# Topics and Trends in Most Cited Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology Papers, Class of 2026

*Canonical URL: https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/invertebrate-taxonomy-and-ecology/2026*

## What topics and trends defined most-cited Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology research in the Class of 2026?

Research in invertebrate taxonomy and ecology shifted toward functional soil ecology, with earthworms (+14% freq.) and bioturbation (+8%) driving major growth. Soil microbial interactions, livestock-integrated agriculture, and integrative taxonomy expanded rapidly, while standalone species distribution modeling and purely morphological surveys saw relative declines.

## At a glance

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Field | Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology |
| Cohort label | Class of 2026 (2024 publications) |
| Papers analyzed | 1,230 |
| Papers ranked | 20 |
| Top topics in ranked papers | Earthworms, Clitellata, bioturbation, conventional farming, soil microbial communities |
| Publication window | Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024 |
| Eligibility | Research articles; reviews excluded |
| Citation window | 18 months post-publication |
| 18m citation range | 9–32 |
| Data source | OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026 |
| License | CC BY 4.0 |

## Rankings

| Rank | Title | Authors | Corresponding authors | Affiliation | Journal | 18m citations | DOI |
| ---: | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---: | --- |
| 1 | Linking effect traits of soil fauna to processes of organic matter transformation | Jonathan Bonfanti, Anton Potapov, Gerrit Angst, Pierre Ganault, María J.I. Briones, Irene Calderón‐Sanou, Ting‐Wen Chen, Erminia Conti, Florine Degrune, Nico Eisenhauer, Olga Ferlian, Davorka K. Hackenberger, Amelie Hauer, Mickaël Hedde, Karin Hohberg, Paul Henning Krogh, Christian Mulder, Camila Pérez-Roig, David J. Russell, Oren Shelef, Zheng Zhou, Andrey G. Zuev, Matty P. Berg | Jonathan Bonfanti | Université Montpellier, France | Functional Ecology | 32 | 10.1111/1365-2435.14720 |
| 2 | Identification crisis: a fauna-wide estimate of biodiversity expertise shows massive decline in a Central European country | Barna Páll‐Gergely, Frank‐Thorsten Krell, Levente Ábrahám, Bálint Bajomi, Luca Eszter Balog, Pál Boda, Csaba Csuzdi, László Dányi, Zoltán Fehér, Sándor Hornok, Adrienn Horváth, Péter Kóbor, Sándor Koczor, Jenő Kontschán, Péter Kovács, Tibor Kovács, Márk Lukátsi, Gábor Majoros, Dávid Murányi, Tamás Németh, Bálint Pernecker, Gellért Puskás, Lajos Rózsa, Zoltán Soltész, Éva Szita, Tamás Szűts, Balázs Tóth, Andrea Tőke, Zoltán Vas, Katalin Zsuga, Vivien Zsupos, Zoltán Csabai, Arnold Móra | Barna Páll‐Gergely, Zoltán Csabai | Széchenyi István University, Hungary | Biodiversity and Conservation | 23 | 10.1007/s10531-024-02934-6 |
| 3 | Earthworms in an enhanced weathering mesocosm experiment: Effects on soil carbon sequestration, base cation exchange and soil CO2 efflux | Arthur Vienne, Patrick Frings, Sílvia Poblador, Laura Steinwidder, Jet Rijnders, Jonas Schoelynck, Olga Vindušková, Sara Vicca | Arthur Vienne | University of Antwerp, Belgium | Soil Biology and Biochemistry | 19 | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109596 |
| 4 | The effects of earthworm species on organic matter transformations and soil microbial communities are only partially related to their bioturbation activity | Luna Vion-Guibert, Yvan Capowiez, Gonzague Alavoine, Ludovic Besaury, Olivier Delfosse, Mickaël Hedde, Claire Marsden, Gwenaëlle Lashermes | Gwenaëlle Lashermes | Université de Reims Champagne-Ardenne, France | Soil Biology and Biochemistry | 16 | 10.1016/j.soilbio.2024.109606 |
| 5 | Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) trait-based biomonitoring of rivers within the northwestern Rif of Morocco: implications for determining riverine ecosystems ecological health in Africa | Sara El Yaagoubi, Augustine Ovie Edegbene, Majida El Alami, Sanae Errochdi, Rihab Harrak | Sara El Yaagoubi, Augustine Ovie Edegbene | Université Abdelmalek Essaâdi, Morocco | Aquatic Sciences | 16 | 10.1007/s00027-024-01070-1 |
| 6 | Predicting Current and Future Habitat Suitability of an Endemic Species Using Data-Fusion Approach: Responses to Climate Change | Atiyeh Amindin, Hamid Reza Pourghasemi, Roja Safaeian, Soroor Rahmanian, John P. Tiefenbacher, Babak Naimi | Hamid Reza Pourghasemi | Shiraz University, Iran | Rangeland Ecology & Management | 15 | 10.1016/j.rama.2024.03.002 |
| 7 | Earthworms regulate soil microbial and plant residues through decomposition | Jiahui Liao, Juanping Ni, Xiaoming Zou, Han Y. H. Chen, Manuel Delgado‐Baquerizo, Yuanyuan Li, Tingting Ren, Ke Shi, Honghua Ruan | Honghua Ruan | Nanjing Forestry University, China | Geoderma | 14 | 10.1016/j.geoderma.2024.117040 |
| 8 | Conventional agricultural management negatively affects soil fauna abundance, soil physicochemical quality and multifunctionality | Emogine Mamabolo, René Gaigher, James S. Pryke | Emogine Mamabolo | Stellenbosch University, South Africa | Pedobiologia | 13 | 10.1016/j.pedobi.2024.150961 |
| 9 | Edaphobase 2.0: Advanced international data warehouse for collating and using soil biodiversity datasets | David J. Russell, E. Naudts, Nadejda A. Soudzilovskaia, María J.I. Briones, M. Çakır, Erminia Conti, Jérôme Cortet, Cristina Fiera, D. Hackenberger Kutuzovic, Mickaël Hedde, Karin Hohberg, D. Indjic, Paul Henning Krogh, Ricarda Lehmitz, Stephan Lesch, Zoran Marjanović, Christian Mulder, Levan Mumladze, Maka Murvanidze, Sebastian Rick, Martina Roß‐Nickoll, Jiří Schlaghamerský, Olaf Schmidt, Oren Shelef, Marjetka Suhadolc, Maria Α. Tsiafouli, Anne Winding, Andrey Zaytsev, Anton Potapov | David J. Russell | Senckenberg Museum of Natural History Görlitz, Germany | Applied Soil Ecology | 13 | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105710 |
| 10 | Catálogo Taxonômico da Fauna do Brasil: Setting the baseline knowledge on the animal diversity in Brazil | Walter A. Boeger, Michel P. Valim, Hussam Zaher, José Albertíno Rafael, Rafaela Campostrini Forzza, Alexandre Reis Percequillo, Cristiana S. Serejo, André Rinaldo Senna Garraffoni, Adalberto J. Santos, Adam Ślipiński, Adelita M. Linzmeier, Adolfo R. Calor, Adrian Antonio Garda, Adriano B. Kury, Agatha C.S. Fernandes, Aisur Ignacio Agudo-Padrón, Alberto Akama, ALBERTO MOREIRA DA SILVA NETO, Alejandro Londoño Burbano, A. R. E. A. N. De MENEZES, Alessandre Pereira-Colavite, ALEXANDER ANICHTCHENKO, Alexander Charles Lees, Alexandra Maria Ramos Bezerra, Alexandre Cruz Domahovski, Alexandre Dias Pimenta, Alexandre Luis Padovan Aleixo, Alexandre Pires Marceniuk, Alexandre Souza de Paula, Alexandre Somavilla, Alexandre Specht, Alexssandro Camargo, Alfred F. Newton, Aline A.S. da Silva, Aline B. dos Santos, Aline D. Tassi, Allan Carelli Aragão, Allan Paulo Moreira Santos, Álvaro Esteves Migotto, Amanda Cruz Mendes, Amanda Ferreira Cunha, Amazonas Chagas, Ana A.T. de Sousa, Ana Carolina Pavan, ANA C.S. ALMEIDA, Ana L. B. G. Peronti, Ana Lucia Henriques-Oliveira, Ana Lúcia da Costa Prudente, Ana Lúcia Miranda Tourinho, Ana Maria Pes, Ana Paula Carmignotto, Ana Paula Gonçalves da Silva Wengrat, Ana Paula Siqueira Dornellas, Anamaria Dal Molin, Anderson Puker, André C. Morandini, André da S. Ferreira, André L. Martins, André Morgado Esteves, André S. Fernandes, André Silva Roza, Andreas Köhler, Andressa Paladini, Andrey José de Andrade, Ângelo Parise Pinto, A. Salles, Anne Isabelley Gondim, A. Cecília Z. Amaral, Antonio Arnovis Agudelo Rondón, Antônio D. Brescovit, Antônio C. Lofego, António Carlos Marques, A. Macedo, Artur Andriolo, Augusto Loureiro Henriques, Augusto L. Ferreira Júnior, Aurino F. de Lima, Ávyla Régia de Albuquerque Barros, Ayrton do R. Brito, Bárbara Louise Valentas Romera, Beatriz M.C. de Vasconcelos, Benjamin W. Frable, Bernardo F. Santos, Bernardo R. Ferraz, Brunno B. Rosa, Brunno Henrique Lanzellotti Sampaio, Bruno Cavalcante Bellini, Bruno Clarkson, Bruno De Oliveira, Caio C. D. Corrêa, Caleb Califre Martins, Camila Fediuk de Castro-Guedes, Camilla Souto, Carla de Lima Bicho, Carlo M. Cunha, Carlos Alberto De Moura Barboza, Carlos Alberto Santos de Lucena, Carlos Barreto, Carlos D.C.M. de Santana, Carlos Eduardo Agne | Walter A. Boeger | Universidade Federal do Paraná, Brazil | Zoologia (Curitiba) | 12 | 10.1590/s1984-4689.v41.e24005 |
| 11 | Earthworms as Catalysts for Climate-Resilient Agriculture: Enhancing Food Security and Water Management in the Face of Climate Change | Muhammad Danish Toor, Abdul Basıt, Benedict Okorie, Dibyajyoti Nath, Muhammad Mughees Ud Din, Pawan Kumar Verma, Saleem Sajjad, Izhar Ullah, Hany N. Yousef, Heba I. Mohamed | Muhammad Danish Toor, Heba I. Mohamed | University of Tartu, Estonia | Water Air & Soil Pollution | 12 | 10.1007/s11270-024-07576-6 |
| 12 | Make it a standard? The creation and variability assessment of a consensus standard protocol for Tenebrio molitor larvae feeding trials | David Deruytter, Christos I. Rumbos, Christina Adamaki-Sotiraki, Ludovic Tournier, Valentin Ageorges, C.L. Coudron, Wael Yakti, Christian Ulrichs, Thomas Spranghers, Siebe Berrens, M. Van Peer, S. Bellezza Oddon, Ilaria Biasato, A. Resconi, Nicolas Paris, Noémie Hotte, Louise Hénault-Éthier, Laura Gasco, Christos G. Athanassiou | David Deruytter | Inagro, Belgium | Journal of Insects as Food and Feed | 12 | 10.1163/23524588-00001347 |
| 13 | Are earthworms the victim, facilitator or antidote of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance at the soil-animal-human interface? A One-Health perspective | Tinoziva T Simbanegavi, Zakio Makuvara, Jerikias Marumure, Richwell Alufasi, Rangarirayi Karidzagundi, Nhamo Chaukura, Tendai Musvuugwa, Simon Thierry Okiobe, Piotr Rzymski, Willis Gwenzi | Willis Gwenzi | University of Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe | The Science of The Total Environment | 10 | 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173882 |
| 14 | Litter quality modulates changes in bacterial and fungal communities during the gut transit of earthworm species of different ecological groups | Huizhen Chao, Linlin Zhong, Ina Schaefer, Mingming Sun, André Junggebauer, Feng Hu, Stefan Scheu | Linlin Zhong | University of Göttingen, Germany | ISME Communications | 10 | 10.1093/ismeco/ycae171 |
| 15 | Influence of earthworms on the mobility and bioavailability of metals, metalloids and radionuclides in historically contaminated soil | Nathalie Vanhoudt, Jean Wannijn, Robin Nauts, Axel Van Gompel, Kristel Mijnendonckx, Nathalie Impens | Nathalie Vanhoudt | Belgian Nuclear Research Centre (SCK CEN), Belgium | Applied Soil Ecology | 10 | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105665 |
| 16 | Multiple invasion routes have led to the pervasive introduction of earthworms in North America | Jérôme Mathieu, John W Reynolds, Carlos Fragoso, Elizabeth Hadly | Jérôme Mathieu | Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, France | Nature Ecology & Evolution | 9 | 10.1038/s41559-023-02310-7 |
| 17 | Machine learning approaches delimit cryptic taxa in a previously intractable species complex | Haley L A Heine, Shahan Derkarabetian, Rina Morisawa, Phoebe A Fu, Nathaniel H W Moyes, Sarah L Boyer | Sarah L. Boyer | Macalester College, United States | Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution | 9 | 10.1016/j.ympev.2024.108061 |
| 18 | The burrowing and casting dynamics of earthworms are influenced by litter presence as evidenced by repeated scans and a new marker of bioturbation | Yvan Capowiez, Jean‐Marc Bonzom, Nicolas Bottinelli, Franck Gilbert | Yvan Capowiez | INRAE, France | Applied Soil Ecology | 9 | 10.1016/j.apsoil.2024.105569 |
| 19 | Towards an integrative revision of Haplotaxidae (Annelida: Clitellata) | Patrick Martin, Steven V. Fend, Svante Martinsson, Mårten Klinth, Takaaki Torii, Christer Erséus | Patrick Martin | Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Belgium | Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society | 9 | 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae141 |
| 20 | Phylogenetics of Lepidonotopodini (Macellicephalinae, Polynoidae, Annelida) and Comparative Mitogenomics of Shallow-Water vs. Deep-Sea Scaleworms (Aphroditiformia) | Avery S Hiley, Nicolás Mongiardino Koch, Greg W Rouse | Avery S. Hiley, Greg W. Rouse | University of California San Diego, United States | Biology | 9 | 10.3390/biology13120979 |

## Topic trends

### What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 in Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology is strongly anchored by soil biodiversity and functional ecosystem engineering. Earthworms (norm. freq. 0.22) and the class Clitellata (0.14) dominate the research landscape, reflecting intense investigation into their role as ecosystem engineers. A major thematic pillar centers on bioturbation (0.12), where researchers link invertebrate functional traits directly to soil organic matter transformation, carbon sequestration, and soil structure maintenance.

Agricultural management impacts form another major focal cluster. Studies heavily evaluate how conventional farming practices (0.08), no-tillage systems (0.06), and livestock-integrated agriculture (0.06) alter soil fauna communities, soil respiration, and remediation processes. Concurrently, interest in subterranean biological interactions has expanded to include soil microbial communities (0.08) and earthworm gut microbiota, highlighting the functional cross-talk between macro-invertebrates and soil microbiomes.

Methodologically, the field balances classical biodiversity assessment with modern analytical tools. Integrative taxonomy (0.06), multi-gene phylogeny (0.06), and COI gene barcoding remain essential for resolving complex lineages such as Moniligastridae and terrestrial gastropods. In freshwater ecosystems, aquatic macroinvertebrates—specifically Trichoptera, Ephemeroptera, and Plecoptera (EPT assemblages)—serve as vital bioindicators for water quality and environmental monitoring. Together, these topics reflect a dynamic discipline connecting taxonomic discovery with functional soil and aquatic ecology.

*Leading research themes*

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

Comparing publication cohorts reveals a distinct shift toward functional soil ecology and microbiome-integrated agricultural studies. The most prominent upward trajectory is led by earthworms, which expanded from a normalized frequency of 0.08 in the Class of 2025 to 0.22 in the Class of 2026 (a 2.75-fold increase). Associated functional processes saw matching growth, with bioturbation rising from 0.04 to 0.12 (3.0-fold increase) and Clitellata expanding from 0.06 to 0.14.

Emergent themes in the 2026 cohort highlight sustainable land management and microbial ecology. Soil microbial communities, livestock-integrated agriculture, and Random Forest ecological modeling emerged as new high-impact topics (growing from 0.00 to 0.06–0.08 norm. freq.). Similarly, topics such as conventional farming impacts (4.0-fold increase), biochar, enhanced silicate weathering, and antibiotic resistance genes gained traction as researchers explore invertebrate roles in soil health and climate mitigation.

Conversely, broad macro-ecological modeling and standalone morphological surveys experienced relative declines. Species distribution modeling dropped from 0.10 to 0.06 norm. freq., while standalone morphological identification and standalone DNA barcoding saw slight proportional decreases (0.06 to 0.04). Rather than disappearing, these classical approaches are increasingly subsumed into integrative taxonomy frameworks, where multi-gene phylogenetics and morphological traits are deployed jointly to address taxonomic impediments in high-biodiversity regions.

*How topics shifted year over year*

## Cite this ranking

```
Pepkio Research Index (PRI). Topics and Trends in Most Cited Invertebrate Taxonomy and Ecology Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/invertebrate-taxonomy-and-ecology/2026. Accessed 2026-07-31.

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
```