Integrated analysis of the effects of urbanization on surface climate, runoff and net carbon assimilation: Literature review and bibliometrics

Abstract

Rapid urbanization is profoundly modifying terrestrial ecosystems, in particular by influencing surface climate, water runoff and net carbon assimilation. This article proposes an integrated analysis combining an exhaustive bibliographical review and systematic bibliometric analysis, based on a corpus of 392 publications extracted from the Scopus and Web of Science databases, covering the period 1975-2025. Three main themes are studied: the effects of urbanization on the urban heat island and surface climate, changes in surface runoff, and impacts on carbon sequestration. Detailed analyses by environmental subfield highlight the evolution of publications, the geographical distribution of research, thematic networks, scientific collaborations and major editorial sources. The results reveal an exponential growth in scientific production, with a marked domination by China, followed by the USA and India. The research presents a clear thematic structuring around direct impacts, remote sensing methods and advanced modelling, while highlighting important gaps, notably the under-representation of arid and tropical zones and the lack of longitudinal studies on the long-term effects of urban planning policies. The study offers a synthetic and critical overview of current knowledge, identifying the main dynamics, methodologies and issues to be addressed in order to better support the sustainable management of urban environments in the face of climatic and environmental challenges.