Soil Erosion and Carbon Cycling in Farmland Under Climate Change: A Bibliometric Analysis and Research Progress

Climate change may alter the coupling between farmland soil erosion and soil carbon cycling, yet the evolution of research themes and the net carbon consequences of erosion remain unclear. We combined bibliometric analysis with a critical literature synthesis of 653 publications indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection (1993–2025), using CiteSpace and VOSviewer, with keyword analyses focusing on 2016–2025. Publication output increased after 2010, particularly since 2020. Eight keyword clusters were identified, encompassing land-use change, soil organic carbon, soil erosion, nitrous oxide, remote sensing, climate change mitigation, soil hydrology, and carbon emissions. Keyword bursts for “stabilization” and “productivity” persisted through 2025. The literature synthesis suggests that extreme rainfall, drought–rainfall sequences, and freeze–thaw processes can modify erosion thresholds and sediment connectivity, influencing the selective transport and redistribution of soil organic carbon. Eroded carbon may be buried and stabilized or re-exposed and mineralized; thus, local carbon losses or depositional gains do not necessarily indicate net carbon emissions or sequestration. Divergent findings partly reflect differences in accounting boundaries, observation periods, carbon fractions, and methodological approaches. We propose a conceptual framework linking climate-driven erosion, carbon redistribution, stabilization–mineralization processes, and agricultural management feedbacks. Future research should integrate event-scale observations, source-to-sink carbon budgets, greenhouse gas assessments, and crop productivity to validate these proposed linkages.