Bulletin of the ESA

As ESA’s oldest journal, it is the official record of the Society’s business. The Bulletin is open access.
The Bulletin also contains annual reports of the Society and its chapters, sections, and committees. The Bulletin publishes commentary and opinion on ecological issues that do not require scientific refereeing beyond the section editors and the editor-in-chief. This journal is a rich source for detailed information on ESA’s history.

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List of Editors for the Bulletin

History of the Bulletin

Early issues of the Bulletin described early organizational efforts and lists of members. The ESA Secretary was originally responsible for editing and publishing the Bulletin.

The newly formed ESA issued volume one, number 1 of the Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America in March of 1917. This was rapidly followed by a “Handbook” later that same year, also issued as a number of the Bulletin. By the mid-1920’s, following a period of sporadic publication, the Bulletin had stabilized as a small, quarterly journal that has continued uninterrupted to the present time. For a significant period, it appears that the Bulletin is perhaps the only real source of historical information. Yet there are some lapses. While responsibility for some of the early volumes is shrouded by the mists of antiquity, for at least 40 years the Bulletin was edited by the secretary of the Society. That individual had to gather material, prepare and edit copy, procure a printer, and handle distribution.
—Robert L. Burgess, History of the Ecological Society of America, 1976; excerpt on publications

In 1968 the Bulletin was reorganized and reformatted, and a separate Bulletin editor position was created as an elected officer. In 1977, ESA considered changing the Bulletin to six issues per year. This was apparently never implemented, although an extra issue, consisting of a Directory of Members, was occasionally published. In 2005 the print edition was ended and the Bulletin became electronic-only.

List of Bulletin Editors