Journal profile · FORESTRY
Small-Scale Forestry
ISSN 1873-7617 · eISSN 1873-7854 · Springer Netherlands · NETHERLANDS · 4 issues per year · Founded 2002
Small-Scale Forestry: CAS Zone 3 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 2.33; hybrid open access; APC about USD 3,090; median 155 days to acceptance (63 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 31 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Small-Scale Forestry is published by Springer Netherlands 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 Forest Management and Policy, Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management and Economic and Environmental Valuation, together about 52.1% of its articles. Its main subfields are Global and Planetary Change. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Emerging from discussions within IUFRO’s Small-scale Forestry group, Small-scale Forestry was originally published as Small-scale Forest Economics, Management and Policy in 2002, with a view to providing an international forum for publishing high quality, peer-reviewed papers on pure and applied research into small-scale forestry. Although of particular interest to the global research community, the journal is also relevant to both policy makers and forest managers. The scope of the journal is necessarily quite broad, given the range of issues relevant to small-scale forestry. These include the social, economic and technical dimensions of farm, family, non-industrial, agro- and community forestry. Papers are accepted on the basis that they relate specifically to forestry at this scale, and that they are based on high quality research using accepted quantitative and/or qualitative methodology. Empirical, theoretical, modeling, and methodological papers are all welcome. The following research areas are particularly relevant to the journal: the role of small-scale forestry in rural development financial modeling and decision support systems enhancing return from non-wood products social impacts of small-scale forestry marketing, forest co-operatives and growers organizations role and effectiveness of government support and subsidies innovative research techniques education and extension certification silvicultural, wood harvesting and processing techniques and technologies impediments to small-scale forestry development monitoring socio-economics forest management behaviour and timber supply
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): FORESTRY
Editor-in-chief Sharif A. MukulPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 2 in mainland China (about 6%); most named Australia 6, United States 4, India 4, Finland 4, Mainland China 2 (32 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Forest Management and PolicyEnvironmental Science23.9%
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource ManagementEnvironmental Science22%
- Economic and Environmental ValuationEconomics, Econometrics and Finance6.1%
- Forest Biomass Utilization and ManagementEngineering5.7%
- Bioenergy crop production and managementAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.7%
- Global trade, sustainability, and social impactBusiness, Management and Accounting3.6%
- Forest ecology and managementEnvironmental Science3.5%
- African Botany and Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences3.1%
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 | Forestry | Zone 3 |
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 | Forestry | 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 | Forestry | 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
- 2.33LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2.4Publisher website ·
- 5-year impact factor (publisher) 2025
- 2Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 4.2LetPub ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.52LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.95LetPub ·
- h-index
- 18LetPub ·
- h-index
- 48OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 350OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 2.34OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 40.54%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 29LetPub ·
- Articles per year (publisher)
- 2,025Publisher website ·
- Downloads per year (publisher) 2025
- 79,100Publisher website ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 672 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 47 | 12 | 44 |
| 2025 | 31 | 12 | 92 |
| 2024 | 24 | 11 | 103 |
| 2023 | 22 | 12 | 173 |
| 2022 | 41 | 18 | 366 |
| 2021 | 31 | 5 | 315 |
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
155 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 108 days – 261 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 18 days (82 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 175 days
- Sample
- 63 articles with submission and acceptance dates (84 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)
- over 12 weeksLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 6 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous 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 3,090 / EUR 2,490 / GBP 2,190 | — | — |
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 papers2, by deadline
Publisher websiteWhat to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- 150–250 words
- Keywords
- ≥ 4
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Suggested reviewers
- Optional
- Highlights
- Optional
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- brief reportarch and should not exceed 7,000 words. Brief reports also present original findings but are more concise and should not exceed 3,500 words. Perspective Article…main text ≤ 3,500 words
- data noteData notes describe unique datasets with the potential for reuse by researchers in relevant fields. They must include a brief background, methods, and implicati…Length not stated
- original research articleture and should not exceed 9,000 words. Original research articles must present new findings based on the author(s)’ own research and should not exceed 7,000 wo…main text ≤ 7,000 words
- perspectivePerspective articles are a flexible format intended to present new insights or ideas. These articles are published by invitation only or following prior communi…main text ≤ 2,500 words
- reviewAll manuscripts are initially reviewed by the Editor in Chief and/or an Associate Editor to verify the content of the manuscript is within the scope of the jour…Length not stated
- review articlemong them relate to length and purpose. Review Article Review articles synthesize previously published literature and should not exceed 9,000 words. Original re…main text ≤ 9,000 words
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, 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 Competing Interests
Authors are requested to disclose interests that are directly or indirectly related to the work submitted for publication. Interests within the last 3 years of beginning the work (conducting the research and preparing the work for submission) should be reported. Interests outside the 3-year time frame must be disclosed if they could reasonably be perceived as influencing the submitted work. Disclo…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data availability statements
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 ·- License & copyright Copyright
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 Small-scale Forestry, including information on fees, funding and licences, visit our Open access publishing page. Back to top
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Review Process
Single-blind peer review. Model summary
All manuscripts are initially reviewed by the Editor in Chief and/or an Associate Editor to verify the content of the manuscript is within the scope of the journal and if the guidelines provided in the instructions to authors have been adhered to. The manuscript will be rejected if it is out of scope and will be returned to the author for corrections if the guidelines are not adhered to. Each arti…
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
- 4 issues per year
- Founded
- 2002
- ISSN
- 1873-7617
- Electronic ISSN
- 1873-7854
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 25, Issue 3 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Small-Scale Forestry
What CAS zone is Small-Scale Forestry in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Small-Scale Forestry is in Zone 3 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Forestry. 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 Small-Scale Forestry?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 2.33; CiteScore 4.2, h-index 48.
How long does peer review take at Small-Scale Forestry?
Based on the dates recorded on 63 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 155 days (interquartile range 108–261 days); authors report an average review time of over 12 weeks; 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 Small-Scale Forestry?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: 150–250 words; Keywords: ≥ 4; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Suggested reviewers: Optional; Highlights: Optional; Graphical abstract: 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 Small-Scale Forestry based?
Of the 32 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 2 (about 6%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Australia (6), United States (4) and India (4). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Small-Scale Forestry?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Small-Scale Forestry 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 Small-Scale Forestry open access, and what is the APC?
Small-Scale Forestry is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 3,090.
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: .