Bibliometric analysis of the spatial distribution of wetland ecosystems based on the Scopus database between 1998 and 2022.

Abstract

The extent of natural wetlands is in constantly decreasing. This study aims to clarify the current state of research in the field of the spatial distribution of wetland ecosystems between 1998 and 2022 in the Scopus database and to provide guidelines for future research. To achieve this, a bibliometric analysis was carried out using the bibliometrix software package based on the R language. The results show that the volume of publications in this field has grown rapidly over the last three decades. The analysis identifies the top three authors (Zhang Y., XU Z. et Liu L.), the top three contributing institutions (East China Normal University, Lanzhou University and the University of Oklahoma) and the three most productive countries (China, USA and Germany). The most influential study with the highest number of citations is Jiapaer et al. (2015), and the most widely used journals in the field are Journal of hydrology and Remote sensing. The co-occurrence analysis shows that studies on the spatial distribution of wetland ecosystems can be divided into six groups framed by the keyword’s climate change / remote sensing / soil moisture / landsat / holocene / modis. Based on this research, future studies could combine the results of spatial distribution and Red List of Ecosystems criteria to assess the conservation status of ecosystems.