Research progress on international studies on applied ecology based on Web of Science

Applied ecology is one of the most important scientific and technological tools for natural resources management and environment protection. Under the current situation of natural resource shortage, serious environmental pollution, and ecosystem degradation, understanding the theoretical basis, research methods and research hotspots of international studies on applied ecology is of great significance for consolidating the knowledge base, indicating the research direction, defining the strategic position of China's studies on applied ecology. Based on the principle of bibliometrics and information visualization software (CiteSpace and Carrot²), we took two document datasets as research objects which were searched from Web of Science based on different search strategies in the field of international studies on applied ecology from 1980 to 2018. We analyzed the spatial and temporal distribution of the literature, the core research forces, the evolution and frontier trend of research hotspots from three dimensions, i.e. research carrier, research strength, and research content. Our results could reveal its evolutionary trajectory, research status and development trend and provide reference for future studies on applied ecology in China.