[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.