陆地碳汇是碳循环的重要组成部分,在全球气候变化背景下其重要性日益凸显,相关研究受到了国内外学术界的广泛关注。采用文献计量方法,以1994—2024年间Web of Science核心合集SCI-E数据库以及CNKI数据库中所收录的共计8 431篇相关文献为研究对象,运用CiteSpace软件绘制国内外文献共被引、作者共作以及关键词时间线等可视化图谱,分析了论文时间、学科、期刊以及来源国家的分布情况,给出了高影响机构、高产作者以及重要研究文献,并基于Burst检测探究了不同阶段关键词演化发展过程及未来趋势。结果表明:①近30 a来陆地碳汇发文量显著增长,2008年以后年均增幅12%,2019年以后年均增幅高达15%。②发文量较多的国家依次是中国、美国、德国、英国、加拿大等;高影响的研究机构主要有中国科学院、中国科学院大学、法国国家科学研究中心、美国农业部、巴黎-萨克雷大学等。③关键词演化过程主要分为3个阶段:1994—2008年侧重于碳循环基础理论研究,关键热词是碳循环、碳平衡和涡度相关等;2008—2019年研究热点从地球生态系统逐渐扩展到社会经济等方面,关键热词是净初级生产量、碳交换、生态补偿和低碳经济等;2019年至今紧密围绕全球碳减排目标与生态系统价值实现,关键热词是以碳中和、碳排放、温度敏感性、生态产品核算和碳交易;未来发展方向是碳汇监测核算、减排增汇提升方法、碳交易市场机制、深化国际合作等。研究成果可为厘清全球陆地碳汇发展脉络和研究热点、预测未来发展方向,以及促进我国双碳目标实现提供基础资料和政策建议。

[Objective] To systematically review the development trends in terrestrial carbon sink research, this paper employs bibliometric methods to analyze Chinese and English literature from 1994 to 2024, aiming to reveal its evolution, research hotspot shifts, distribution of core research entities, and future directions, thereby providing a reference for grasping field frontiers and supporting relevant decision-making. [Methods] Data were sourced from the Web of Science Core Collection (SCI-E) and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database, retrieving 8 431 relevant publications on terrestrial carbon sinks from 1994 to 2024 (4 727 in English, 3 704 in Chinese). Using CiteSpace software, knowledge graphs including literature co-citation, author collaboration, and keyword timeline maps were constructed. Combined with the burst detection algorithm, the analysis covered the temporal, disciplinary, journal, and country distributions of publications, identified high-impact institutions, prolific authors, high-centrality and highly-cited literature, and investigated the evolutionary stages and frontier hotspots of keywords. [Results] (1) Publication trends: The number of publications showed significant growth over the past three decades, with an average annual increase of approximately 12% after 2008 and 15% after 2019. The development process could be divided into three stages: slow inception (1994-2008), steady development (2008-2019), and rapid advancement (post-2019). (2) Distribution by country, journal, and discipline: China published the most papers (2 149 in WOS, 3 704 in CNKI), followed by the United States and Germany. Key journals included Global Change Biology, Science of the Total Environment, Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, Acta Ecologica Sinica, and Ecological Economy. Environmental science and technology and resources science and technology were core disciplines. Chinese literature emphasized forestry and agricultural economics, while English literature focused on ecology and geosciences. (3) Core research entities: The Chinese Academy of Sciences was the most prolific institution (832 papers), followed by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS). High-centrality and highly-cited literature concentrated on three areas: the dynamics of terrestrial carbon sinks, carbon flux monitoring models, and the coupling between climate change and carbon sinks. (4) Evolution of research hotspots: Keyword burst detection revealed three distinct stages. Stage 1 (1994-2008): focused on fundamental carbon cycle theory, with keywords such as “carbon cycle”,“carbon balance”, and “eddy covariance”. Stage 2 (2008-2019): research expanded to socio-economic dimensions, featuring keywords like “net primary production”,“low-carbon economy”, and “ecological compensation”. Stage 3 (2019-2024): closely aligned with global carbon reduction goals and ecosystem value realization, highlighted by keywords including “carbon neutrality”, “carbon peak”,“carbon emissions”, “temperature sensitivity”, “ecological product accounting”, and “carbon trading”. [Conclusion] This bibliometric analysis indicates that terrestrial carbon sink research is developing rapidly, with China being a major contributor. Research hotspots have evolved from fundamental mechanisms to socio-economic integration, and further toward a trajectory driven by carbon neutrality goals and market mechanisms. Future research directions mainly include: enhancing carbon sink monitoring, accounting, and assessment accuracy; studying carbon process mechanisms in coupled multiple ecosystems; evaluating regional emission reduction and sink enhancement potential along with technological applications; developing economic valuation and market trading mechanisms for carbon sinks; and strengthening international cooperation and data sharing. The findings can provide a basis for understanding the field’s development trajectory, predicting future trends, and supporting policies related to China’s “Dual Carbon” goals.