The Journal of Animal Ecology is a peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated to animal ecology, first established in 1932 by the British Ecological Society. Its mission is to publish high-quality, original research that advances the understanding of broad ecological principles. The journal seeks papers that test and develop ecological theory, challenging how scientists think about the interactions between animals and their environment.
Scope of Published Research
The journal’s scope covers the primary sub-disciplines of animal ecology. One major area is population ecology, which investigates how and why the number of animals in a specific group changes over time and space. An example is a long-term study monitoring the cyclical fluctuations of western tent caterpillar populations to understand the drivers of their eight to eleven-year cycles.
Another focus is behavioral ecology, which examines the evolutionary basis for animal behavior due to ecological pressures. Research in this area might involve using video collars on migratory caribou to see what specific plants they select during the summer, revealing foraging habitats. The journal also features physiological ecology, which connects an animal’s bodily functions to its environmental conditions, such as how increasing salinity alters the development of aquatic species.
The journal also delves into community and ecosystem ecology, exploring interactions among different species and their environments. A study might investigate how predator-prey dynamics between spiders and their insect prey are altered by the structural complexity of trees. This research extends to conservation biology, applying ecological knowledge to protect species and manage natural resources, with applications in wildlife management and agriculture.
Influence and Notable Discoveries
As a publication of the British Ecological Society, the journal has a significant standing in the scientific community. This is often quantified by an “impact factor,” a measure reflecting the average number of citations to recent articles published in a journal. The Journal of Animal Ecology consistently maintains a high impact factor, indicating its published works are frequently referenced by other scientists and help shape ecological research.
Research published in the journal often has clear, real-world consequences and has provided foundational knowledge for wildlife management. For example, understanding the dietary choices of large herbivores through direct observation can inform land management decisions to protect food sources for vulnerable populations. This research provides evidence that helps predict the consequences of human activity.
The journal is a platform for research revealing the effects of global change on animal life. Studies have explored how rising temperatures and altered weather patterns impact bird coloration or the timing of migrations. It also publishes work on the spread of disease in animal populations, which is important for understanding how diseases emerge and are transmitted among wildlife.
Accessing the Journal’s Content
Full access to research articles in the Journal of Animal Ecology typically requires a subscription. These subscriptions are most often held by universities and research centers, providing their members with complete access to the journal’s content. This model helps fund the peer-review process and publication of scientific findings.
The journal also participates in the open access movement, making a selection of its articles freely available to the public without a subscription. These open access articles can be downloaded and read by anyone, increasing the reach of new discoveries.
For a general reader, the most useful feature is the availability of article abstracts, as the abstract for nearly every paper is free to read on the journal’s website. An abstract is a concise summary written by the authors that outlines the study’s background, methods, and main conclusions. Reading the abstract is an efficient way to grasp a research project’s findings without reading the full paper.