Get your Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment paper right the first time: a ready-made structure with the right abstract and citations, so editors see your science, not formatting slips.
4.1
Authored by Sumalatha Gangadhar | Published on 11 August, 2026
Submitting to Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment goes smoothly when your draft already matches the journal's own rules. Editors screen new manuscripts against the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment guide for authors before peer review, so formatting, structure, and required statements should be right on the first draft rather than repaired during upload. This template sets that structure up for you.
It is a manuscript shell aligned to Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. It covers front matter, the abstract the journal expects, a body organized to the journal's article types, and a reference list in the journal's required style. Confirm current scope and article types on the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment journal page before you draft.
Prepare the title, authors, affiliations, and ORCID iDs. Write the abstract to the journal's rule and word limit, organize the body to the article type, and apply the required reference style from the first citation. Complete every declaration (ethics, competing interests, funding, data availability) the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment guide for authors lists, and cite figures and tables in order.
The common failure modes are formatting or reference style that does not match the guide for authors, missing required statements, and an incomplete portal checklist. Clear all three against the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment guide for authors before you submit.
The shell mirrors what editorial staff check first: article-type fit, the abstract rules, required declarations, and the journal's reference style. For more detail see the author resources. When your draft is ready, upload it through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).
| Element | Frontiers Ecol Environ requirement |
|---|---|
| Abstract | Unstructured abstract, maximum 150 words for all article types (Research Communications, Concise Reviews, Concepts and Questions). Abstracts should explain what the article is about and why it is important, avoiding simple repetition of the main text. For Concise Reviews and Concepts and Questions, an additional 'In a nutshell' section (3-4 bullet points, maximum 100 words combined) is required immediately after the abstract for non-scientific readers |
| Main text | Research Communications: 2500 words maximum (excluding abstract, title, author names/affiliations, references, figure legends but including panel text), divided into Introduction, Methods, Results, and Conclusions sections. Concise Reviews: 3000 words maximum (same exclusions). Concepts and Questions: 2800 words maximum (same exclusions). Reader's Forum: 800 words maximum (excluding title, author names/affiliations, references, figure legend) |
| Declarations | Ethics approval/consent as applicable; competing interests; funding; data availability |
| Figures/tables | Publication-ready; cited in order |
| Supplemental | Upload separately when used |
| Keywords | Not specified in the official author guidelines |
| References | Author-date style with journal name abbreviations following ISI Web of Science style. Format: Author(s) Year. Title. Journal Volume: pages. Example: 'Belhabib D. 2021. Ocean science and advocacy work better when decolonized. Nat Ecol Evol 5: 709–10.' Research Communications limited to 25 references; Concise Reviews to 50 references; Concepts and Questions to 40 references; Reader's Forum to 12 references |
| Peer review | Single-blind peer review. The associate editor and reviewers remain anonymous throughout the peer-review process. Manuscripts are evaluated by the Editor in Chief, assigned to an associate editor if advanced to review, then sent to usually two (sometimes three) reviewers |
| Submission | mc.manuscriptcentral.com/frontecolenviron |
Read the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment guide for authors once before drafting and once before upload. Draft the abstract after results are stable. Set the reference style before adding citations. Keep a cover letter that states your contribution and fit to Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment in under a page.
Skim two or three recent Frontiers Ecol Environ papers to calibrate depth and figure style. Make the novelty clear in the first two pages. Deposit data and code when the policy on the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment journal page requires it. Disclose any preprint or conference version with identifiers in the cover letter.
Do one focused pass against the Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment guide for authors: scope, length, reference style, required declarations, and figure quality. Then submit through ScholarOne (Manuscript Central).