Article types

Article type 1: Reports

This is the primary article type that is used to report on the status of species (or lower taxonomic units, e.g. subspecies or varieties), which refers to their level of extinction risk (e.g., with reference to being stable, imperiled, or extinct) and lost status. Reports can cover one or multiple species; in the case of multiple species, there will typically be some geographic or taxonomic focus. The loss of undescribed biological diversity, such as species without a formal scientific name, is also an appropriate focus if accompanied by sufficient justification.

Most Reports will focus on the species or subspecies level, but Reports can also cover extirpations or range contractions within those taxonomic boundaries if these phenomena are sufficiently extensive to warrant concern at the higher taxonomic level (e.g., state-level losses that suggest a species or subspecies should be considered imperiled).

The length of Reports will vary depending on the number of species being covered. Reports on single species are 20 manuscript pages or less, which includes the title page through to the last figure of the submitted document. Reports on multiple species can be up to 50 manuscript pages.

Reports will include the elements listed below which should be used by authors as a pre-submission checklist.

1) Title page with article title, authors and affiliations, and indication of article type.
2) Abstract in English and a second language relevant to the geography of the focal species, not more than 300 words (for each version); with 5-8 keywords. The abstract should include information on status, especially with respect to imperilment and a lost designation, when appropriate. The second, non-English abstract is not a requirement for the initial submission.
3) Conservation statement is a short passage, up to 120 words, outlining important messages from the article aimed at conservation practitioners, land managers, and policy makers. For Reports covering multiple species, this statement can refer to all species.
4) Introduction; the subsections below include species-specific information; for multi-species Reports, we leave it up to the author's discretion (for this and sections in the main text) if required elements listed below are covered one species at a time or in taxonomic or geographic groups.
- 4.1) Taxonomy: describe taxonomic status and history, for example when a species was described, and with reference to established databases such as ITIS when possible; for lower taxonomic units (subspecies or varieties) describe evidence to support those designations. If discussing undescribed taxa, present as much evidence as possible to justify taxonomy. Finally, discuss any disagreements over taxonomic status.
- 4.2) Evolutionary relationships: provide details about relevant evolutionary relationships (with respect to focal species and closely related taxa); discuss whether extinction of the species represents or would represent a significant loss of evolutionary history, as would happen, for example, with the loss of a monotypic taxon.
- 4.3) Natural history: present the basic biology and ecology of the focal species, including life history information and interactions with other species. Photographs or illustrations from the wild or from museum specimens are highly encouraged.
5) Main text includes the subsections listed below, which specify and justify status, as well as report on geography and search effort.
- 5.1) Status: describe level of extinction risk (e.g., with reference to being stable, imperiled, or extinct) and lost status. For multi-species reports, status categories can be summarized in a table; and, if including previously well-documented extinctions, those taxa could be included in the table with citations and not discussed in the same depth. Describe any formal legal status or efforts to protect the species, with reference to relevant organizations including, for example, IUCN and CITES, or laws with national jurisdiction. Present the evidence supporting the idea that the species is lost, imperiled, or extinct. Quantitative analyses supporting status designations are welcome but will not be necessary in all cases. Standard practice in this emerging field is to draw from all available sources (for occurrence records and validation of status) including but not limited to GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility) and community science platforms, and to consult with taxonomic experts regarding collections and undigitized specimens.
- 5.2) Geography: provide a map showing occurrence records; if precise locations need to be obscured, location information can be provided at whatever resolution achieves that. If possible, include on the map a visualization of any threats such as habitat loss.
- 5.3) Search effort: If sampling was carried out by the author(s), include information on area(s) searched, sampling duration(s), when sampling occurred, and method(s) of detection. If sampling was carried out by persons other than author(s), include the same information to whatever extent possible. Note that when it comes to making inferences about extinction and lost status, it is of utmost importance to outline search effort in the greatest detail possible.
- 5.4) Threats: discuss stressors that affect or affected a species, such as habitat loss and climate change. If a species is dependent on specialized interactions, for example for parasitic taxa, discuss the evidence for specialization and dependence.
- 5.5) Rediscovery strategy: for species that are lost or imperiled (in cases of range contraction, for example), include information on how a species could be rediscovered, specifically when and where search effort should be directed and methods used for detection.
6) Conclusion: this section is flexible, and authors should consider discussing the consequences of the loss of focal species, which could include lost interactions with other species, altered ecosystem function, and other ramifications. For multi-species Reports, this section (as with the Conservation Statement) could cover all taxa or could be parsed by species.
7) Remaining items as follows: statement on data accessibility, acknowledgements, literature cited, tables, figure and table legends, and figures.

Article type 2: Notes

These brief articles describe the results of investigations (e.g., field surveys) into the status of species that have previously been reported as lost or extinct, and can be either negative findings supporting absence or rediscoveries demonstrating documentation in the wild.

The review process for this article type can be expedited due to the time-sensitive nature of rediscoveries; we ask authors to send a pre-submission notice so that we can work ahead to select an appropriate handling editor and find reviewers.

Notes on negative findings will be of particular value if they represent the results of surveys that are exhaustive, include many years, or are difficult to carry out due to costs or other constraints. Authors are encouraged to contact us before submission for feedback on whether negative findings warrant publications as a Note.

Notes are brief and should be 10 manuscript pages or less, with the following elements:

1) Title page with title, authors and affiliations, and indication of article type.
2) Abstract in English and a second language relevant to the geography of the focal species, not more than 250 words (for each language version); with 5-8 keywords.
3) Conservation statement is a short statement, up to 120 words, outlining important messages from the article aimed at conservation practitioners, land managers, and policy makers.
4) Introduction and main text, which briefly describe the species and the evidence that it either has been rediscovered, or the extent to which negative findings support lost or extinct status. Evidence should be included in the manuscript, which could include photos or genetic documentation. This section should highlight a quantitative description of search effort involved in the field survey or expedition, including a methodological description of how the search strategy was designed. Depending on the rigor with which the original lost or extinct status of the species was documented (prior to search efforts reported in the Note), authors should consider reporting taxonomic, systematic, and other information (see checklist above for Reports).
5) Conclusion emphasizing next steps to be taken for protection, recovery, monitoring, and management (if appropriate, for positive findings).
6) Remaining items as follows: statement on data accessibility, acknowledgements, literature cited, tables, figure legends, and figures.

If a Note refers to the rediscovery of a species previously reported as lost in a JLS article, researchers submitting the article will have the opportunity to contact the authors of the original Report that described the loss of the focal species; this creates the opportunity, at the discretion of the authors, for collaboration on the publication of the rediscovery. The new article will be linked digitally through JLS online content to the original article.

Article type 3: Letters

This is the most flexible category of articles, and can include opinion pieces, articles on methods development, as well as data papers investigating issues relevant to global change, the Anthropocene, declines in biodiversity, and processes of extirpation and extinction.

For letters on biodiversity decline, for example using data from monitoring programs, we are most interested in studies that align with the lost species concept and cover patterns spanning ten or more years.

Letters follow general article formatting guidelines, with the exception that authors can deviate from the standard elements as appropriate for the subject (e.g., an opinion piece will not need a Materials and Methods or a Results section).

Submission & review

JLS follows a single-blind reviewer system, with reviewers remaining anonymous during and after the review process. We give reviewers the option, however, to have their names and affiliations published with the final article. We encourage authors to submit names of potential reviewers as part of the submission process to ensure that reviewers are selected with appropriate taxonomic expertise.

Preprints

The open access philosophy of JLS is consistent with the use of preprint services such as bioRxiv and Authorea, although JLS encourages discretion and care when making articles available for public access before they have been through peer review, especially when articles involve species likely to attract public attention.

Data archiving

Quantitative data such as occurrence records should be made available in publicly-available repositories such as Dryad, Zenodo, GBIF (the Global Biodiversity Information Facility), iNaturalist, or others. When possible (if datasets are small), we also recommend that authors include data in tables as part of the paper, either in the main text or in supplementary material. All articles will include a statement on data accessibility that clearly states where relevant data are accessible. If data are not shared publicly because they are sensitive or protected, or they are masked in some way (e.g., with locations obscured) this needs to be clearly stated with rationale.