Journal profile · Forestry
Plant Ecology
ISSN 1385-0237 · eISSN 1573-5052 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · Monthly · Founded 1948
Plant Ecology: CAS Zone 4 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 1.83; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,090; median 143 days to acceptance (100 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 97 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Plant Ecology is published by Springer Netherlands and is in Zone 4 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, Plant and animal studies and Botany and Plant Ecology Studies, together about 46.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Plant Science. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Plant Ecology publishes original scientific papers that report and interpret the findings of pure and applied research into the ecology of vascular plants in terrestrial and wetland ecosystems. Empirical, experimental, theoretical and review papers reporting on ecophysiology, population, community, ecosystem, landscape, molecular and historical ecology are within the scope of the journal.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Forestry
Editor-in-chief Jesse M. KalwijPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 10%); most named United States 18, Australia 6, Mainland China 5, Italy 4, South Africa 4 (51 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science27.6%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences11.1%
- Botany and Plant Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences8.1%
- Rangeland and Wildlife ManagementEnvironmental Science5.1%
- Plant Parasitism and ResistanceAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.9%
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsEnvironmental Science4.3%
- Fire effects on ecosystemsEnvironmental Science3.7%
- Forest ecology and managementEnvironmental Science3.5%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Forestry | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
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 | Plant Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Forestry | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Environmental Science & Ecology Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Environmental Science & Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Ecology | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Forestry | 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
Indexing the journal's website claims
CAB AbstractsCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: Google Scholar, EBSCO, ProQuest, Dimensions, CNKI, Baidu, AGRICOLA, Astrophysics Data System, Naver, OCLC, Portico, CLOCKSS
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
- 1.83LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 1.8Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 3.6LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.61LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.79LetPub ·
- h-index
- 92LetPub ·
- h-index
- 173OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 3,944OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 1.93OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 0%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 20.56%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 94LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 392,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 5,569 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 100 | 46 | 17 |
| 2025 | 97 | 21 | 188 |
| 2024 | 99 | 33 | 366 |
| 2023 | 100 | 40 | 561 |
| 2022 | 74 | 24 | 692 |
| 2021 | 110 | 37 | 1,280 |
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
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
143 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 98 days – 190 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 15 days (100 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 171 days
- Sample
- 100 articles with submission and acceptance dates (218 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 13 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 4 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 4,090 / EUR 3,090 / GBP 2,690 | — | — |
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 prepare4 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 6,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
Article types accepted8, with length limits
- braun-blanquet reviewsThe Braun-Blanquet Reviews in Plant Ecology provide in-depth analyses of our current understanding for wide-ranging topics in plant ecology.Length not stated
- editorialOriginal Research manuscripts report the results of primary research investigations in plant ecology and have a maximum length of 6,000 words. Short Communicati…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- letter to the editorOriginal Research manuscripts report the results of primary research investigations in plant ecology and have a maximum length of 6,000 words. Short Communicati…main text ≤ 2,000 words
- original researchOriginal Research manuscripts report the results of primary research investigations in plant ecology and have a maximum length of 6,000 words. Short Communicati…Length not stated
- reviewOriginal Research manuscripts report the results of primary research investigations in plant ecology and have a maximum length of 6,000 words. Short Communicati…main text ≤ 6,000 words
- review articleOriginal Research manuscripts report the results of primary research investigations in plant ecology and have a maximum length of 6,000 words. Short Communicati…Length not stated
- review articlesReview Articles are invited on any topic in plant ecology.Length not stated
- short communicationOriginal Research manuscripts report the results of primary research investigations in plant ecology and have a maximum length of 6,000 words. Short Communicati…main text ≤ 2,500 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Generative AI Images
Please check Springer’s policy on generative AI images and make sure your work adheres to the principles described therein. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship principles
These guidelines describe authorship principles and good authorship practices to which prospective authors should adhere to. Authorship clarified The Journal and Publisher assume all authors agreed with the content and that all gave explicit consent to submit and that they obtained consent from the responsible authorities at the institute/organization where the work has been carried out, before th…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Disclosures and declarations
All authors are requested to include information regarding sources of funding, financial or non-financial interests, study-specific approval by the appropriate ethics committee for research involving humans and/or animals, informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved animals (as appropriate). The decision whether such …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
Data availability statement required for all original research. Model summary
All original research must include a data availability statement. This statement should explain how to access data supporting the results and analysis in the article, including links/citations to publicly archived datasets analysed or generated during the study. Please see our full policy here. If it is not possible to share research data publicly, for instance when individual privacy could be com…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Compliance with Ethical Standards
To ensure objectivity and transparency in research and to ensure that accepted principles of ethical and professional conduct have been followed, authors should include information regarding sources of funding, potential conflicts of interest (financial or non-financial), informed consent if the research involved human participants, and a statement on welfare of animals if the research involved an…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
Permissions required for previously published material. Model summary
Open Choice articles do not require transfer of copyright as the copyright remains with the author. In opting for open access, the author(s) agree to publish the article under a Creative Commons license. Details of the OA licences offered to authors can be found on the individual journal website, in the journal's How to publish with us guide. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open access publishing
To find out more about publishing your work Open Access in Plant Ecology, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Portable Peer-Review
To limit multiple reviews of the same manuscript and therefore to decrease the workload on the scientific reviewer community, Plant Ecology supports portable peer-review. If your manuscript has already been through peer-review and you feel that these reports would help our Editorial Board reach a final decision on your manuscript more quickly, we would welcome the submission of these documents as …
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
- Springer Netherlands
- Country or region
- NETHERLANDS
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- Founded
- 1948
- ISSN
- 1385-0237
- Electronic ISSN
- 1573-5052
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Plant Ecology
What CAS zone is Plant Ecology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Plant Ecology is in Zone 4 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Forestry / Plant Sciences / Ecology. 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 Plant Ecology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 1.83; CiteScore 3.6, h-index 173.
How long does peer review take at Plant Ecology?
Based on the dates recorded on 100 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 143 days (interquartile range 98–190 days); authors report an average review time of about 13 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 Plant Ecology?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Manuscript length: ≤ 6,000 words; Reference style: Author–date. 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 Plant Ecology based?
Of the 51 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 10%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (18), Australia (6) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Plant Ecology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Plant Ecology is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists CAB Abstracts and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Plant Ecology open access, and what is the APC?
Plant Ecology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,090.
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 2026-08-25). Last updated: .