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Journals & Publications

• ESA's Journals & Publications

  

  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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• Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment

  

  Human-induced habitat fragmentation threatens connectivity for populations of wide-ranging species by compromising long-distance dispersal. In their article in the March issue of Frontiers, Dougherty et al. tracked 87 young mountain lions (Puma concolor) to identify landscape features that promote or inhibit dispersal in the US state of California, where strong genetic structure is suggestive of reduced connectivity. Major roads and large patches of development influenced movement decisions during dispersal and likely contributed to reduced dispersal distances in highly developed regions of the state. However, dispersing mountain lions may be capable of using remnant patches of forest to traverse these otherwise inhospitable landscapes. The authors' work highlights critical linkages throughout the state and informs strategic placement of wildlife-crossing structures that may be necessary to re-establish connectivity.

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• Ecosphere

  

  As with other species of great trophic importance that often go unnoticed, the Iberian wild pear (Pyrus bourgaeana) plays a key role in Mediterranean woodlands by providing critical resources for wildlife during periods of food scarcity. Its distribution and regeneration, however, are nonetheless strongly shaped by fine-scale environmental conditions and long-term human land use. In managed landscapes of southern Spain, this light-demanding tree shows clear associations with microtopography and habitat heterogeneity, preferentially occupying higher elevations and sunnier slopes. Using spatial analyses across dehesa and abandoned olive groves, Arenas-Castro and Jordano-Barbudo’s article in the January issue of Ecosphere reveals contrasting population structures driven by historical land conversion, seed dispersal, and current grazing pressure. While abandonment of olive groves allows partial recovery through clustered regeneration, intensive grazing in dehesas severely limits recruitment and threatens local persistence. These results highlight how past and present human activities interact with environmental gradients to shape the viability of Mediterranean woody species and inform targeted conservation strategies.

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• Ecology

  

  The Long-tailed Broadbill (Psarisomus dalhousiae), a brightly colored forest passerine distributed across the Himalayan foothills, northeastern India, Myanmar, southern China, and mainland Southeast Asia, is pictured on the March cover of Ecology. This species is known for its distinctive green plumage, black-and-yellow head pattern, and elongated tail. The image illustrates one example of the plumage diversity represented in the dataset by Han et al., published in their Data Paper in the February issue of Ecology, which compiles RGB-derived color classifications from illustrations in the Handbook of the Birds of the World.

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• Ecological Monographs

  

  The February 2026 Ecological Monographs cover image shows mycorrhizae. Tree roots and symbiotic fungi form a mutualistic relationship where roots provide essential carbon to fungi while fungi assist trees in absorbing water and nutrients through their extensive hyphal networks. Research conducted by Ding et al. and published in the November 2025 issue of Ecological Monographs describes how this collaboration gives rise to diverse mycorrhizal morphologies and foraging strategies, enabling fine-tuned regulation of nutrient uptake and exchange, thereby driving material cycling in forest ecosystems.

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• Ecological Applications

  

  On the March cover of Ecological Applications, a high-resolution digital scan reveals resin ducts embedded in the tracheid file of a tree core removed from a tamarack (Larix laricina). In their article in the January issue, Graham et al. used dendrochronology and observational data of beetle attack dynamics to explore tamarack resin defenses during an unprecedented outbreak of a native bark beetle, eastern larch beetle (Dendroctonus simplex), in northern Minnesota, USA. The authors found that preformed resin defenses visible in tamarack xylem were limited and that beetles colonized the largest trees with the thickest phloem regardless of defensive capacity. With this work, the authors explore how climate change may alter long established species associations within native forest systems.

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• The Bulletin

  

  The January issue of the ESA Bulletin continues its support of early-career researchers and students with papers that explore the policy–science interface for biodiversity researchers, discuss questions to ask before graduate school, and provide updates to the 4DEE framework. Additional articles summarize ESA annual meeting events and society actions.

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• Earth Stewardship

  

  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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