Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution
A section of Life (ISSN 2075-1729).
Section Information
This section publishes high-quality, peer-reviewed research advancing the mechanistic and conceptual understanding of biological diversity across all levels of biological organization, as well as the ecological and evolutionary processes that drive the origin, maintenance, and spatiotemporal distribution of life. Scope encompasses molecular and genomic foundations, individual organisms, populations, ecological communities, and entire ecosystems, bridging fundamental scientific inquiry with translational research in biodiversity conservation and global change biology.
We welcome empirical investigations, theoretical analyses, methodological advances, and critical review articles that integrate ecological and evolutionary frameworks to address core foundational and applied questions in the life sciences. This includes work elucidating biodiversity patterns, causal mechanisms, and functional outcomes, alongside reciprocal eco-evolutionary feedback. Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) is explicitly included, given its critical role in linking developmental processes to evolutionary diversification and ecological adaptation; non-evolutionary developmental biology is assigned to dedicated parallel sections to avoid disciplinary overlap.
Relevant research topics include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Biodiversity patterns, spatiotemporal dynamics, conservation and restoration ecology;
- Population, community, ecosystem, landscape and systems ecology;
- Species interactions, trophic networks and ecological community assembly;
- Evolutionary processes across molecular, genomic, organismal, population and macroevolutionary scales;
- Phylogenetics, phylogenomics, systematics and evolutionary history reconstruction;
- Population genetics, adaptation, speciation and evolutionary diversification;
- Evolutionary developmental biology (evo-devo) and developmental drivers of evolutionary change;
- Eco-evolutionary dynamics and biotic responses to rapid environmental and anthropogenic change, including climate change.
Structured Keywords
To ensure balanced disciplinary coverage and conceptual clarity, keywords are grouped under four core thematic headings, with inherent interdisciplinary overlap duly noted:
Biodiversity
- Biodiversity
- Biogeography
- Systematics
- Biodiversity Conservation
Ecology
- Ecology
- Population Ecology
- Community Ecology
- Ecosystem Ecology
- Landscape Ecology
- Systems Ecology
- Species Interactions
Evolution
- Evolution
- Population Genetics
- Adaptation
- Speciation
- Phylogenetics
- Macroevolution
Interdisciplinary & Cross-Cutting Themes
- Eco-evolutionary Dynamics
- Evolutionary Developmental Biology (Evo-Devo)
- Ecological Genetics
Editorial Board
Topical Advisory Panel
Special Issues
Following special issues within this section are currently open for submissions:
- Research Advances in Wetland Ecology (Deadline: 31 August 2026)
- Agroforestry Systems and Global Change: Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Regulation, Ecosystem Functions, and Sustainable Development (Deadline: 30 September 2026)
- Mechanisms and Ecology of Migration and Homing (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Insect Taxonomy in the Era of Mitogenomics (Deadline: 31 October 2026)
- Towards Resilient Seas: Marine Biodiversity and Ecological Functioning in a Changing Ocean (Deadline: 20 December 2026)
- Water Pollution Solutions: From Ecological Risk Assessment to Biological Restoration (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Advances in Computational Methods for Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Soil Microbial Diversity and Ecological Functions in Agricultural Ecosystems (Deadline: 31 December 2026)
- Advances in Extreme Environment Microbes (Deadline: 31 January 2027)
Topical Collection
Following topical collection within this section is currently open for submissions:
