Ecological services provided by wetlands: A bibliometric analysis based on Scopus database (1983–2023)

Abstract

Wetlands provide a wide range of ecosystem services essential to human well-being, but the overall dynamics of scientific production in this field remain poorly structured. This study aims to analyze the evolution, thematic structuring, and main research hotspots on wetland ecosystem services over the past forty years. A total of 4,081 documents published between 1983 and 2023 was extracted from the Scopus database and analyzed using VOSviewer and the bibliometrix package in R, to examine publication trends, keyword co-occurrence, and geographical and institutional contributions. The results show a steady and accelerating increase in scientific output, accompanied by a diversification of research themes, with growing emphasis on water quality regulation, cultural ecosystem services, and conservation-oriented approaches, despite persistent geographical and thematic imbalances. The increasing prominence of economic valuation in the reviewed studies reflects a reorientation of research priorities rather than a systematic monetary assessment. This bibliometric synthesis highlights the main centers of expertise, identifies emerging themes and underexplored areas, and provides a reference framework for guiding future research agendas and promoting more integrated approaches to the assessment of wetland ecosystem services.