The Trends in Research on the Effects of Biochar on Soil

Abstract

The present study used bibliometric methods to analyze the literature regarding the biochar effects on soil that are included in the Web of Science Core Collection database and quantified the annual number of publications in the field and distribution of publications. Using CiteSpace as a visual analytic software for the literature, the distribution of the subject categories, author collaborations, institution collaborations, international (regional) collaborations, and cocitation and keyword clustering were analyzed. The results showed the basic characteristics of the literature related to the effects of biochar on soil. Furthermore, the main research powers in this field were identified. Then, we recognized the main intellectual base in the domain of biochar effects on soil. Meanwhile, this paper revealed the research hotspots and trends of this field. Furthermore, focuses of future research in this field are discussed. The present study quantitatively and objectively describes the research status and trends of biochar effects on soil from the bibliometric perspective to promote in-depth research in this field and provide reference information for scholars in the relevant fields to refine their research directions, address specific scientific issues, and help scholars to seek/establish relevant collaborations in their fields of interests.

The Use of Soil Conditioners to Ensure a Sustainable Wheat Yield under Water Deficit Conditions by Enhancing the Physiological and Antioxidant Potentials

“…The application of biochar has recently received significant attention due to its ability to optimise the physiochemical properties of the soil, soil fertility, soil pH, and microbial activities as well as its cation exchange capacity and water use efficiency along with its ability to act as an organic and inorganic pollutant control and a fertilizer [18][19][20]. Biochar is also a valuable product for improving soil qualities such as nutrient availability and uptake, soil porosity, and bulk density as well as the soil water-holding and retention capacity [21]. Biochar amendments to the soil, in comparison with other amendment materials, has the benefit of having a wide surface area and pore spaces, allowing the biochar to absorb and retain water and nutrients whilst also providing an environment for the growth of helpful microbes [22].…”

A bibliometric analysis on the agricultural use of biochar in Brazil from 2003 to 2021: research status and promising raw materials

“…A higher number of publications on biochar in Brazil is noted from 2010, in line with world research trends, as the number of biochar publications has increased in various fields worldwide, especially since 2008 (Ahmed et al ., 2018), after the term biochar was unified at the first International Biochar Conference in 2007 (Yan et al ., 2020). Due to the fact that scientific consensus on the term biochar was reached in 2008, articles with equivalent terms but which were not used as biochar or bio-char may have been previously published, but were not considered in this study.…”

Research Status and Trends of Underwater Photosynthesis

“…Since 1979, many references to underwater photosynthesis have been found, including some higher-impact review articles that played essential roles in in-depth research in specific directions [7,19]. Analyzing this literature by literature metrology [34,35], we can have a more comprehensive understanding of the research status, popular research topics, and development trends of underwater photosynthesis. CiteSpace is a visual analytic tool [36], and it has been employed to analyze research hotspots, frontiers, cooperative relationships between author institutions and countries, and theme evolution in a specific research field [37,38], such as medicine [39,40], mathematics [41,42], and ecology [43,44].…”