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Journals in Agricultural and biological sciences

The Agricultural and Biological Sciences collection advances science-based knowledge for the improvement of animal and plant life and for secure food systems that produce nutritious, novel, sustainable foods with minimal environmental impact. Food Science titles include not only those products from agriculture but all other aspects from food production to nutrition, health and safety, chemistry to security, policy, law and regulation. Biological Sciences address animal behaviour and biodiversity, organismal and evolutionary biology, entomology, marine biology and aquaculture, plant science and forestry.

  • European Journal of Soil Biology

    • ISSN: 1164-5563
    The European Journal of Soil Biology is dedicated to exploring the biology and ecology of soil organisms, emphasizing the important role of soil biodiversity for ecosystem functioning. Contributions to the journal must provide information on the soil organisms involved with a clear link to the conditions in the soil. The journal welcomes contributions across all scales, from detailed mechanistic pot-scale experiments to global ecosystem analyses, with a special interest in field-scale studies. Research is considered at various levels of biological organization from individuals and populations to communities and ecosystems. The journal seeks to incorporate cutting-edge technologies and cross-disciplinary methodologies to enhance our knowledge of soil biological interactions and their effects on ecosystem functions.
  • Current Opinion in Plant Biology

    • ISSN: 1369-5266
    Excellence paves the way With Current Opinion in Plant BiologyPlease note that review articles in Current Opinion in Plant Biology are by invitation only.Current Opinion in Plant Biology builds on Elsevier's reputation for excellence in scientific publishing and long-standing commitment to communicating high quality reproducible research. It is part of the Current Opinion and Research (CO+RE) suite of journals. All CO+RE journals leverage the Current Opinion legacy - of editorial excellence, high-impact, and global reach - to ensure they are a widely read resource that is integral to scientists' workflow.Expertise: Editors and Editorial Board bring depth and breadth of expertise and experience to the journal.Discoverabil... Articles get high visibility and maximum exposure on an industry-leading platform that reaches a vast global audience.The Current Opinion journals were developed out of the recognition that it is increasingly difficult for specialists to keep up to date with the expanding volume of information published in their subject. In Current Opinion in Plant Biology, we help the reader by providing in a systematic manner:1. The views of experts on current advances in plant biology in a clear and readable form. 2. Evaluations of the most interesting papers, annotated by experts, from the great wealth of original publications.Divisio... of the subject into sections: The subject of plant biology is divided into themed sections which are reviewed regularly to keep them relevant. Presently they are: Growth and development - Genome studies and molecular genetics (+ Plant biotechnology every other year) - Cell biology and cell signaling - Epigenetics and gene regulation - Physiology and metabolism (+ Abiotic stress every other year) - Biotic interactionsSelectio... of topics to be reviewed: Section Editors, who are major authorities in the field, are appointed by the Editors of the journal. They divide their section into a number of topics, ensuring that the field is comprehensively covered and that all issues of current importance are emphasised. Section Editors commission reviews from authorities on each topic that they have selected.Reviews: Authors write short review articles in which they present recent developments in their subject, emphasising the aspects that, in their opinion, are most important. In addition, they provide short annotations to the papers that they consider to be most interesting from all those published in their topic over the previous year.Editorial Overview: Section Editors write an Introduction at the beginning of the section to give an overview about the topic and introduce the reviews and to draw the reader's attention to any particularly interesting developments.Ethics in Publishing - General Statement: The Editor(s) and Publisher of this Journal believe that there are fundamental principles underlying scholarly or professional publishing. While this may not amount to a formal 'code of conduct', these fundamental principles with respect to the authors' paper are that the paper should: i) be the authors' own original work, which has not been previously published elsewhere, ii) reflect the authors' own research and analysis and do so in a truthful and complete manner, iii) properly credit the meaningful contributions of co-authors and co-researchers, iv) not be submitted to more than one journal for consideration, and v) be appropriately placed in the context of prior and existing research. Of equal importance are ethical guidelines dealing with research methods and research funding, including issues dealing with informed consent, research subject privacy rights, conflicts of interest, and sources of funding. While it may not be possible to draft a 'code' that applies adequately to all instances and circumstances, we believe it useful to outline our expectations of authors and procedures that the Journal will employ in the event of questions concerning author conduct. With respect to conflicts of interest, the Publisher now requires authors to declare any conflicts of interest that relate to papers accepted for publication in this Journal. A conflict of interest may exist when an author or the author's institution has a financial or other relationship with other people or organizations that may inappropriately influence the author's work. A conflict can be actual or potential and full disclosure to the Journal is the safest course. All submissions to the Journal must include disclosure of all relationships that could be viewed as presenting a potential conflict of interest. The Journal may use such information as a basis for editorial decisions and may publish such disclosures if they are believed to be important to readers in judging the manuscript. A decision may be made by the Journal not to publish on the basis of the declared conflict.
  • Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology

    • ISSN: 0885-5765
    Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology provides an International forum for original research papers, reviews, and commentaries on all aspects of the molecular biology, biochemistry, physiology, histology and cytology, genetics and evolution of plant-microbe interactions.Papers on all kinds of infective pathogen, including viruses, viroids, prokaryotes, fungi, and nematodes, as well as mutualistic organisms such as Rhizobium and mycorrhyzal fungi, are acceptable as long as they have a bearing on the interaction between pathogen and plant.Research Areas Include:• Recognition in plant immunity • Cell biology of plant-microbe interactions • Plant molecular defense responses, including transcriptome, proteome, miRNA profiling, metabolome • Mechanisms of specific resistance, induced resistance and non-host -resistance • Plant hormones and regulators in plant-microbe interactions • Molecular biology of phytoalexins and other secondary metabolites of the host and their roles in resistance • Pathogen effectors involved in pathogenicity and interaction with the host • Pathogen infection mechanisms and host defense suppression • Novel approaches for disease control • Induction of plant immunity and biotechnology of resistance • Pathogen molecular diagnostic.
  • CATENA

    • ISSN: 0341-8162
    Catena is an interdisciplinary journal of soil science and geomorphology with a focus on geoecology, landscape ecology, landscape evolution and hydrology. Original research papers, comments, and reviews linking field, laboratory, and/or modelling results, integrating different geospheres, and discussing soil and landscape processes on different spatial and temporal scales will be considered, provided they are sufficiently novel and of broad interest.Reviews are expected to critically discuss and synthesise findings and approaches on topics falling within the core aims of Catena. Short comments (no more than 2 journal pages i.e. ca. 2000 words) are considered for publication only if they bring important scientific new elements and/or corrections/improvem... on substantial aspects of previously published articles. Manuscript... that will not be considered include papers on the following topics:Research papers summarising literature results, and bibliometric analyses (meta-analyses are not included). Studies without explicit relation to landscape patterns or processes, such as:Purely geological or groundwater studies.Runoff studies that have no relation to soil or geomorphic change.Chemical laboratory experiments with no relation to ‘real’ field conditions.Microbiol... studies with no relation to soil formation or landscape processes.Geotechnic... and environmental engineering studies.Geobotanical... ecological and vegetation studies with no (or limited) relation to soil, hydrology, geomorphology or landscape evolution.Agricultur... production experiments without a solid relation to landscape.Studies on ecosystem services and land use planning.Comparisons of the performance and robustness of models and statistical methods (e.g. process-based, or machine learning) with no or only a minimal landscape-learning effect.Regionally oriented studies which cannot be applied to other landscapes (or lack novelty in approach or methodology).The Chairs of the Editors-in-Chief do not accept pre-submission enquiries to determine if a manuscript is likely to be of interest to the journal.
  • Journal of Plant Physiology

    • ISSN: 0176-1617
    Mechanisms of Plant Function: from Molecular to Ecosystem ScalesThe Journal of Plant Physiology is a broad-spectrum journal that welcomes high-quality submissions in all major areas of plant physiology, including plant biochemistry, functional biotechnology, computational and synthetic plant biology, growth and development (including reproduction), photosynthesis and respiration, transport and translocation, plant-microbe interactions, biotic and abiotic stress. Studies are welcome at all levels of integration ranging from molecules and cells to organisms and their environments and are expected to use state-of-the-art methodologies. Pure gene expression studies are not within the focus of our journal. To be considered for publication, papers must significantly contribute to the mechanistic understanding of physiological processes, and not be merely descriptive, or confirmatory of previous results. We encourage the submission of papers that explore the physiology of non-model as well as accepted model species and those that bridge basic and applied research. For instance, studies on agricultural plants that show new physiological mechanisms to improve agricultural efficiency are welcome. Studies performed under uncontrolled situations (e.g. field conditions) not providing mechanistic insight will not be considered for publication.The Journal of Plant Physiology publishes several types of articles: Original Research Articles, Humboldt Reviews, Early-Career Researcher Reviews, Invited Reviews, Perspectives, Opinion Articles and Short Communications and Spotlights. Reviews, Perspectives and Opinion Articles will be solicited by the Editors; unsolicited reviews are also welcome but only from authors with a strong track record in the field of the review. Original research papers comprise the majority of published contributions.Humbol... Reviews are expected take a broad approach, one that spans multiple areas of biological inquiry, and one that distinguishes itself from that taken in most regular review works by a deeper philosophical line of thought and a more global reach. Humboldt Reviews are also expected to be thoroughly respectful of the historical developments in a given field (i.e. not limit themselves to covering the literature of only the previous one to two decades) and speak to both its fundamental and applied aspects. They are named after Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859), one of the most influential German natural philosophers of the 18th and 19th centuries. Our editors-in-chief take great inspiration from Alexander von Humboldt's profound and wide-ranging contributions. The Journal of Plant Physiology was founded in 1909 but it traces back to 1818 and to the geographic region Alexander von Humboldt was most active in. The Journal of Plant Physiology has consistently published landmark papers in plant physiology, and is one of the world's oldest international journals in the botanical sciences. For these reasons, we consider Alexander von Humboldt a particularly appropriate scholar after whom to name our prestigious review series.Early-Career Researcher Reviews: This new category is specifically aimed at early-career scientists starting their independent research careers. Suitable candidates will be nominated by senior scholars. Nomination letters should include a brief curriculum vitae and a justification for the selection. Nominees will be evaluated by the Editors-in-Chief and officially invited to submit articles. ECR Reviews should not exceed 8,000 words and contain no more than 150 references plus figures and tables.Early Career Researchers are within their first eight years of academic or other research-related employment, following completion of postgraduate research training.Founded in 1909, with roots tracing back to 1818, the Journal of Plant Physiology has consistently published landmark papers in plant physiology, and is one of the world's oldest international journals in the botanical sciences.An official journal of the Federation of European Societies of Plant Biology (FESPB)Authors are encouraged to carefully study the Aims & Scope of the journal to examine suitability of submissions. We discourage directly contacting editors about suitability of manuscripts, except in cases of proposals for Review, Opinion, or Perspectives articles, which are by invitation only. In the latter cases, well-developed proposals must be submitted for consideration.
  • Harmful Algae

    • ISSN: 1568-9883
    This journal provides a forum to promote knowledge of harmful microalgae and macroalgae, including cyanobacteria, as well as monitoring, management and control of these organisms. Both original research and review papers will be considered.Papers dealing with the following aspects of harmful microalgae and cyanobacteria in marine and fresh waters will be considered: • The distribution, life histories and taxonomy of harmful microalgae; • The physiology and toxicology of harmful microalgae; • Harmful microalgal bloom ecology; • Trophic, socio-economic, public health and aquacultural impacts of harmful microalgal bloom events; • Occurrence, methods of detection and chemical structure of toxins in harmful microalgae, cyanobacteria, foodwebs and seafood; • Factors controlling toxin production, biosynthesis and chemical ecology.Note: Papers dealing with pharmacology fall outside of the scope of the journal.All papers will be subject to peer review. Authors will receive proofs. The editors, referees, and publisher will make every effort to expedite publication, the co-operation of authors in this task is welcomed.Cover picture by Joe Hlebica, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Multi-Media Group
  • Plant Science

    • ISSN: 0168-9452
    An international journal of experimental plant biologyThis journal has no page charges, publication is free of charge.Plant Science will publish in the minimum of time, reporting significant advances in plant biologyas well as commissioned reviews, method papers (technical papers) and commentaries recommended by its referees in all areas of experimental plant biology with emphasis in the broad areas of genomics, proteomics, biochemistry, physiology, cell biology, development, genetics, functional plant breeding, systems biology and the interaction of plants with the environment. Although manuscripts containing large data are welcomed, they must contain functional validation.Manuscrip... for full consideration should be written concisely and essentially as a final report. The main criterion for publication is that the manuscript must contain original and significant insights that lead to a better understanding of fundamental plant biology. Plant Science is not a publication vehicle for preliminary observations, for studies that are merely confirmatory of results accomplished in other plant systems, or that are addressed only to a specialized readership. Submitted manuscripts describing studies of preliminary nature, that are merely confirmatory in scope or of limited scope and interest to the general readership of the journal will be returned without formal review. As a general policy, the journal will no longer consider manuscripts just describing the cloning, sequencing and expression patterns of gene sequences that have been identified and characterized in other plant species, expression of a protein without proper characterization of the recombinant product and native form, the isolation, purification and characterization of enzymes extensively analyzed in other plants, description of molecular markers and plant genetic diversity without any relevant biological information, cell culture and/or transformation of plant species (or closely related species) already established in the literature and basic transcriptomic approaches with no further relevant functional characterization of genes of interest.
  • Forest Ecology and Management

    • ISSN: 0378-1127
    Science to Sustain the World’s ForestsForest Ecology and Management focuses on scientific articles linking forest ecology with forest management, with potential application of biological and ecological knowledge to the management and conservation of plantations and natural forests.The journal encourages communication between scientists in disparate fields who share a common interest in ecology and forest management, bridging the gap between scientists and forest managers. A peer-review process ensures the quality and international interest of the manuscripts accepted for publication. Authors are invited to benefit from editorials that provide advice for constructing strong papers.We encourage submission of papers that will be of strong interest and value to the Journal's international readership. Some key features of papers with strong interest include: 1. Clear connections between the ecology and management of forests; 2. Novel ideas or approaches to important challenges in forest ecology and management; 3. Studies that address a population of interest beyond the scale of single research sites (see the editorial, Three key points in the design of forest experiments, Forest Ecology and Management 255 (2008) 2022-2023); 4. Review Articles on timely, important topics. Authors are invited to contact one of the Editors to discuss the suitability of a potential review manuscript, which can be a regular review, an Mini review or a Tamm review (see the Guide for Authors for details about each type of review article).We invite to read the following editorial article with more advice in relation to preferred articles: How to avoid having your manuscript rejected: Perspectives from the Editors of Forest Ecology and Management, Volume 473, 1 October 2020, 118321.The Journal encourages proposals for special issues examining important areas of forest ecology and management. Potential guest editors should contact one of the Editors to initiate a discussion about topics, potential papers, and other details.
  • Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics

    • ISSN: 1433-8319
    Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics (PPEES) publishes outstanding and thought-provoking articles of general interest to an international readership in the fields of plant ecology, evolution and systematics. Of particular interest are in-depth articles that provide a broad understanding of key topics in the field. There are four issues per year.To maintain high scientific standards, manuscripts are submitted to two or more reviewers for evaluation of their scientific soundness and significance. Authors will be generally notified of acceptance, rejection, or need for revision of their manuscripts within three months.Biological flora series (monographs of model species) PPEES is particularly interested in contributions to the knowledge of species that are flagship species for conservation, invasive species of particular concern, or species that are frequently used as models in ecological research. Prospective authors should contact the editorial office of PPEES before starting to write a contribution and enquire whether their planned manuscript would be of interest to PPEES.
  • Pedobiologia

    • ISSN: 0031-4056
    Pedobiologia (Journal of Soil Ecology) publishes peer reviewed articles describing original work in the field of soil ecology, which includes the study of soil organisms and their interactions with factors in their biotic and abiotic environments. Analysis of biological structures, interactions, functions, and processes in soil is fundamental for understanding the dynamical nature of terrestrial ecosystems, a prerequisite for appropriate soil management.The scope of this journal consists of fundamental and applied aspects of soil ecology; key focal points include interactions among organisms in soil, organismal controls on soil processes, causes and consequences of soil biodiversity, and aboveground-belowgro... interactions.The journal publishes:original research that tests clearly defined hypotheses addressing topics of current interest in soil ecology (including studies demonstrating nonsignificant effects);description... of novel methodological approaches, or evaluations of current approaches, that address a clear need in soil ecology research;innovative syntheses of the soil ecology literature, including metaanalyses, topical in depth reviews and short opinion/perspective pieces, and descriptions of original conceptual frameworks; andshort notes reporting novel observations of ecological significance.