A bibliometric analysis on the effects of land use change on fire dynamics: current status and progress

Abstract

Bibliometrics has been widely applied across various scientific domains as a valuable tool to assess scientific evolution and identify developmental trends. Fire ecology, an emerging field, represents a significant ecological and evolutionary force that regulates populations and communities across time and space. Consequently, studies on how anthropogenic land use changes have altered fire regimes are increasing. This study seeks to analyze the evolution, geographical distribution, and collaboration patterns of scientific knowledge to understand trends in the literature and the primary conceptual and methodological foundations underlying research on land use change impacts on fire dynamics. Using the SCOPUS database, we employed bibliometric tools to examine key descriptive patterns in the literature. Co-occurrence networks were applied to identify scientific advancements based on titles, abstracts, and keywords, while a detailed analysis of 10% of the most cited articles offered insight into prevalent methodologies. We identified 295 relevant publications, with the United States and Brazil leading the research, highlighting substantial cooperation between these two countries. Among the authors, Shimabukuro Y. was the most prolific. Remote Sensing was the predominant journal for publication. Analysis of co-occurrence networks and the most cited articles indicated extensive use of satellite data, with applications in mapping and monitoring burned areas and identifying factors driving the emergence and shifts in fire regimes.