Journal profile · Ecology
Restoration Ecology
ISSN 1061-2971 · eISSN 1526-100X · Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd · UNITED STATES · Quarterly
Restoration Ecology: CAS Zone 3 · Environmental Science & Ecology (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.62; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,300; median 190 days to acceptance (109 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: fairly easy; 335 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Restoration Ecology is published by Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd 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 and Wildlife Management and Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics, together about 37.9% of its articles. Its main subfields are Ecology and Global and Planetary Change. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Restoration Ecology fosters the exchange of ideas among the many disciplines involved with ecological restoration. Addressing global concerns and communicating them to the international research community and restoration practitioners, the journal is at the forefront of a vital new direction in science, ecology, and policy. Original papers describe experimental, observational, and theoretical studies on terrestrial, marine, and freshwater systems, and are considered without taxonomic bias. Contributions span the natural sciences, including ecological and biological aspects, as well as the restoration of soil, air and water when set in an ecological context; and the social sciences, including cultural, philosophical, political, educational, economic and historical aspects. Edited by a distinguished panel, the journal continues to be a major conduit for researchers to publish their findings in the fight to not only halt ecological damage, but also to ultimately reverse it.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Ecology
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 4%); most named United States 41, Australia 17, Brazil 10, India 8, Germany 6 (126 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science20.8%
- Rangeland and Wildlife ManagementEnvironmental Science10.5%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science6.6%
- Peatlands and Wetlands EcologyEnvironmental Science5%
- Fire effects on ecosystemsEnvironmental Science4.8%
- Plant and animal studiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences4.2%
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science3.7%
- Wildlife Ecology and ConservationEnvironmental Science3.4%
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 |
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 |
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 |
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: EBSCO, ProQuest, AGRICOLA
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
- 2.62LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.7Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.6LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore (publisher) 2025
- 5.6Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 1.1LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.15LetPub ·
- h-index
- 90LetPub ·
- h-index
- 164OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 2,759OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.53OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 14.8%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 53.37%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 310LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher) 2025
- 314Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 801,088Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 4,717 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 280 | 186 | 79 |
| 2025 | 335 | 236 | 734 |
| 2024 | 292 | 215 | 1,482 |
| 2023 | 222 | 162 | 1,812 |
| 2022 | 243 | 109 | 3,024 |
| 2021 | 295 | 105 | 5,488 |
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
190 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 143 days – 264 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 16 days (110 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 211 days
- Sample
- 109 articles with submission and acceptance dates (670 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)
- 12–24 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- Fairly easyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 49%Publisher website ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher) 2025
- 49%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 41 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to first decision 2025
- 41 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance 2025
- 175 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication 2025
- 17 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 3,300 / EUR 2,750 / GBP 2,200 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 150 | — | — |
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
- US$ 150
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 accepted6, with length limits
- case studyThe word limits below include all text from the Introduction through the end of the Literature Cited; the limits exclude tables, figures, respective captions, a…Length not stated
- editorialThe Managing Editor (ME) conducts an internal pre-review assessment on each submission to determine whether the manuscript meets the journal’s editorial policie…Length not stated
- letterThe word limits below include all text from the Introduction through the end of the Literature Cited; the limits exclude tables, figures, respective captions, a…Length not stated
- opinioner and the cover letter to the journal. OPINION ARTICLES (< 3000 words) provide well-argued commentary, analysis, or discussions omain text ≤ 3,000 words
- research articleThe word limits below include all text from the Introduction through the end of the Literature Cited; the limits exclude tables, figures, respective captions, a…main text ≤ 8,000 words
- review articleThe word limits below include all text from the Introduction through the end of the Literature Cited; the limits exclude tables, figures, respective captions, a…main text ≤ 8,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Data availability, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review
- AI use Artificial Intelligence Policies for Restoration Ecology
Authorship and AI Tools In accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Guidance by STM, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs), are not permitted as authors of publications in Restoration Ecology as they cannot take responsibility for submitted works and thus cannot fulfil the role of, nor be listed as, an author …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship and AI Tools
In accordance with the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and Guidance by STM, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) tools, such as ChatGPT and other large language models (LLMs), are not permitted as authors of publications in Restoration Ecology as they cannot take responsibility for submitted works and thus cannot fulfil the role of, nor be listed as, an author of an article. Further, …
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing
This journal expects data sharing. Review Wiley’s Data Sharing policy where you will be able to see and select the data availability statement that is right for your submission
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright For authors signing the copyright transfer agreement
If the Open Access option is not selected, the corresponding author will be presented with the copyright transfer agreement (CTA) to sign. The terms and conditions of the CTA can be previewed in the samples associated with the Copyright FAQs below: CTA Terms and Conditions http://authorservices.wiley.com/bauthor/faqs_copyright.asp
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access CC-BY for all Open Access authors
If your paper is accepted, the author identified as the formal corresponding author for the paper will receive an email prompting them to login into Author Services; where via the Wiley Author Licensing Service (WALS), they will be able to complete the license agreement on behalf of all authors on the paper.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review AI in Peer Review
GenAI tools should be used only on a limited basis in connection with peer review. Please see Wiley's Best Practice Guidelines on Research Integrity and Publishing Ethics for complete guidance on the use of AI in the peer review process. A GenAI tool can be used by an editor or peer reviewer to improve the quality of the written feedback in a peer review report. This use must be transparently decl…
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
- Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Quarterly
- ISSN
- 1061-2971
- Electronic ISSN
- 1526-100X
- Society / sponsor
- Society for Ecological Restoration
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 34, Issue 7 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Restoration Ecology
What CAS zone is Restoration Ecology in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Restoration Ecology is in Zone 3 of Environmental Science & Ecology, and in Zone 3 of the minor category 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 Restoration Ecology?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.62; CiteScore 5.6, h-index 164.
How long does peer review take at Restoration Ecology?
Based on the dates recorded on 109 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 190 days (interquartile range 143–264 days); authors report an average review time of 12–24 weeks; the community-reported acceptance is “Fairly easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 49% (2025). 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 Restoration Ecology based?
Of the 126 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 4%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (41), Australia (17) and Brazil (10). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Restoration Ecology?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Restoration 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 Restoration Ecology open access, and what is the APC?
Restoration Ecology is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,300.
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 2026-08-26). Last updated: .