Research Progress on Soil Seed Bank: A Bibliometrics Analysis

Zhaoji Shi, Jiaen Zhang and Hui Wei
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Zhaoji Shi: Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Jiaen Zhang: Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Hui Wei: Department of Ecology, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 12, 1-17

Abstract: The soil seed bank (SSB) is a natural bank of viable seeds in the soil or on its surface. Researches on SSB have accumulated extensively worldwide, but have seldom been visualized and quantitatively analyzed. In this paper, publications related to SSB from 1900 to 2019 were collected from the Web of Science Core Collection database, and reviewed and analyzed using CiteSpace. Annual publications distribution, co-occurrence analysis, collaboration network analysis, co-citation analysis and burst detection were all conducted. The results showed that (1) the number of SSB publications had increased rapidly and is still a hotspot; (2) SSB study is an interdisciplinary field mainly concentrated in ecology, environmental science, and plant science; (3) close research cooperation occurred among European countries which were more influential, whereas the USA was the most active country; (4) soil seed genetic diversity, seed persistence, seed trait, restoration potential and restoration projects, and spatial and temporal variation were the main research areas. (5) R language and linear mixed effects models are currently popular in SSB research. Invasive species, weed control, restoration potential and restoration projects, seed traits (especially seed longevity and dormancy), and SSB responses to environment changes (especially climate change and fire) are newly emerging trends in the research.

Keywords: soil seed bank; bibliometrics; trends; soil ecology; weed management; restoration; invasive species; review (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
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