Research Trends in Soil Organic Carbon Based on Bibliometric Method

As the largest terrestrial organic carbon pool, soil has become a major research focus worldwide. In China, the “Dual Carbon” goals (i.e., achieving carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060) have significantly accelerated publications in soil organic carbon (SOC) research. Using bibliometric methods based on CNKI and Web of Science, this study analyzes publication trends, country/regional contributions, research themes, and frontiers. Results show that SOC research became a global hotspot after 2004 and in China after 2012. Based on current trends, future research output may continue to grow, but this requires further verification. China’s rapid rise may be related to its Dual Carbon goals, but other factors may also contribute. Four global hotspot regions were identified from Web of Science data; WoS-indexed publications related to Africa are relatively few, which may reflect insufficient regional research capacity or data sharing and warrants international attention. Dominant themes across both databases include SOC storage, spatial distribution, influencing factors, and land use, spanning agriculture, ecology, geography, and botany. WoS-indexed studies appear to span a wider range of disciplines than CNKI studies, but this difference should be interpreted with caution. Frontier detection reveals strong convergence on core scientific questions—carbon formation efficiency and long-term stability—yet divergence in driving factors and practical applications. Finally, current weaknesses in SOC research are discussed, along with corresponding suggestions for future investigations.