A bibliometric study on trends and hotspots in integrated forest management (IFM)-related research between China and the European Union

Abstract

Forest ecosystems are among the most important and play a vital role in maintaining ecological balance and supporting biodiversity. Integrated forest management (IFM) has gained prominence in European countries as a strategy to meet human needs for ecosystem services while ensuring biodiversity conservation. Given the complementary strengths of China and the European Union (EU) in forestry and the potential for collaboration, it is beneficial to compare and analyze the research status of both in IFM-related fields to provide insights into key areas and future directions for cooperation. This study employs bibliometric analysis to systematically evaluate IFM-related research status and trends between China and the EU. By examining publication trends, collaborative networks, prominent scholars, keyword co-occurrence patterns, research hotspots, and thematic clusters, providing a comprehensive overview of IFM-related research. The findings reveal that core research areas—such as forest management practices, ecosystem services, biodiversity conservation, and data-driven assessment methods—remain central to IFM-related research. In contrast, frontiers in climate change mitigation, disturbance and restoration dynamics, and multi-stakeholder governance represent critical areas for future exploration and collaboration. Our results provide areas for enhancing China-EU collaboration in future research in IFM.

Keywords

Forest ecosystems / Integrative forest management / Sustainable forest management / Biodiversity protection / China-EU cooperation / Bibliometric analysis

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