-08-24). Last updated: .