Global Evolution and Research Trajectory of Melliferous Forests: A Bibliometric Analysis

This research performs a bibliometric analysis of scholarly work on honey forests and associated topics, offering a comprehensive overview of the field's dominant trends, key countries, primary themes, and future research directions. A total of 210 articles, drawn from the Web of Science database and covering the period from 1985 to 2025, were examined using the Bibliometrix program based on R. The results reveal a significant increase in scientific publications related to honey forests, especially from the 2010s onwards, with the United States at the forefront. The principal themes include biodiversity, pollinator ecology, and forest management, while emerging themes suggest new research areas such as honey plants and compost. The literature highlights limitations, such as a lack of conceptual consistency and a dearth of local field studies, underscoring the need for more systematic and interdisciplinary research in these areas. This study contributes significantly to the field by underscoring the importance of long-term field research and conceptual clarity for the sustainable management of honey forests and the maintenance of ecosystem services.