Editorial

Abstract

The science of ecology is fundamental to finding a way to a sustained human presence on planet Earth. The practical and scientific horizons of the field broaden every day, and over the course of my career, the scope of the field has increased from an academic discipline affecting local management decisions to a science informing global decision-making. The twin global challenges of biodiversity loss and climate change have done much to galvanize changes, as has the intellectual maturing of the science. Under the leadership of founding Editor-in-Chief Simon A. Levin and his successor, Louis F. Pitelka, Ecological Applications has become an important outlet for science at the interface of research and its applications. When I was asked to follow as the third Editor-in-Chief, I agreed without hesitation, and I look forward to my tenure in this position. In response to the evolving challenges, the Editorial Board and I are making several changes and new emphases. First, we encourage the submission of papers of timely and immediate interest for a new section in the journal, Communications. Papers in the new section will be shorter articles of immediate impact on fast-moving scientific debate or urgent practical application. These papers will be reviewed quickly and will enter a fast track to ensure relatively rapid publication. The papers will be “semi-invited” in that an Editorial Board member or the Editor-in-Chief must be contacted and agreement obtained before formal submission. Electronic submission to the editors and the Publications Office is required for efficiency, although in rare cases, exceptions may be granted. Hard copy must still be submitted to the Publications Office in Ithaca as per the Instructions to Authors, but whenever possible, the electronic copy will be used as the basis for review. The maximum length of Communications submissions is 20 double-spaced manuscript pages, including tables and figures; the target length corresponds to 5–6 printed pages. Longer papers require more of the reviewers and editors and so cannot be guaranteed a fast review. Communications must meet the same standards as other papers in terms of content, originality, and rigor as ordinary submissions, but they will be held to a higher standard of significance and immediacy. We anticipate 1–2 Communications papers per issue. Papers deemed unsuitable for the Communications section may be considered for publication as regular articles. Second, we strongly encourage papers that report on “ecological problem solving.” Much of our literature documents the basic science that underlies ecological management and identifies problems or impacts requiring response. There is, however, a growing body of experience in which ecological principles, theory, and data are used to guide interventions in “natural” ecosystems, managed systems, preserves and natural areas, and indeed, for the global environment. We strongly encourage submissions describing the design, execution, and outcome of management, intervention, and remediation based on ecological science. We particularly encourage papers by practitioners, land managers, and other stakeholders in ecosystems, alone or in partnership with researchers. Recognizing that such work will not always fit into traditional models of scientific papers (hypothesis, materials and methods, etc), we encourage authors to identify papers as reporting on ecological problem-solving. The Editorial Board and I will work with authors on a case-by-case basis until a critical mass of “role model” papers are published. Third, there is increasing interest in education within the science of ecology. Serious research papers on educational topics, such as outcomes of ecological education approaches at the K–12, undergraduate, or advanced levels, may be considered for publication in Ecological Applications. Please contact the Editor-in-Chief before submitting any such papers. In summary, Ecological Applications is now a definitive outlet for papers addressing key problems in a wide range of areas at the interface of natural and human systems. Over the upcoming years, the Editorial Board and I will continue our emphasis on high scholarly standards and, consistent with the role ecological science plays in the world, we hope to increase the journal's timeliness and impact. We are deeply grateful to the authors who have entrusted their work to Ecological Applications and look forward to serving the field and our colleagues in the coming years.