Biogeochemistry

Editor-in-Chief: Katja Lajtha

Biogeochemistry publishes original and synthetic papers dealing with biotic controls on the chemistry of the environment, or with the geochemical control of the structure and function of ecosystems. Cycles are considered, either of individual elements or of specific classes of natural or anthropogenic compounds in ecosystems. Particular emphasis is given to coupled interactions of element cycles. The journal spans from the molecular to global scales to elucidate the mechanisms driving patterns in biogeochemical cycles through space and time. Studies on both natural and artificial ecosystems are published when they contribute to a general understanding of biogeochemistry.

 

Biogeochemistry Letters

Editor: Stephen Sebestyen (stephen.sebestyen@usda.gov)

A fast-track review process is available for high-profile manuscripts that present results that substantially advance the field or challenge entrenched ideas. Letters are expected to present new information in a concise format and appeal to a broad audience. We expect these papers to broaden our readership and solidify the journal’s reputation for publishing cutting-edge research in the field of Biogeochemistry.

The review process for submissions to this category will be expedited. After an initial screening by the section editor, Stephen Sebestyen, they will be reviewed by our editorial review board members who have agreed to review manuscripts within 21 days. We aim for an initial editorial decision within 30 days of submission, and a rapid editorial and publication process thereafter. As an added incentive for authors to cast their submissions in the concise Letters format, all papers in this category will receive free color printed figures.

In order to assure rapid publication, papers must conform to a strict page limit and format. Submissions may contain up to 5000 words in the main body (not including abstract, references, acknowledgements, or captions), six display items (figures or tables), and 50 references.

If you have a manuscript that you believe meets the standards for the Letters section, please contact Stephen Sebestyen  (stephen.sebestyen@usda.gov) directly before preparing and submitting your paper.

Synthesis and Emerging Ideas

Editor: Sharon Billings (sharon.billings@ku.edu)

To complement traditional articles published in Biogeochemistry and those published in the Biogeochemistry Letters section, we also consider contributions representing a more theoretical and/or synthetic approach as part of the Synthesis and Emerging Ideas section. We invite authors to submit papers that will advance the field of biogeochemistry by challenging fundamental concepts, describing new tools, or offering novel hypotheses prompted by extant literature or new datasets. Review papers that summarize existing knowledge without offering new, emergent questions or hypotheses are not appropriate for this section. Rather, we are especially interested in manuscripts that synthesize existing knowledge to generate new questions, ideas, theories, and discussion and that have the potential to initiate new research trajectories. 

Synthesis and Emerging Ideas papers should be prepared (and will be reviewed) with the same intellectual rigor as other papers published in Biogeochemistry. However, the review/acceptance process will focus to a greater extent on the potential value of the presented ideas for re-focusing biogeochemists’ lines of reasoning. When reviewing and selecting papers we will attempt to select works that have particular promise for advancing biogeochemical thinking and research by defining hypotheses for the community to test or outlining refined questions of interest with a newly acquired lens.

Papers for the Synthesis and Emerging Ideas section should be submitted through the online Editorial Manager system as for other papers, but authors must indicate using the drop-down menu that they wish the paper to be considered for this special section. Alternatively, authors may submit an idea via a cover letter to the section, and the editors will respond quickly with a decision as to whether the paper meets the criteria of the section.

97% of authors who answered a survey reported that they would definitely publish or probably publish in the journal again