Journals & Publications

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  The Ecological Society of America has over 100 years of journal publishing history and offers some of the most widely read and cited journals in the field of ecology. The seven journals in our portfolio encompass a wide range of paper types to include an array of aims and scope of study, making them an important and accessible outlet for scientists, researchers, practitioners, professionals, citizen scientists, and others seeking to publish their work. ESA staff provide editorial support with our publishing partner, John Wiley & Sons, and several discounts towards publication in ESA journals are available from our publisher and from ESA. Publishing in ESA journals contributes to ESA programs for students, early career researchers, and underrepresented groups, and we thank our editors, reviewers, authors, and readers for their support.

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  The exotic pet trade plays a major role in the establishment of invasive species, a risk compounded by climate change. By mapping the propagule pressure of terrestrial vertebrate species legally sold across pet stores in the United States, scientists were able to model the invasion potential of these taxa—including the black and white tegu (Salvator merianae)—under current and future climate conditions. In their paper in the April issue of Frontiers, Evans et al. show that climate change could expand suitable habitats by 194% by the year 2080, effectively increasing the risk of species establishment across 83% of the contiguous United States. Southern latitudes were particularly vulnerable, with high propagule pressure and climate suitability converging. These results underscore the urgent need for targeted policy measures, species-specific risk assessments, and sustainable trade practices to balance ecological security with the economic benefits of the pet trade.

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  The African elephant (Loxondonta africana)—pictured on the March cover of Ecosphere—has experienced range contraction of more than 50% since the 1940s mainly due to habitat loss and poaching for ivory. It is difficult to obtain accurate estimates of elephant abundance in forested areas because there is no easy way to observe and count them. In their paper in the February issue of Ecosphere, Ayebare et al. developed a novel modeling framework using Bayesian inference that integrates across spatial and temporal variability in “sign production” (elephant dung) to produce elephant abundance estimates in Maramagambo Forest Reserve in western Uganda. The researchers also applied their method to chimpanzees in the region that make nests nightly.

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  The image on the cover of the April issue of Ecology was photographed in February 2020 and depicts flamingos and palm trees along the lakeshore of Lake Balangida, a shallow alkaline lake in Singida, Tanzania. The lake, characterized by a pH of 9.93 and salinity of 85,318 ppm, provides a unique habitat for extremophile microorganisms. In their paper in the March issue of Ecology, Ren et al. investigate traits linked to microbial adaptation to high alkalinity and salinity, and further develop an index to quantify species' capacity for environmental adaptation by analyzing trait–environment relationships. The approach has implications for predicting taxon-specific biogeographic distribution and its response to climate change.

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  Remote sensing approaches—like the LiDAR-equipped drone in Ecological Monographs's February cover image—have emerged as powerful tools for quantifying 3-D vegetation structure. In their study in the November 2024 issue, Coverdale et al. combined high-resolution measurements of vegetation structure with long-term data from a large-herbivore exclosure study in Kenya to explore the relationship between herbivores, plant diversity, and vegetation structure. The authors found that herbivores, especially elephants (Loxodonta africana), directly influence individual plant morphology, but also indirectly affect tree and herbaceous structure by altering plant diversity.

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  Lateritic rocky outcrops in the Western Ghats–Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot are unique open ecosystems that support diverse, endemic, and threatened amphibians. In their paper in the January issue of Ecological Applications, Jithin et al. examine how rice paddies and mango orchards impact amphibian communities in these landscapes undergoing rapid agricultural transformation. The study finds that land-use change alters microhabitats resulting in distinct community compositions, highlighting the varied effects of different agricultural practices. The March issue's cover photograph features Microhyla nilphamariensis, one of the study species, at a lateritic rock outcrop.

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  The April issue of the ESA Bulletin continues its focus on ecology education and communicating science with articles that highlight the benefits of a diverse ecology education, collaboration between students, educators, and scientists, and tips to increase a research team's productivity and effectiveness. As the record for society business, the April issue also includes reports of society actions, Resolutions of Respect, and an extensive Photo Gallery highlighting research published in the ESA journal portfolio.

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  We are delighted to announce a call for submissions for Earth Stewardship. This exciting new Open Access journal, launched with our publishing partner, John Wiley & Sons, calls for a broad spectrum of scientifically and technologically innovative and groundbreaking contributions including cross-cultural perspectives from leading researchers, policymakers, traditional custodians of land and sea and indigenous communities. Earth Stewardship publishes applied and theoretical articles to promote a broad, intercultural, and participatory foundation for earth stewardship.

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