Journal profile · Environmental Science-Ecology
Watershed Ecology and the Environment
ISSN 2589-4714 · KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. · China
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Watershed Ecology and the Environment: fully open access; APC about USD 700; review about 20 weeks (community reports); 44 articles in 2025; indexed in Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Watershed Ecology and the Environment is published by KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.. By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Land Use and Ecosystem Services, Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies and Water Quality and Pollution Assessment, together about 24.2% of its articles. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
Watershed Ecology and the Environment (WEE) is a multidisciplinary journal publishing original research papers, reviews, and short communications,...
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Environmental Science-Ecology
Editor-in-chief Baoshan CuiPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 26 in mainland China (about 53%); most named Mainland China 26, United States 8, Australia 3, Italy 2, Canada 2 (49 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Land Use and Ecosystem ServicesEnvironmental Science9.7%
- Hydrology and Watershed Management StudiesEnvironmental Science7.5%
- Water Quality and Pollution AssessmentEnvironmental Science7.1%
- Environmental Toxicology and EcotoxicologyEnvironmental Science6.2%
- Heavy metals in environmentEnvironmental Science5.3%
- Environmental Changes in ChinaEnvironmental Science5.3%
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamicsEnvironmental Science4.9%
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton DynamicsEnvironmental Science4%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Not covered
Not covered by this edition.
CiteScore quartiles (Scopus, June 2026 release)
| Subject | Quartile | Rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ecology | Q1 | 62/491 | 87th |
| Water Science and Technology | Q1 | 48/279 | 82nd |
| Environmental Science (miscellaneous) | Q1 | 69/307 | 77th |
Scopus ranks journals by CiteScore within each subject: the 75th percentile and above is Q1, then a quartile every 25 points. A different system from the CAS zones.LetPub
Database indexing
ScopusDOAJLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
PubMedPublisher website
Other: Crossref
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
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.95LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 1.29LetPub ·
- h-index
- 23OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 50OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 5.53OpenAlex ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 0%LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 152 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 18 | 18 | 585 |
| 2025 | 44 | 44 | 527 |
| 2024 | 26 | 26 | 293 |
| 2023 | 19 | 19 | 177 |
| 2022 | 26 | 26 | 70 |
| 2021 | 7 | 7 | 45 |
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)
- about 20 weeksLetPub ·
- Submission to publication (journal-reported)
- about 20 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 700 | Yes | CC BY, CC BY-NC-ND | |
| OpenAlex | USD 700 | — | — | |
| LetPub | USD 700 | Yes | — | |
| Publisher website | USD 700 | — | — |
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 prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Highlights
- Optional
Article types accepted11
- editorialContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
- natural discoveryTherefore, we now are launching a new paper type called "Natural Discovery".Length not stated
- original research paperContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
- perspectiveContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
- perspectives and trendsPerspectives and Trends articles, which update recent topics of interest and scientific debate in science of watershed ecology and the environment, are generall…Length not stated
- policy forumsThe editorial boards of Watershed Ecology and the Environment have actually always been pleased to consider these policy-related works in our new paper type - "…Length not stated
- research paperContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
- reviewContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
- review articleContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
- short communicationContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
- short communicationsContributions falling into the following categories will be considered for publication: original research papers, reviews articles, natural discovery, policy fo…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Preprints
- AI use Declaration of generative AI in scientific writing
Authors is encouraged to declare the use of generative AI in scientific writing upon submission of the paper. The following guidance refers only to the writing process, and not to the use of AI tools to analyse and draw insights from data as part of the research process: Generative AI and AI-assisted technologies should only be used in the writing process to improve the readability and language of…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Author contributions
Maximum of 6 keywords Model summary
For transparency, we encourage corresponding authors to provide co-author contributions to the manuscript using the relevant CRediT roles. The CRediT taxonomy includes 14 different roles describing each contributor's specific contribution to the scholarly output. The roles are: Conceptualization; Data curation; Formal analysis; Funding acquisition; Investigation; Methodology; Project administratio…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Declaration of competing interests
Starting from January 2024, 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…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics
Plagiarism screening with iThenticate CrossCheck Model summary
Submissions to KeAi journals are automatically screened using iThenticate's CrossCheck within the editorial system to detect plagiarism issues including instances of overlapping and similar text in submitted manuscripts.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright
This journal is a peer-reviewed, fully open access journal owned by KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. who retains copyright of the overall compiled journal and the compiled issues. For the single article, Authors will retain copyright alongside scholarly usage rights and KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. will be granted non-exclusive publishing and distribution rights.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Open access; authors retain copyright for articles Model summary
This journal is a peer reviewed, open access journal owned by KeAi. KeAi retains copyright of the overall compiled journal and the compiled issues. The article is universally and freely accessible via the internet in perpetuity, in an easily readable format immediately after publication. To provide open access, this journal has an open access fee (also known as an Article Processing Charge, APC) w…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
Single blind peer review process Model summary
This journal operates a single blind review process. All contributions will be initially assessed by the editor for suitability for the journal. Papers deemed suitable are then typically sent to a minimum of two independent expert reviewers to assess the scientific quality of the paper. The Editor is responsible for the final decision regarding acceptance or rejection of articles. The Editor's dec…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Preprints Preprint posting on SSRN
Free preprint posting on SSRN Model summary
In support of Open Science, this journal offers its authors a free preprint posting service. Preprints provide early registration and dissemination of your research, which facilitates early citations and collaboration. During submission to Editorial Manager, you can choose to release your manuscript publicly as a preprint on the preprint server SSRN once it enters peer-review with the journal. You…
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.
Before you submit
Five checks before submitting to Watershed Ecology and the Environment
- 1ScopeRecent output centres on Land Use and Ecosystem Services, Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies.Check scope
- 2Article type and formatReference style: Numbered, in order of citation; Highlights: Optional.Author guidelines ↗
- 3English languagePolish grammar and academic style before you submit: it lowers the risk of rejection for language and improves your chances of acceptance.
- 4FeesUSD 700 (DOAJ), waivers availableFee details
- 5Expected review timeabout 20 weeks · Community averageReview data
The checks are built from this page's data.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
- Country or region
- China
- Language
- English
- ISSN
- 2589-4714
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗DOAJ
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
- Author guidelines ↗LetPub
- Aims & Scope ↗LetPub
- Special issues ↗Publisher website
- APC information ↗DOAJ
- Fee waivers ↗DOAJ
- Open access statement ↗DOAJ
- License & copyright ↗DOAJ
- Peer review process ↗LetPub
- Editorial board ↗LetPub
- Plagiarism policy ↗DOAJ
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Watershed Ecology and the Environment
How long does peer review take at Watershed Ecology and the Environment?
Authors report an average review time of about 20 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 Watershed Ecology and the Environment?
According to the journal's author guidelines: Reference style: Numbered, in order of citation; 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 Watershed Ecology and the Environment based?
Of the 49 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 26 (about 53%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are Mainland China (26), United States (8) and Australia (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Watershed Ecology and the Environment?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Watershed Ecology and the Environment is indexed in Scopus and DOAJ. The journal's website also lists PubMed; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Watershed Ecology and the Environment open access, and what is the APC?
Watershed Ecology and the Environment is a fully open-access journal. APC about USD 700.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, OpenAlex, DOAJ, 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: .