FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY

Scope & Guideline

Bridging Theory and Application in Functional Ecology

Introduction

Welcome to the FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY information hub, where our guidelines provide a wealth of knowledge about the journal’s focus and academic contributions. This page includes an extensive look at the aims and scope of FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, highlighting trending and emerging areas of study. We also examine declining topics to offer insight into academic interest shifts. Our curated list of highly cited topics and recent publications is part of our effort to guide scholars, using these guidelines to stay ahead in their research endeavors.
LanguageEnglish
ISSN0269-8463
PublisherWILEY
Support Open AccessNo
CountryUnited Kingdom
TypeJournal
Convergefrom 1987 to 2024
AbbreviationFUNCT ECOL / Funct. Ecol.
Frequency6 issues/year
Time To First Decision-
Time To Acceptance-
Acceptance Rate-
Home Page-
Address111 RIVER ST, HOBOKEN 07030-5774, NJ

Aims and Scopes

Functional Ecology is dedicated to advancing our understanding of the functional roles of organisms in their ecosystems, emphasizing the interplay between ecological processes, species interactions, and environmental changes. The journal showcases research that integrates functional traits with ecological dynamics, providing insights into biodiversity, ecosystem functioning, and responses to anthropogenic pressures.
  1. Functional Traits and Ecosystem Processes:
    The journal focuses on how functional traits of organisms influence ecosystem processes, such as nutrient cycling, productivity, and food web dynamics. This includes studies on plant traits, animal behavior, and microbial functions.
  2. Responses to Environmental Change:
    Research published in Functional Ecology often examines how species and ecosystems respond to environmental changes, including climate change, urbanization, and habitat modification. This encompasses physiological, behavioral, and community-level responses.
  3. Inter-species Interactions and Community Dynamics:
    The journal emphasizes studies that explore the interactions among species, such as predation, competition, and mutualism, and how these interactions shape community structure and biodiversity.
  4. Cross-disciplinary Approaches:
    Functional Ecology promotes interdisciplinary research that combines ecology with evolutionary biology, physiology, and biochemistry, fostering a comprehensive understanding of ecological phenomena.
  5. Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning:
    The relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning is a core theme, with articles addressing how species diversity affects ecosystem resilience, stability, and service provision.
Functional Ecology is at the forefront of addressing pressing ecological issues, with several trending and emerging research themes that reflect current scientific interests and societal challenges.
  1. Impact of Climate Change on Ecosystem Dynamics:
    Research focusing on the effects of climate change on ecological interactions, species distribution, and ecosystem functioning is increasingly prevalent. This includes studies on thermal tolerance, phenological shifts, and adaptations to changing climates.
  2. Microbial Ecology and Soil Health:
    There is a growing emphasis on the role of soil microbial communities in ecosystem functioning, particularly in relation to nutrient cycling, carbon storage, and plant-microbe interactions.
  3. Urban Ecology and Anthropogenic Effects:
    Studies examining the ecological impacts of urbanization, including changes in species interactions, functional diversity, and ecosystem services, are gaining traction as urban areas expand.
  4. Functional Trait Variation and Intraspecific Diversity:
    Research is increasingly focusing on intraspecific variation in functional traits and how this diversity affects ecological performance, resilience, and adaptive capacity in changing environments.
  5. Ecosystem Services and Human Well-being:
    There is a rising interest in linking ecological research to ecosystem services and human well-being, emphasizing the importance of biodiversity and ecosystem functioning for sustainable development.

Declining or Waning

While Functional Ecology continues to thrive in many areas, certain themes and methodologies appear to be waning in prominence. This decline may reflect shifts in research focus or changes in the ecological challenges being addressed.
  1. Studies Focused Solely on Taxonomic Diversity:
    There has been a noticeable decline in papers that prioritize taxonomic diversity without considering functional implications. The emphasis has shifted towards understanding functional diversity and its ecological consequences.
  2. Traditional Laboratory Studies:
    Research relying solely on controlled laboratory experiments is less frequent, as there is a growing preference for field studies that address real-world ecological dynamics and incorporate complex environmental interactions.
  3. Static Ecological Models:
    The use of static models that do not account for temporal dynamics or ecological interactions is decreasing. Researchers are increasingly favoring dynamic models that incorporate variability and complexity in ecological systems.
  4. Focus on Single Species Studies:
    There is a reduction in studies that focus on single species in isolation. Instead, there is a trend towards examining multi-species interactions and community-level dynamics.
  5. Descriptive Ecology without Functional Insights:
    Descriptive studies that lack functional insights or implications for ecosystem processes are becoming less common, as the field moves towards integrating functional traits into ecological research.

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