Journal profile · Environmental Sciences
Rangeland Ecology & Management
ISSN 1550-7424 · eISSN 1551-5028 · Elsevier Inc. · UNITED STATES · Bimonthly
Rangeland Ecology & Management: CAS Zone 3 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.85; hybrid open access; APC about USD 2,730; review 12–24 weeks (community reports); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 140 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Rangeland Ecology & Management is published by Elsevier 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 Rangeland and Wildlife Management, Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies and Fire effects on ecosystems, together about 51.4% of its articles. Its main subfields are Global and Planetary Change. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Rangeland Ecology & Management is the world's premier science journal for rangelands. Formerly known as the Journal of Range Management, this journal has been the flagship publication of the Society for Range Management since 1948. Rangelands are open ecosystems shaped by grazing and browsing mammals, pastoralists, and aridity. They occupy half of the Earth’s land surface, support the livelihoods of over 500 million people, are included in 67% of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, play a critical role in regulating global climate, and provide many other ecosystem services that affect human well-being. Yet global rangelands continue to be neglected in science and policy, limiting the support provided to pastoralists and rangeland managers. The declaration of the International Year of Rangelands and Pastoralists by the United Nations acknowledged the urgent need to accelerate production of science-based knowledge about rangelands. The mission of Rangeland Ecology & Management is to promote actionable science and management solutions in support of global rangeland stewardship. Rangeland science is inherently multidisciplinary. Accordingly, Rangeland Ecology & Management welcomes papers that advance knowledge about rangelands in a variety of contexts, including ecosystem processes and services, human dimensions and policy, wildlife and biodiversity, land use and land cover change, and social-ecological systems. The journal especially welcomes papers that provide evidence of the effectiveness of management, restoration, and policy options in rangelands and that introduce or evaluate technological, research, and management innovations. Paper types include concepts and perspectives, synthesis, research papers, technological innovations, and short communications. Regional rangeland perspectives are welcome, but topics should be placed in a global context given the journal's international readership and impact. All papers must include an Implications section that specifies how the work advances the understanding of rangelands and their management.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Sciences
Editor-in-chief Brandon T. BestelmeyerPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 34, Spain 3, Canada 3, Argentina 3, Mainland China 1 (46 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Rangeland and Wildlife ManagementEnvironmental Science26.3%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science14.8%
- Fire effects on ecosystemsEnvironmental Science10.3%
- Rangeland Management and Livestock EcologyEnvironmental Science5.8%
- Ruminant Nutrition and Digestive PhysiologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences5.6%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science5.4%
- Turfgrass Adaptation and ManagementEnvironmental Science5.1%
- Botany, Ecology, and Taxonomy StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences2.7%
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 | Environmental Sciences | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Ecology | 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
- 2.85LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.9Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.2LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 4.2Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.72LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.02LetPub ·
- h-index
- 64LetPub ·
- h-index
- 89OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 1,268OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.26OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 13.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 50.8%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 129LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 2,280 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 92 | 91 | 24 |
| 2025 | 140 | 84 | 283 |
| 2024 | 163 | 104 | 979 |
| 2023 | 114 | 62 | 959 |
| 2022 | 90 | 46 | 795 |
| 2021 | 110 | 52 | 1,506 |
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)
- 12–24 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- 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 2,730 / EUR 2,550 / GBP 2,190 / JPY 338,600 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 100 | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
Other charges and waivers (author guidelines)
- Page charges
- USD 100
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)
What to prepare6 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 300 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 1
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 8,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- Suggested reviewers
- Required
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted9
- editorialPerspective: Novel ideas that are not yet widely accepted or considered by the scientific community or alternative interpretations of existing ideas and content…Length not stated
- hypothesisPerspective: Novel ideas that are not yet widely accepted or considered by the scientific community or alternative interpretations of existing ideas and content…Length not stated
- invited perspective or synthesisInvited perspective or synthesis: High profile conceptual or synthesis papers invited by the editorial board with waiver of APC.Length not stated
- perspectivePerspective: Novel ideas that are not yet widely accepted or considered by the scientific community or alternative interpretations of existing ideas and content…Length not stated
- reviewPerspective: Novel ideas that are not yet widely accepted or considered by the scientific community or alternative interpretations of existing ideas and content…Length not stated
- short communicationPerspective: Novel ideas that are not yet widely accepted or considered by the scientific community or alternative interpretations of existing ideas and content…Length not stated
- short communicationsShort communications: Concise reports of research, observations, or ideas of immediate interest intended to foster communication, but that are not comprehensive…Length not stated
- surveyPerspective: Novel ideas that are not yet widely accepted or considered by the scientific community or alternative interpretations of existing ideas and content…Length not stated
- technological innovationsTechnological innovations: Introduces, demonstrates, or tests the use of innovative technologies for rangeland science or management. Papers should be no more t…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
Keywords: 1 to 6, in English Model summary
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
Peer review type: single anonymized 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.
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
- Elsevier Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Bimonthly
- ISSN
- 1550-7424
- Electronic ISSN
- 1551-5028
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Rangeland Ecology & Management
What CAS zone is Rangeland Ecology & Management in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Rangeland Ecology & Management 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 Rangeland Ecology & Management?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.85; CiteScore 4.2, h-index 89.
How long does peer review take at Rangeland Ecology & Management?
Authors report an average review time of 12–24 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 Rangeland Ecology & Management?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 300 words; Keywords: ≥ 1; Manuscript length: ≤ 8,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; Suggested reviewers: Required; Highlights: 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 Rangeland Ecology & Management based?
Of the 46 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (34), Spain (3) and Canada (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Rangeland Ecology & Management?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Rangeland Ecology & Management is indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Is Rangeland Ecology & Management open access, and what is the APC?
Rangeland Ecology & Management is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 2,730.
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: .