Journals in Agricultural and biological sciences
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.
Ecological Engineering
The Journal of Ecosystem RestorationEcologica... engineering has been defined as the design of ecosystems for the mutual benefit of humans and nature. The journal is for those involved in designing, monitoring, or restoring ecosystems, and serves as a bridge between the fields of ecology and engineeringSpecific topics covered in the journal include: habitat reconstruction; ecotechnology; synthetic ecology; bioengineering; restoration ecology; ecology conservation; ecosystem rehabilitation; stream and river restoration; reclamation ecology; non-renewable resource conservation. Descriptions of specific applications of ecological engineering are acceptable only when situated within context of adding novelty to current research and emphasizing ecosystem restoration. We do not accept purely descriptive reports on ecosystem structures (such as vegetation surveys), purely physical assessment of materials that can be used for ecological restoration, small-model studies carried out in the laboratory or greenhouse with artificial (waste)water or crop studies, or case studies on conventional wastewater treatment and eutrophication that do not offer an ecosystem restoration approach within the paper.The journal welcomes full papers, short communications, reviews, and letters to the editor. We are pleased to publish papers from multidisciplinary approaches that are pertinent to a wide range of scholars, managers, practitioners, and policymakers across ecological sciences.All papers will be subject to peer review and they will be dealt with as speedily as is compatible with a high standard of presentation.- ISSN: 0925-8574

Agricultural Systems
Agricultural Systems is an international journal that deals with interactions - among the components of agricultural systems, among hierarchical levels of agricultural systems, between agricultural and other land use systems, and between agricultural systems and their natural, social and economic environments. Manuscripts submitted to Agricultural Systems generally should include both of the following:substantiv... natural science content (especially farm- or landscape-level biology or ecology, sometimes combined with social sciences), and substantive analysis and discussion of the interactions within or among agricultural systems components and other systems.Preference is given to manuscripts that address whole-farm and landscape level issues, via integration of conceptual, empirical and dynamic modelling approaches.The scope includes the development and application of systems analysis methodologies (diagnosis, simulation and mathematical modelling, participatory modelling, multi-criteria assessment, trade-off analysis, participatory design, etc.) in the following areas:agroecology and the sustainable intensification of agriculture as well as transition pathways for sustainable intensification; decision-making and resource allocation in agricultural systems; the interactions between agricultural and non-agricultural landscapes; the multiple services provided by agricultural systems from food security to environmental services; adaptation and transformation of agricultural systems in the era of global change; development and application of tools and methods for agricultural systems design, assessment and management; innovation systems and multi-stakeholder arrangements that support or promote change and/or informs policy decisions; and big data and the digitalisation of agriculture and their effects on agriculture.The following subjects are discouraged:economet... descriptive or other statistical analyses that exclude systems considerations, landscapes, land use change studies, or other economic analyses without substantive natural science content; development of typologies unless the typology developed forms the basis for further systems analysis; results from crop or livestock trials unless from systems trials or the results address systems issues; studies focusing on social or political outcomes that lack a clear systems framework and direct application to agricultural systems (i.e. the farm production system or landscape, their activities or components, their interactions or synergies); conceptual frameworks without empirical implementation (unless submitted as a short communication); studies focusing on specific chemical constituents of plant or animal species or their products; studies of the operation or efficiency of agricultural or food processing machinery, or of agricultural supply chains without a substantive biological component; life cycle analysis (LCA) studies that are primarily descriptive unless LCA is combined with other types of methods that address interactions within agricultural systems or between those systems and their environment.Such subjects are not considered for publication unless they clearly provide substantive and highly generalizable new insights regarding processes operating at farm or landscape levels or describe novel analytical methods applicable to a wide variety of agricultural systems.- ISSN: 0308-521X

Journal for Nature Conservation
The Journal for Nature Conservation addresses concepts, methods and techniques for nature conservation. This international and interdisciplinary journal encourages collaboration between scientists and practitioners, including the integration of biodiversity issues with social and economic concepts. Therefore, conceptual, technical and methodological papers, as well as reviews, research papers, and short communications are welcomed from a wide range of disciplines, including theoretical ecology, landscape ecology, restoration ecology, ecological modelling, and others, provided that there is a clear connection and immediate relevance to nature conservation.Manuscr... without any immediate conservation context, such as inventories, distribution modelling, genetic studies, animal behaviour, plant physiology, will not be considered for this journal; though such data may be useful for conservationists and managers in the future, this is outside of the current scope of the journal.- ISSN: 1617-1381

Applied Soil Ecology
Applied Soil Ecology addresses the role of soil organisms and their interactions in relation to: agricultural productivity, nutrient cycling and other soil processes, the maintenance of soil structure, sustainability and fertility, the impact of human activities and xenobiotics on soil biota and bio(techno)logical control of soil-inhabiting pests and diseases. Overall, the journal considers studies dealing with the involvement of soil organisms in soil health, soil fertility and sustainability, both in human-managed (i.e. agricultural, forestry systems) and (semi)natural environments. Studies focused predominantly on plant responses without sufficient focus in soil organisms, as mentioned above, are usually not considered in Applied Soil Ecology. The disciplines covered include the following, and preference will be given to articles which are interdisciplinary and integrate two or more of these disciplines: • soil microbiology and microbial ecology • soil invertebrate zoology and ecology • root and rhizosphere ecology • soil science • soil biotechnology • ecotoxicology • nematology • entomology • plant pathology • agronomy and sustainable agriculture • nutrient cycling • ecosystem modelling and food webs- ISSN: 0929-1393

European Journal of Soil Biology
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.- ISSN: 1164-5563

Current Opinion in Plant Biology
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.- ISSN: 1369-5266

Physiological and Molecular Plant Pathology
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.- ISSN: 0885-5765

CATENA
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.- ISSN: 0341-8162

Journal of Plant Physiology
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.- ISSN: 0176-1617

Harmful Algae
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- ISSN: 1568-9883
