Topics and Trends in Most Cited Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies research in the Class of 2026?

Ecology and vegetation dynamics literature shifts toward predictive trait-based spatial modeling and scenario-driven conservation. Species distribution modeling, grassland resilience, and land use change dominate high-impact research. Projections incorporating Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, functional traits, and dryland biodiversity surge dramatically, while traditional carbon sequestration metrics decline.

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Updated July 21, 2026

At a glance

Field
Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
8,523
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Species distribution modeling, Grasslands, Land use change, Biodiversity hotspots, Functional traits
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
48–257
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 8,523
25718m citations

Critical transitions in the Amazon forest system

Bernardo M Flores et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-023-06970-0

Bernardo M. Flores, Marina HirotaFederal University of Santa Catarina, Brazil

Amazon forest systemEcological thresholdsForest diebackecosystem resiliencewater stress driversExtreme droughtdeforestationfiresforest-environment feedbackscompounding disturbancesbiome-wide transitionecosystem trajectoriesregional climate changeforest degradationAnthropocene resiliencegreenhouse gas emissionsClimate variabilityspatial disturbance analysis
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#2 of 8,523
10918m citations

Mechanisms, detection and impacts of species redistributions under climate change

Jake Lawlor et al.Nature Reviews Earth & Environment202410.1038/s43017-024-00527-z

Jake LawlorMcGill University, Canada

Range shiftsclimate changedetection methodsecological impactsBiodiversity patternsthermal tolerancehabitat trackingcommunity reassemblyextinction riskphenological shiftsDispersal limitationSpecies distribution modelingbiodiversity monitoringtrophic mismatches
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#3 of 8,523
8618m citations

The Atlantic Forest of South America: Spatiotemporal dynamics of the vegetation and implications for conservation

Maurício Humberto Vancine et al.Biological Conservation202410.1016/j.biocon.2024.110499

Maurício Humberto Vancine, Milton Cézar RibeiroUniversidade Estadual Paulista (Unesp), Brazil

Atlantic ForestSouth Americaspatiotemporal dynamicsvegetation dynamicsconservation implicationsforest fragmentationBiodiversity hotspotsLand use changedeforestation patternshabitat lossforest regenerationlandscape connectivityspecies distributionClimate change impactsprotected areas
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#4 of 8,523
8418m citations

A global meta-analysis on the effects of organic and inorganic fertilization on grasslands and croplands

Ting-Shuai Shi et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-024-47829-w

Jian‐Sheng YeLanzhou University, China

organic fertilizationinorganic fertilizationGrasslandscroplandsnature-based solutionaboveground biomassPlant diversitySoil organic carbonCarbon sequestrationbiodiversity conservationbiomass-diversity tradeoffSoil moisturemean annual temperatureforage productionecosystem servicesglobal meta-analysis
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#5 of 8,523
7518m citations

Shifts in native tree species distributions in Europe under climate change

Marcin K Dyderski et al.Journal of Environmental Management202410.1016/j.jenvman.2024.123504

Marcin K. DyderskiInstitute of Dendrology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland

Species distribution modelingMaxEntbioclimatic variablesShared Socioeconomic Pathwaysrange contractionstandard stock tree speciesalternative stock tree speciesSorbus torminalisUlmus minorTilia platyphyllosAcer pseudoplatanusPrunus aviumCarpinus betulusAbies albaLarix deciduaPicea abiesPinus sylvestrisspecific leaf areaseed massspecific stem density
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#6 of 8,523
7218m citations

Extreme drought impacts have been underestimated in grasslands and shrublands globally

Melinda D Smith, Kate D Wilkins et al.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences202410.1073/pnas.2309881120

Melinda D. Smith, Kate WilkinsColorado State University, United States

Extreme droughtshort-term droughtGrasslandsShrublandaboveground net primary production (ANPP)coordinated distributed experiment100 sites on six continentsCarbon cycleEcosystem functioningdrought severityPlant diversityDryland ecosystemsdrought response variabilityclimate change intensificationstandardized drought manipulation
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#7 of 8,523
7118m citations

Plant diversity darkspots for global collection priorities

Ian Ondo, Kiran L Dhanjal-Adams, Samuel Pironon et al.New Phytologist202410.1111/nph.20024

Samuel Pironon, Alexandre AntonelliRoyal Botanic Gardens, United Kingdom

vascular plant speciestaxonomic knowledge shortfallsgeographic knowledge shortfallstime-to-event analysesdiversity darkspotsbotanical countriesundescribed speciesspecies distribution recordsBiodiversity hotspotsNew GuineaColombiaMyanmarPeruPhilippinesTurkeycollection prioritiesherbaria digitisationShared Socioeconomic Pathwaysenvironmental scenariosconservation prioritization
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#9 of 8,523
6018m citations

Plant diversity enhances ecosystem multifunctionality via multitrophic diversity

Yi Li et al.Nature Ecology & Evolution202410.1038/s41559-024-02517-2

Xiaojuan LiuChinese Academy of Sciences, China

Plant diversityecosystem multifunctionalitymultitrophic diversitytrophic interactionsBiodiversity-ecosystem function relationshipAbove-belowground interactionsherbivorespollinatorsdecomposerssoil microbiotaecosystem servicescommunity assemblytrophic cascadesfunctional diversityBiodiversity effects
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#10 of 8,523
5918m citations

Functional traits—not nativeness—shape the effects of large mammalian herbivores on plant communities

Erick J Lundgren et al.Science202410.1126/science.adh2616

Erick LundgrenAarhus University, Denmark

Large herbivoresmegafaunaintroduced megafaunanative megafaunaFunctional traitsbody sizebulk-feedingplant abundancePlant diversitymeta-analysisnativenessinvasivenessferalnesscoevolutionary historyfunctional noveltyphylogenetic noveltytrait-based ecologyPlant-herbivore interactionsplot-scale responses
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#11 of 8,523
5918m citations

Rural depopulation has reshaped the plant diversity distribution pattern in China

Qing Luo et al.Resources Conservation and Recycling202410.1016/j.resconrec.2024.108054

Xiaoyong BaiGuizhou Education University, China

rural depopulationplant diversity distributionChinaBiodiversity patternsLand use changespecies richnessagricultural abandonmentdemographic shiftsvegetation recoveryRange shiftshuman-environment interactionsrural-urban migrationecological consequences
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#12 of 8,523
5518m citations

Amazon forest biogeography predicts resilience and vulnerability to drought

Shuli Chen et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07568-w

Shuli Chen, S. R. SaleskaUniversity of Arizona, United States

Amazon rainforestbiogeographyDrought resiliencedrought vulnerabilityspecies distributionclimate stressforest compositiongeographic patternstree species traitsPrecipitation gradientecosystem resiliencebiogeographic regionsdrought tolerancespatial heterogeneityClimate change impacts
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#13 of 8,523
5318m citations

Revealing uncertainty in the status of biodiversity change

T F Johnson et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07236-z

Thomas F. JohnsonUniversity of Sheffield, United Kingdom

biodiversity time-series datasetsabundance trendsspatial structuretemporal structurephylogenetic structuretrend uncertaintycredible intervalsHierarchical modellingspatial autocorrelationtemporal autocorrelationphylogenetic non-independencelocal-scale predictionBiodiversity changeconservation policy scalestrend misestimationadaptive conservation
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#14 of 8,523
5318m citations

Global evaluation of current and future threats to drylands and their vertebrate biodiversity

Amir Lewin et al.Nature Ecology & Evolution202410.1038/s41559-024-02450-4

Amir LewinBen-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel

Dryland ecosystemsvertebrate biodiversityprotected-area coverageendemic speciesnarrow-ranging speciesagricultural developmentinfrastructure developmentLand use changeclimate change scenariosShared Socioeconomic Pathwaysurban expansionalternative energy expansionAnthropogenic pressuresconservation frameworksrange coverageland conversion projections
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#15 of 8,523
5218m citations

Enhancing ecosystem productivity and stability with increasing canopy structural complexity in global forests

Xiaoqiang Liu et al.Science Advances202410.1126/sciadv.adl1947

Yanjun SuChinese Academy of Sciences, China

Structural complexityforest ecosystem productivityforest ecosystem stabilityLiDARforest ecoregionsbiodiversityresource availabilitymanaged forestsintact forestsforest management plansClimate change mitigationglobal forest distributionCSC mappingproductivity-stability relationship
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#16 of 8,523
5018m citations

Managing climate-change refugia to prevent extinctions

Gunnar Keppel et al.Trends in Ecology & Evolution202410.1016/j.tree.2024.05.002

Gunnar KeppelUniversity of South Australia, Australia

Climate refugiaBiodiversity lossclimate crisisrefugial capacityrefugia-promoting processesresistance-based conservationClimate bufferingextinction preventionlandscape-scale climate stressrefugia management frameworkbiodiversity maintenanceconservation planning under climate change
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#18 of 8,523
4918m citations

Rapid shifts in grassland communities driven by climate change

Kai Zhu, Yiluan Song et al.Nature Ecology & Evolution202410.1038/s41559-024-02552-z

Kai ZhuUniversity of Michigan, United States

Grasslandsclimate change response lagCalifornia Floristic Provinceclimatic niche estimationcommunity composition datasetsClimate niche spacecommunity thermophilizationwarming-induced compositional shiftdrying-induced compositional shiftshort-lived speciesvascular plant speciesoccurrence recordsglobal change experimentsdirectional community shiftclimate warming paceclimate drying pacebiodiversity change velocityforest-grassland response contrast
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#19 of 8,523
4818m citations

Climate velocities and species tracking in global mountain regions

Wei-Ping Chan et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-07264-9

I‐Ching Chen, Sheng‐Feng ShenBiodiversity Research Center, United States

Climate velocityspecies trackingmountain regionsisotherm shiftselevation gradientslapse rate of temperaturesatellite datamoist adiabatic lapse ratevertical isotherm shift velocitiessurface warming 1971-2020endemic speciesRange shiftsBiodiversity changenorthern SumatraBrazilian highlandssouthern Africaconservation strategiesclimate-change trajectories
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#20 of 8,523
4818m citations

Predicting the potential habitat suitability of Saussurea species in China under future climate scenarios using the optimized Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) model

Rongfang Zhao et al.Journal of Cleaner Production202410.1016/j.jclepro.2024.143552

Shijin WangUniversity of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China

Saussurea speciesMaxEntSpecies distribution modelingShared Socioeconomic PathwaysSSP126SSP245SSP370SSP585Qinghai-Tibet PlateauHimalayasHengduan MountainsIsothermality (Bio3)Temperature Annual Range (Bio7)habitat fragmentationdistribution centroid shiftalpine plant conservationclimate change impact on species distributionelevation as environmental factormedicinal plant conservationfuture climate projection
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

Research across the Class of 2026 in Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies emphasizes predictive modeling, habitat disturbance, and functional biodiversity across vulnerable biomes. Species distribution modeling leads topic occurrences (12% of ranked literature), reflecting widespread reliance on high-resolution spatial algorithms to forecast plant range realignments under changing environmental pressures. Land use change (10%) and grassland dynamics (10%) represent central empirical pillars, driven by accelerating agricultural expansion, habitat fragmentation, and rangeland degradation. Studies targeting dryland ecosystems (8%) and biodiversity hotspots (8%) highlight growing analytical focus on sensitive ecosystems experiencing acute hydroclimatic stress. Furthermore, functional traits (8%) and functional diversity (8%) demonstrate a methodological pivot toward trait-based ecological frameworks, replacing traditional taxonomic counts with mechanistic assessments of ecosystem resilience. Range shifts (8%) and endemic species vulnerability (8%) further structure the literature as researchers track species displacement patterns along latitudinal and elevation gradients. Integrated climate-socioeconomic modeling, specifically Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (8%), underscores the field's shift toward coupling climate projections with anthropogenic policy scenarios. Together, these topics define a modern ecological landscape centered on predictive spatial dynamics, trait-driven ecosystem assessments, and climate change adaptation strategies.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

How Did Topics Shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026?

Comparing the Class of 2025 (2023 publications) to the Class of 2026 (2024 publications) reveals a pronounced transition from descriptive carbon accounting toward scenario-driven climate forecasting and functional conservation. The most notable emerging topics include Shared Socioeconomic Pathways, biodiversity hotspots, endemic species, functional traits, and conservation prioritization, all showing dramatic increases from near-zero baseline occurrences in the previous cohort to significant prevalence in 2024 literature. Dryland ecosystems and functional diversity also registered substantial multi-fold growth, reflecting expanded ecological field investigations across moisture-limited regions. Conversely, traditional ecosystem metrics experienced relative declines: carbon sequestration topics dropped from 12% in 2023 to 4% in 2024, and compositional turnover shifted downward from 6% to 4%. Meanwhile, baseline methodologies such as species distribution modeling (12%) and land use change assessments (10%) maintained steady core representation across both cohorts. These shifts illustrate a field-wide realignment from static habitat inventories and broad carbon dynamics toward predictive trait-based modeling, fine-scale climate scenario projections, and targeted conservation strategies.

How topics shifted year over year
How topics shifted year over year
Methodology

PRI identifies high-impact research using a transparent, topic-agnostic framework applied consistently across scientific domains. Bibliographic records are drawn from OpenAlex, including publication dates, citation relationships, and document types.

This ranking covers the Class of 2026 cohort: journal articles published in 2024. Reviews and other non-article document types are excluded to ensure comparability.

Research impact is quantified with an 18-month post-publication citation window—the number of citing works published within 18 months of each paper's publication date. This metric captures early impact while controlling for publication age.

An LLM-based relevance classifier then reviews each candidate's title and abstract to confirm substantive alignment with the target domain. Only papers classified as relevant appear in the final ranking.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459

Full methodologyGitHubbioRxiv preprint

Cite this ranking

Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/ecology-and-vegetation-dynamics-studies/2026. Accessed 2026-07-21.

Zheng Su, Tinsley Li, Thematic Shifts in Early-High-Impact Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics Research: A Bibliometric and Semantic Analysis. bioRxiv 2026.07.04.736459; doi: https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.07.04.736459