World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Ecological Economics
H-index 53

Ecological Economics

Ranking & Metrics

Discipline name Position Best Scientists Publications D-Index
Economics and Finance 21 108 190 35
Ecology and Evolution 81 116 116 31
Environmental Sciences 171 89 120 27

Additional Metrics

Number of Best Scientists*: 431
Documents by Best Scientists*: 486
Top 100 Ranked Scientists*: 27
SCIMAGO H-index: 262
SCIMAGO SJR: 2.088
Impact Factor: 6.3

Overview

Top Research Topics at Ecological Economics?

Ecological Economics facilitates discussions on Environmental resource management, Natural resource economics, Sustainability, Environmental economics and Public economics. In Ecological Economics, Natural resource, Biodiversity and Ecosystem services are investigated in conjunction with one another to address concerns in Environmental resource management research. Topics in Ecosystem services explored in the journal were investigated in conjunction with research in Payment and Valuation (finance).

Valuation (finance) research presented in Ecological Economics encompasses a variety of subjects, including Contingent valuation and Willingness to pay. Ecological Economics focuses on Natural resource economics but the discussions also offer insight into other areas such as Agriculture, Production (economics), Climate change and Greenhouse gas. The Agriculture study tackled is a key component of adjacent topics in the area of Agricultural economics.

Production (economics) research discussed connects with the study of Consumption (economics). The work on Sustainability presented in the journal focuses on Ecological economics in particular.

  • Environmental resource management (17.90%)
  • Natural resource economics (15.94%)
  • Sustainability (14.94%)

What are the most cited papers published in the journal?

  • Update on the environmental and economic costs associated with alien-invasive species in the United States (3496 citations)
  • A typology for the classification, description and valuation of ecosystem functions, goods and services (3119 citations)
  • Defining and classifying ecosystem services for decision making (1989 citations)

Research areas of the most cited articles at Ecological Economics:

The journal papers cover a variety of subjects, including Environmental resource management, Sustainability, Natural resource economics, Environmental economics and Ecosystem services. The works on Sustainability tackled in the most cited articles bring together disciplines like Consumption (economics) and Sustainable development. The journal articles hold forums on Ecosystem services that merge themes from other disciplines such as Payment and Valuation (finance).

What topics the last edition of the journal is best known for?

  • Ecology
  • Law
  • China

The previous edition focused in particular on these issues:

The journal mainly tackles studies in Public economics, Environmental economics, Ecosystem services, Sustainability and Natural resource economics. The journal holds forums on Public economics that merges themes from other disciplines such as Silence, State (polity), Revenue and Incentive, Incentive program. The featured Environmental economics studies mainly concentrate on Field experiment but also cover areas of interest in Consumption (economics).

Issues in Ecosystem services were discussed, taking into consideration concepts from other disciplines like Demography, Perception, Well-being and Set (psychology). While work presented in Ecological Economics provided substantial information on Sustainability, it also covered topics in Indicator value, Water use, Organic farming, Reflexivity and Estimation. It addresses concerns in Natural resource economics which are intertwined with other disciplines, such as Air pollution, Kuznets curve, Baseline (configuration management) and Pollution.

The most cited articles from the last journal are:

  • The Sustainable Development Goals as new business norms: A survey experiment on stakeholder preferences (0 citations)
  • Innovative fire policy in the Amazon: A statistical Hicks-Kaldor analysis (0 citations)
  • The role of ideology in grassroots innovation: An application of the arenas of development framework to organic in Europe (0 citations)

Papers citation over time

A key indicator for each journal is its effectiveness in reaching other researchers with the papers published at that venue.

The chart below presents the interquartile range (first quartile 25%, median 50% and third quartile 75%) of the number of citations of articles over time.

The top authors publishing in Ecological Economics (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Robert Costanza (70 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Nick Hanley (34 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Jeroen C.J.M. van den Bergh (33 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 1 less than at the previous edition,
  • Richard B. Norgaard (26 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Fridolin Krausmann (26 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top authors publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top authors.

Only papers with recognized affiliations are considered

The top affiliations publishing in Ecological Economics (based on the number of publications) are:

  • Autonomous University of Barcelona (154 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 9 less than at the previous edition,
  • VU University Amsterdam (92 papers) published 2 papers at the last edition, 2 less than at the previous edition,
  • Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (90 papers) absent at the last edition,
  • Wageningen University and Research Centre (89 papers) published 1 paper at the last edition, 6 less than at the previous edition,
  • University of Maryland, College Park (79 papers) absent at the last edition.

The overall trend for top affiliations publishing in this journal is outlined below. The chart shows the number of publications at each edition of the journal for top affiliations.

Publication chance based on affiliation

The publication chance index shows the ratio of articles published by the best research institutions in the journal edition to all articles published within that journal. The best research institutions were selected based on the largest number of articles published during all editions of the journal.

The chart below presents the percentage ratio of articles from top institutions (based on their ranking of total papers).Top affiliations were grouped by their rank into the following tiers: top 1-10, top 11-20, top 21-50, and top 51+. Only articles with a recognized affiliation are considered.

During the most recent 2022 edition, 24.14% of publications had an unrecognized affiliation. Out of the publications with recognized affiliations, 18.18% were posted by at least one author from the top 10 institutions publishing in the journal. Another 13.64% included authors affiliated with research institutions from the top 11-20 affiliations. Institutions from the 21-50 range included 22.73% of all publications and 45.45% were from other institutions.

Returning Authors Index

A very common phenomenon observed among researchers publishing scientific articles is the intentional selection of journals they have already attended in the past. In particular, it is worth analyzing the case when the authors participate in the same journal from year to year.

The Returning Authors Index presented below illustrates the ratio of authors who participated in both a given as well as the previous edition of the journal in relation to all participants in a given year.

Returning Institution Index

The graph below shows the Returning Institution Index, illustrating the ratio of institutions that participated in both a given and the previous edition of the conference in relation to all affiliations present in a given year.

The experience to innovation index

Our experience to innovation index was created to show a cross-section of the experience level of authors publishing in a journal. The index includes the authors publishing at the last edition of a journal, grouped by total number of publications throughout their academic career (P) and the total number of citations of these publications ever received (C).

The group intervals were selected empirically to best show the diversity of the authors' experiences, their labels were selected as a convenience, not as judgment. The authors were divided into the following groups:

  • Novice - P < 5 or C < 25 (the number of publications less than 5 or the number of citations less than 25),
  • Competent - P < 10 or C < 100 (the number of publications less than 10 or the number of citations less than 100),
  • Experienced - P < 25 or C < 625 (the number of publications less than 25 or the number of citations less than 625),
  • Master - P < 50 or C < 2500 (the number of publications less than 50 or the number of citations less than 2500),
  • Star - P ≥ 50 and C ≥ 2500 (both the number of publications greater than 50 and the number of citations greater than 2500).

The chart below illustrates experience levels of first authors in cases of publications with multiple authors.

Career Opportunities in Ecological Economics

Given the breadth and depth of topics covered in Ecological Economics, a career in this field can offer a diverse range of opportunities. Many students and young professionals often wonder what types of jobs they can pursue with a degree in Ecological Economics. Some possible career choices include Environmental Economists, Sustainability Consultants, Environmental Resource Managers, Agricultural Economists, and Public Policy Analysts.

For those passionate about the environment and sustainable practices, a career in Ecological economics may be the perfect fit. However, this will require a sound educational background, where students can learn and develop the necessary knowledge and skills. Institutions such as the best accounting programs in Georgia offer excellent opportunities for those interested in this field.

These programs offer a comprehensive curriculum that covers core subjects such as Environmental resource management, Natural resource economics, Sustainability, Environmental economics, and Public economics. In these programs, you will also have the option to specialize in areas such as Agriculture, Production (Economics), Climate Change, and Greenhouse Gas.

The job outlook for individuals with a degree in Ecological Economics is positive, especially as organizations globally continue to place more emphasis on sustainability and responsible resource management. The need for knowledgeable professionals who can analyze and develop effective solutions to environmental challenges is growing. So, pursuing a career in Ecological Economics can be both rewarding and fulfilling, leading to a bright future.

Top Publications

  • Global patterns of ecologically unequal exchange: Implications for sustainability in the 21st century

    Christian Dorninger;Christian Dorninger;Alf Hornborg;David J. Abson;Henrik von Wehrden

    (2021)
    457 Citations
  • A Green New Deal without growth

    Riccardo Mastini;Giorgos Kallis;Jason Hickel

    (2021)
    297 Citations
  • The importance of species diversity for human well-being in Europe

    Joel Methorst;Katrin Rehdanz;Thomas Mueller;Bernd Hansjürgens

    (2021)
    198 Citations
  • How does the use of industrial robots affect the ecological footprint? International evidence

    (2022)
    182 Citations
  • Social tipping processes towards climate action: a conceptual framework

    Ricarda Winkelmann;Ricarda Winkelmann;Jonathan Friedemann Donges;Jonathan Friedemann Donges;E. Keith Smith;E. Keith Smith;Manjana Milkoreit

    (2022)
    156 Citations

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Exploring Environmental Sciences in the USA opens up diverse online degree options and career paths. For those interested in combining environmental issues with health and safety, the best online environmental health and safety degree programs offer specialized training to manage risks in workplaces and communities.

Students seeking to expand their expertise in human behavior and social impact alongside environmental studies might consider related fields like counseling. Various degrees in counseling can complement environmental work, addressing mental health and community wellbeing.

For those aiming to pursue careers centered on family dynamics and support systems with an environmental perspective, programs such as online marriage and family therapy programs may provide insightful opportunities.

Additionally, individuals interested in behavior analysis within environmental contexts can explore bcaba accredited programs, which prepare students for certification and specialized roles in behavioral health services.

Best Scientists Contributing to This Journal