Mapping the Research Landscape of Environmental DNA in China: Evidence from the CNKI Database

Environmental DNA (eDNA) serves as the material foundation for biodiversity research. As a revolutionary biomonitoring tool, eDNA technology offers significant advantages such as being non-invasive, efficient, and cost-effective. Understanding the eDNA research landscape in China is important for global scholars, both for tracking progress in this field and for observing how an advanced biodiversity monitoring technology is systematically validated and applied in a major biodiversity-rich country. This study employs the CiteSpace bibliometric analysis tool, based on 304 publications from the CNKI database, to systematically map the research landscape in this field. The results indicate a consistent upward trend in the number of publications within China’s eDNA research domain, which has evolved through three stages. The field involves numerous researchers, with the top three prolific authors being Xiao-wei Zhang, Jiang-hua Yang, and Zhi Chen. Some research institutions have formed clusters, but a close cross-institutional collaborative network has yet to be established. Chinese eDNA research is oriented toward technological application and addressing ecological issues, with current hotspots focusing on applying eDNA technology to biodiversity studies through biomonitoring, biomass assessment, and biological community structure analysis, targeting phytoplankton, benthic animals, fish, and environmental microorganisms, among others. However, it also faces common global challenges. This study provides a reference for environmental DNA-related research and contributes Chinese experience and insights to global biodiversity monitoring.