From Impact to Insight: A Bibliometric Mapping of Research on Anthropogenic Activities

Abstract

Focusing on aquatic and marine ecosystems, this paper provides a full bibliometric review of scientific literature on anthropogenic activities and environmental impacts. The analysis based on a dataset of 1,000 published documents between 1999 and 2015, which emanated from 539 sources, considered factors such as trends in publications, thematic structure, collaboration patterns, and field conceptual development. Results indicate a well-growing body of research, this being attested by a yearly growth rate of 33.48% and an average citation rate of 64.14 citations per document, which epitomizes great scholarly influence and continued interest in the subject matter. Keyword co-occurrence networks and conceptual mapping identify the dominant themes as climate change, biodiversity, human impact, anthropogenic disturbance, and water quality, further confirming the significant position of human-driven environmental change within contemporary ecological research. Thematic analysis further divides it into two major research fields: environmental contamination and ecosystem response and management. Temporal analysis clearly shows this: earlier studies on paleoecology and historical baselines give way to the latest studies on climate change, biodiversity loss, and applied environmental management. Patterns in collaboration show a highly cooperative research landscape, ranging from 4.63 co-authors per document, which is a reflection of the interdisciplinary nature of the studies looking at complex human-environment interactions. Other bibliometric indicators, including Bradford's law and thematic mapping, also reflect a mature research structure with core journals and established knowledge hubs. From marine science perspective, findings highlight that ecosystem degradation is often linked to anthropogenic stressors such as pollution, changed land use, and climate-induced disturbances.