Journal profile · FORESTRY
Trees Forests and People
ISSN 2666-7193 · Elsevier · Netherlands
Trees Forests and People: CAS Zone 2 · Agricultural & Forestry Sciences (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.6 (journal website); fully open access; APC about USD 1,980; review about 82 days (submission to acceptance, publisher); 367 articles in 2025; indexed in ESCI and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Trees Forests and People is published by Elsevier and is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management, Forest ecology and management and Forest Management and Policy, together about 32.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Global and Planetary Change. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Description Trees, Forests and People publishes peer-reviewed papers across this full domain of tree- and forest-related science and practice. To ensure maximum value of knowledge, all papers are published open-access to be read and applied by people around the world. The Journal welcomes contributions from all disciplines in natural and social sciences related to trees and forests in any setting, from trees found within urban landscapes or agroforestry fields to those found in forest plantations and landscapes that deal with ecological, social, economic, and political issues for managing trees and forests. The Journal publishes the following article types: Research articles are full-length papers based on original data and analysis; Review articles provide a systematic, analytical overview of scientific literature; Commentaries (typically under 3,000 words, these receive a fast track review by the editorial team) of three types (Comments critically discuss previous research; Research Trends and Needs identify emerging research trends and new, critical future research areas; and Policy Reviews briefly examine current or proposed policies relevant to managing trees, forests and people). We also welcome Special Issues, collections of articles organized under a specific topic. Potential Guest Editors are invited to submit proposals for Special Issues, including a brief description of the topic, and a list of potential contributors and tentative titles of their articles to one of the Editors.Introduction Trees and forests are at the heart of many of the most important issues of the 21st century, ranging from the survival of long-lived trees to the livelihoods of people who depend on sustained use of forest resources. The domain of Trees, Forests and People encompasses studies that examine important details about specialized topics, and broader efforts that integrate these topics to address issues of complex social-ecological systems. The Journal's focus includes trees and forests in any setting, from trees found within urban landscapes or agroforestry fields to those found in forest plantations and landscapes. The present and future state of forests is intimately tied to human factors: people strongly influence most of the world's forests today, and these forests provide for the needs of people around the globe.The Journal welcomes papers that deal with social, economic, and political issues to complement studies on tree physiology, forest ecology and silviculture. This full range of subject areas includes:tree and forest growth, including case studies and development of allometric approaches;genetics of tree species;silvicultural systems;urban forestry and urban greening;agroforestry and non-timber forest products;biodiversity;forest restoration;forest soils;carbon budgets and fluxes;biomass and bioenergy;wildlife and forest habitat;water resources in forest landscapes;invasive species impacts and management;forest events such as fires, pests and pathogens, disturbance;pollution effects on trees and forests;remote sensing and GIS development and application in forest landscapes;forest economics, including changing markets, products, supply chain, and demands;forest ecosystem services;forest livelihoods, including studies of poverty reduction through use of forest resources;climate responses of forest, including scenarios of forest futures;forest governance;forest landscapes as social-ecological systems;case studies dealing with specific locations and situations, as well as broader studies with large populations of inference.All submitted manuscripts will be subject to a thorough peer-reviewing process.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): FORESTRY
Editor-in-chief Todd FredericksenPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 5 in mainland China (about 12%); most named United States 7, India 7, Mainland China 5, United Kingdom 2, South Korea 2 (42 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource ManagementEnvironmental Science13.9%
- Forest ecology and managementEnvironmental Science9.8%
- Forest Management and PolicyEnvironmental Science9.2%
- Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics StudiesEnvironmental Science7.9%
- African Botany and Ecology StudiesAgricultural and Biological Sciences6%
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science5.8%
- Fire effects on ecosystemsEnvironmental Science4.8%
- Plant Water Relations and Carbon DynamicsEnvironmental Science4.7%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Forestry | Zone 2 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Agricultural & Forestry Sciences Zone 2
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Agricultural & Forestry Sciences | Zone 2 |
| Minor | Forestry | Zone 2 |
Top journal: yesReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
Database indexing
ESCIScopusDOAJLetPub
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 (publisher)
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.4LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.4Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.86LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.23LetPub ·
- h-index
- 40OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 344OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.33OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 100%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 345LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 1,475 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 362 | 362 | 129 |
| 2025 | 367 | 367 | 1,008 |
| 2024 | 277 | 277 | 2,208 |
| 2023 | 115 | 115 | 1,459 |
| 2022 | 178 | 178 | 2,831 |
| 2021 | 117 | 117 | 2,153 |
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
82 dayssubmission to acceptance · community reports about 10 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)
- about 10 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to first decision
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- First decision after review
- 39 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to acceptance
- 82 daysPublisher website ·
- Acceptance to publication
- 2 daysPublisher website ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 13 weeksDOAJ ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewDOAJ
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
Fully open accessDOAJ
Every article is open access; authors usually pay an article processing charge (APC).
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DOAJ | USD 1,980 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 1,680 / EUR 1,570 / GBP 1,340 / JPY 208,370 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 1,150 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 2,440 | — | — |
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 papers3, by deadline
- Agroforestry as a nature-based solution for community resilience and sustainable developmentDeadline
- Assessing the Outcomes of Reforestation and Ecological Restoration in China: Evidence, Monitoring, and Future PathwaysDeadline
- Advanced Remote Sensing and Intelligent Monitoring for Forest Fire Prevention and ManagementDeadline
What to prepare7 items from the author guidelines
- Abstract
- ≤ 250 words
- Keywords
- 1–7
- Manuscript length
- ≤ 3,000 words
- Reference style
- Author–date
- First submission
- Free format: the journal's layout is not required
- Highlights
- Required
- Graphical abstract
- Optional
Article types accepted6, with length limits
- commentariesCommentaries (typically under 3,000 words, these receive a fast track review by the editorial team) of three types (Comments critically discuss previous researc…Length not stated
- commentaryical overview of scientific literature; Commentaries (typically under 3,000 words, these receive a fast track review by the editorial team) omain text ≤ 3,000 words
- regular articleThese papers should report the results of original research. The material should not have been previously published elsewhere, except in a preliminary form, oth…Length not stated
- research articlesResearch articles are full-length papers based on original data and analysisLength not stated
- review articlesReview articles provide a systematic, analytical overview of scientific literatureLength not stated
- short communicationunder the coordination of the editors. Short communications/commentaries Short communications should generally not exceed 2,500 words (4 printed journal pages),…main text ≤ 2,500 words · references ≤ 20
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
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
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 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
- Elsevier
- Country or region
- Netherlands
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2666-7193
- Society / sponsor
- IUFRO’s Research Group 09
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗DOAJ
- Aims & Scope ↗DOAJ
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗DOAJ
- Editorial board ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Trees Forests and People
What CAS zone is Trees Forests and People in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Trees Forests and People is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences, and in Zone 2 of the minor category Forestry. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 2 of Agricultural & Forestry Sciences. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Trees Forests and People?
The journal's website gives an impact factor of 3.6; this is the journal's own figure, as LetPub lists none for it; CiteScore 5.4, h-index 40.
How long does peer review take at Trees Forests and People?
The publisher reports about 82 days (submission to acceptance); authors report an average review time of about 10 weeks. 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 Trees Forests and People?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Abstract: ≤ 250 words; Keywords: 1–7; Manuscript length: ≤ 3,000 words; Reference style: Author–date; First submission: Free format: the journal's layout is not required; Highlights: Required; 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 Trees Forests and People based?
Of the 42 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 5 (about 12%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (7), India (7) and Mainland China (5). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Trees Forests and People?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Trees Forests and People is indexed in ESCI, Scopus and DOAJ.
Is Trees Forests and People open access, and what is the APC?
Trees Forests and People is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 1,980.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex, DOAJ; 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: .