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A Scientometric Analysis and Visualization of Forest Soil Contamination Research from Global Perspectives
Summary
This scientometric analysis examined over 2,600 publications on forest soil contamination spanning more than 50 years to map research trends and knowledge gaps. Researchers found that heavy metals and emerging contaminants like microplastics are increasingly studied in forest soils, with China and the United States leading research output. The study identifies future priorities including understanding how contaminants interact within forest ecosystems and their long-term effects on biodiversity.
Forest soil contamination is a significant problem with risks to ecosystems and human health. It reduces soil quality, hampers plant growth, and disrupts ecosystems. To understand current research and identify future directions, this study analyzed 2659 documents on forest soil contamination published on the Web of Science from 1970 to 2023. Using bibliometrics, this study systematically analyzed the knowledge structure, research hotspots, and development trends in forest soil pollution. China, the United States, and Poland were the top contributors, with 11.28%, 8.42%, and 7.15% of publications, respectively. Despite fewer publications, the Netherlands and Sweden had significant research influence. The Chinese Academy of Sciences had the most publications. The primary research topics included heavy metals, ecosystems, deposition, air pollution, and organic matter. Keyword cluster and burst analysis highlighted the importance of heavy metals, microbial communities, atmospheric deposition, and organic matter. Notably, microplastics emerged as a notable gap in the existing research by highly cited papers analysis, indicating they can be a future research focus. Overall, this paper provides a comprehensive analysis of forest soil contamination, offering insights into current research themes and emerging trends.
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