Journal of Ecology

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Journal of Ecology (not to be confused with another journal called Ecology) is a bi-monthly scientific journal focused on all aspects of the ecology of plants. It was first published in 1913, and is the oldest peer-reviewed, international ecological journal. It is published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the British Ecological Society, which also owns Journal of Animal Ecology, Journal of Applied Ecology, and Functional Ecology.

Journal of Ecology publishes papers on plant ecology (including algae), in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. In addition to the population and community ecology for which the Journal is well known, articles on biogeochemistry, ecosystems ecology, microbial ecology, physiological plant ecology, climate change, molecular genetics, mycorrhizal ecology, and the interactions between plants and organisms such as animals or bacteria, are published regularly.

The Journal is available to subscribers both in print and online via the Blackwell Synergy website. As well as primary research articles, it publishes Essay Reviews and Forum articles. In 2008, the first papers in a new series called ‘Future Directions’ were published. These short and provocative papers are intended to stimulate debate as to where a field within plant ecology is, or needs to, go.

In addition, the Journal contains a long running series on the "Biological Flora of the British Isles". Over 245 accounts of the Flora of the British Isles have been published so far, all of which from 1998 onwards can be accessed free of charge via the Journal’s Blackwell Synergy website.

It has online manuscript submission and all articles are subject to stringent peer review before publication. All BES Journal articles are freely available to all two years after publication. According to Thomson ISI, the 2006 impact factor of Journal of Ecology was 4.239, maintaining a steady increase since 2001.