Abstract
Ecological stoichiometry (ES), as an ecological theory, provides a framework for studying various ecological processes, and it has been applied successfully in fields ranging from nutrient dynamics to biogeochemical cycling. Through the application of ES theory, researchers are beginning to understand many diverse ecological topics. The aim of this paper was to identify the main characteristics of ES, especially to clarify the evolution, and potential trends of this field for future ecological studies. We used CiteSpace software to conduct a bibliometric review of ES research publications from 1992 to 2019 extracted from the Web of Science. The results showed that the United States has been a major contributor to this field; approximately half of the top 15 academic institutions contributing to ES research were in the United States. Although the largest number of publications on ES were from China, the impact of these academic papers has thus far been less than that of the papers from other countries. Moreover, none of the top 15 authors or cited authors contributing to publications on ES from 1992 to 2019 were from China. ES research has developed rapidly and has changed from single-discipline ES studies to a multidisciplinary “auxiliary tool” used in different fields. Overall, ES shows great research potential and application value, especially for studies on nutrient cycling, ecosystem sustainability and biogeochemical cycling.
Highlights
IntroductionSince the 20th century, biological research has occurred at different levels of biological organization (such as molecules, individuals, populations and ecosystems), and in particular habitats [1]
Since the 20th century, biological research has occurred at different levels of biological organization, and in particular habitats [1]
The analysis results and discussion of ecological stoichiometry (ES) research are listed in two stages: (1) a descriptive analysis and search to delineate the field of ES research, which included the distributions of countries/regions, institutions, authors/co-cited authors and co-cited journals; (2) an in-depth analysis of the theme to describe the thematic evolution of this field and point out the characteristics and trends of research on ES using both bibliometric and visualization analysis
Summary
Since the 20th century, biological research has occurred at different levels of biological organization (such as molecules, individuals, populations and ecosystems), and in particular habitats [1]. Is there a theory that can connect various organizational levels (from the molecular to genetic levels and even to the ecosystem level) under the framework of modern biological science? The theory of ecological stoichiometry (ES) was put forward; it combines the laws of thermodynamics, the principles of natural selection in biological evolution and the central laws of molecular biology [3]. C:N:P stoichiometry is vital to understanding organismal nutrient dynamics, sustainability and biogeochemical cycling in ecosystems, and serves as a bridge between different disciplines. It provides new insights into individual fitness and biogeochemical cycles in ecosystems [8]
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