Oecologia - Highlighted Student Papers
Papers in this category will be published under the heading 'Highlighted Student Research', and will be included in the initial topical section of the journal issue in which it is published. Furthermore, each highlighted paper will be featured in the Springer Table of Contents Alerts that is sent to more than 10,000 e-subscribers each month.
This initiative is intended to honor the highest quality student research, and papers must be recommended for this honor by Handling Editors for Oecologia, following the normal peer review process.
Students who wish their papers to be considered for the honor should explain in the cover letter the main reasons why the paper represents an outstanding contribution to the field, and indicate such wish by marking the appropriate box for the Oecologia Highlighted Student Research paper during the online submission process.
Since 2017, the Editorial Board of Oecologia has awarded the Ehleringer and Hanski Prizes to the best papers submitted each calendar year and published in Oecologia in the Student Highlighted Research section. This section is reserved for papers that describe research conducted as part of a student's thesis or dissertation during undergraduate or graduate studies. Post-doctoral research is not eligible for this honor. Each year a committee constituted from the editorial board of Oecologia reviews all eligible papers and selects one for each award. The awards consist of a monetary prize and a highlighted profile of the paper and author published in one issue of the journal.
We are proud to name the best paper annually in plant ecology and plant-microbe-animal interactions to honor Professor James Ehleringer. Professor Ehleringer has served as an editor with Oecologia since 1982, and served as Editor-in-Chief between 1989-2006. His research expertise in stable isotope ecology and his dedication to international collaborations and promotion of graduate student and post-doctoral studies in this area helped establish Oecologia as one of the premier journals representing this discipline. He is an elected Fellow of the Ecological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the US National Academy of Sciences.
We are proud to name the best student paper annually in all areas of animal ecology to honor the late Professor Ilkka Hanski (1953-2016). Professor Hanski had diverse interests in ecological questions on threats and maintenance of biodiversity starting from dung beetle communities to forest biodiversity and island biogeography. Prof. Hanski's 1999 book, Metapopulation Ecology, became a cornerstone for researchers in population biology, conservation biology and landscape ecology. Among many honors, Prof. Hanski was awarded ecology's Nobel Prize, the Crafoord Prize in Biosciences in 2011. Training students, discussing ideas and commenting manuscripts of young scientists his top priority. He served on the Oecologia editorial board in 1991 - 2007. This award covers papers in the areas of animal ecology, including topics in animal ecophysiology, animal food-web and interaction-web ecology, animal population and community ecology, and invasive animal ecology.
Graduate students wishing to have their papers considered for these awards need only to request consideration for the Highlighted Student Paper section.