Research on Ecological Infrastructure from 1990 to 2018: A Bibliometric Analysis

Shoukai Sun, Yuantong Jiang and Shuanning Zheng
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Shoukai Sun: Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
Yuantong Jiang: Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China
Shuanning Zheng: Key Laboratory of Urban Environment and Health, Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xiamen 361021, China

Sustainability, 2020, vol. 12, issue 6, 1-23

Abstract: Ecological infrastructure (EI), as the composite system on which the sustainable development of cities depends, has attracted worldwide attention. Considering refined methodologies and broad scope, researchers lacked overall understanding of research patterns and evolutionary processes on EI-related issues. In this study, we applied the bibliometric approach to describe the current situation of EI-related research, and reveal research trends. Based on the Web of Science Core Collection, the bibliometric analysis of EI-related publications from 1990 to 2018 was performed to discuss the history and present research situation of EI, and preview research prospect. The results showed that: (1) the number of EI-related publications has surged astonishingly worldwide over the last three decades; (2) countries in Europe and North America were the first to invest heavily in EI-related research, while China started later but subsequently developed rapidly; (3) the EI-related research focuses were EI-related management, methods for countering extreme meteorological phenomena, providing ecosystem services, and protecting biodiversity; and (4) the EI-related research frontiers included the design of EI, policy research on EI, role of EI in environmental governance, and research on the adaptability of EI.

Keywords: ecological infrastructure; bibliometric analysis; visualization analysis; co-word analysis; co-citation analysis; co-authorship analysis (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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