4. Conclusions
In this study, the SCI-E and SSCI databases of the WoSCC were used as sample data and CiteSpace software was applied to visualize information about seed dispersal research. Based on the bibliometric analysis method, we systematically analysed the basic characteristics, main research institutions and research hotspots of literature in the field of seed dispersal. Furthermore, we used the AI and the AAI to assess the research efficiency and academic impact of major countries. The following conclusions were drawn from the results:
(1) The number of publications on seed dispersal research globally increased significantly over time. The number of citations per publication peaked in 2000. The 10 most productive journals accounted for 27.7% of all publications in the field of seed dispersal, and Ecology had the highest impact in this field. Researchers in the field of seed dispersal are mostly from the USA and European countries, and a collaboration network centred on the USA, Spain, Germany, Australia, Britain and France gradually formed.
(2) On the basis of the AI and the AAI, we determined that different countries/territories have different research abilities in the field of seed dispersal. The research effort and academic impact of the USA were higher than the global average level in most years. Although the research effort and academic impact of Brazil, China and Japan were lower than the global average level in most years, their academic impact has continuously increased in recent years. We also found that seed dispersal research was performed by five author groups with outstanding research records.
(3) The burst analysis showed that wind dispersal is a hotspot in the field of seed dispersal research, and new research hotspots or research frontiers have mainly concentrated on seed conservation and the spatial patterns of seed dispersal.
(4) Currently, many studies are limited to only the number of seeds and distance of seed dispersal and cannot systematically study every process of the seed renewal stage (seed production, seed dispersal, seed germination, seedling settlement, seedling establishment, etc.). Because the monitoring of seed germination and seedling growth in the later stages of seed dispersal is time-consuming and labour-intensive, relevant research is still lacking. In addition, too much attention has been paid to the negative impacts of human interference on the spreading of seeds by animals, and the beneficial aspects of human interference in the process of seed dispersal have been ignored. Finally, the development of mathematical models related to seed dispersal has created an opportunity to study the processes of seed dispersal and its potential consequences.
Although this research provides scientific guidance for future research directions in related fields, it still has some limitations. First, we strictly limited the scope of publications in the literature search to avoid obtaining search results that are inconsistent with the research goals. Second, although we identified main research hotspots and future research directions, deeper analysis of research hotspots, such as the methods applied to identify them and theoretical background, is still needed. Finally, CiteSpace software itself has certain limitations, although much research has been conducted using this software. For example, in the process of this research, we found that the software cannot distinguish the first author of a paper from the corresponding author, and the distinction between some areas is not very accurate. Nevertheless, the conclusions of this study are based on objective data, which are accurate and reliable. In short, the results of this study were not affected by anecdotal evidence.