The main objective of Tropical Conservation Science (TCS) is to bring to light research related to the conservation of tropical forests and other tropical ecosystems.

TCS is a peer-reviewed, online, open access journal that publishes original research papers and state-of-the-art reviews of broad interest to tropical conservation. Short turn-around time from submission to publication is an important feature of the journal.

TCS seeks papers that investigate conservation problems involving, first and foremost, socio-economic, political and industrial drivers of tropical ecosystem loss and degradation. Equally important to the journal is its aim to stimulate the publication of research that maps, tracks, and assesses drivers of tropical/ecosystem conservation.

The journal serves as a forum for perspectives and analyses of contrasting concepts and data on tropical ecosystem conservation. It also provides a channel of communication between scientists and the public at large on tropical conservation.

TCS manuscripts typically report on a wide range of topics including taxonomy, ecology, evolution, behavior, parasitology, epidemiology, and population genetics, for both plant and animal communities, as they relate to tropical forest/ecosystem conservation. TCS also welcomes manuscripts reporting on social and economic issues related to tropical conservation, such as the impacts of and/or on indigenous people, poverty, population growth, ecological footprint, and conservation policy, as well as pertinent scientific, technological, cultural and religious issues. The journal encourages interdisciplinary papers using a wide range of methods, including modeling, molecular biology, epidemiology, ecology and/or evolutionary theory, to analyze, assess and discuss vital tropical conservation issues.

Tropical Conservation Science publishes four types of papers: Review Articles, Research Articles, Conservation Letters and Short Communications. Review and Research Articles are synopses/reviews of particular topics and regular technical papers. Letters are non-traditional papers and could have, as a central theme, something like "critical thinking," whether it is a taxonomic, conservation policy, ecological, physiological or historical article. Letters should be a bit edgy and promote thinking by moving into the next paradigm even when traditional journals refuse to move there. The journal’s aim is to inspire discussions, disagreements and advances in thinking. Short Communications are reports of preliminary studies or of technical procedures in studies of species and specific conservation issues.

TCS is an international journal and all papers are published only in English.

Tropical Conservation Science is available in BioOne Complete through the 2024 volume. Current content is available on the journal's website.