Research trends in biodiversity loss: a bibliometric analysis

Area of Science:

• Ecology and Environmental Science
• Bibliometrics
• Conservation Science

Background:

• Global efforts to preserve biodiversity ecosystems are increasing.
• Bibliometric research on biodiversity loss, however, remains limited.
• Understanding research trends is crucial for effective conservation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric assessment of global research trends on biodiversity loss from 1990 to 2021.
• To identify key contributors, influential publications, and emerging research areas.
• To highlight gaps in current research, particularly concerning socio-economic factors.

Main Methods:

• Utilized VOSviewer software for bibliometric analysis.
• Analyzed 6599 publications from the Web of Science Core Collection (1990-2021).
• Examined document types, languages, publication trends, countries, institutions, author keywords, and Keywords Plus.

Main Results:

• Biodiversity loss research shows a significant upward trend, with substantial growth expected.
• The United States is the leading contributor, followed by other nations.
• Biological Conservation and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are key journals.
• Eisenhauer, N. and Collen, B. are identified as highly prolific and referenced authors, respectively.
• Previous research focused on biodiversity loss mechanisms, drivers, conservation, and climate change.

Conclusions:

• Biodiversity loss research is expanding, indicating growing global concern.
• There is a notable underrepresentation of social sciences and economics in current biodiversity loss studies.
• Future research should explore species diversity and integrate socio-economic concerns into decision-making for improved biodiversity conservation.