Topics and Trends in Most Cited Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Papers

Ranked by citations 18 months after publication

Class of 2026 (Papers Published in 2024)

What topics and trends defined most-cited Wildlife Ecology and Conservation research in the Class of 2026?

The Class of 2026 for Wildlife Ecology and Conservation research reveals a significant shift toward proactive landscape management. Studies increasingly focus on spatial connectivity, ecological corridors, and security patterns, moving away from merely documenting threats like habitat loss and extinction risk to designing large-scale structural conservation solutions.

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Updated July 17, 2026

At a glance

Field
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Cohort label
Class of 2026 (2024 publications)
Papers analyzed
8,640
Papers ranked
20
Top topics in ranked papers
Ecological corridors, Ecological security pattern, Ecological source areas
Publication window
Jan 1, 2024 – Dec 31, 2024
Eligibility
Research articles; reviews excluded
Citation window
18 months post-publication
18m citation range
38–109
Data source
OpenAlex · Retrieved Jul 2026
License
CC BY 4.0

Rankings

20 papers ranked by 18-month citation count

#1 of 8,640
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 impactsBiogeographic patternsthermal tolerancehabitat trackingcommunity reassemblyExtinction riskphenological shiftsdispersal limitationSpecies distribution modelingbiodiversity monitoringtrophic mismatches
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#2 of 8,640
10218m citations

The economic impacts of ecosystem disruptions: Costs from substituting biological pest control

Eyal G FrankScience202410.1126/science.adg0344

Eyal FrankUniversity of Chicago, United States

Biodiversity lossecosystem disruptionsbiological pest controlbats as natural predatorswildlife diseasebat population declinesspecies interactionsinsecticide usecompensatory pest managementagricultural pest controlinfant mortalityhuman health impactsecosystem services valuationsocial costs of biodiversity losswhite-nose syndrome
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#3 of 8,640
9018m citations

Biodiversity impacts of the 2019–2020 Australian megafires

Don A Driscoll et al.Nature202410.1038/s41586-024-08174-6

Don A. DriscollDeakin University, Australia

2019–2020 Australian megafiresfire-regime componentsFire frequencyfire severityburnt area extentdrought interactionsland tenure effectsProtected areasrainforest responsesmammal responsesspecies interactionsdispersal limitationin situ survivalwildfire suppressionpost-fire declinepost-fire increasewet ecosystem vulnerabilitybiodiversity monitoringwildfire resilience
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#4 of 8,640
6018m citations

The Social Costs of Keystone Species Collapse: Evidence from the Decline of Vultures in India

Eyal Frank et al.American Economic Review202410.1257/aer.20230016

Eyal FrankUniversity of Chicago, United States

vulture decline Indiakeystone species collapsediclofenac toxicityscavenger ecosystem servicescarcass removalsanitation shockHuman-induced mortalityzoonotic disease transmissionpatent expiry painkillerfunctional extinctionspecies conservation valuationenvironmental health externalitiesmass extinction economicsTrophic cascade
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#5 of 8,640
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-analysisnativenessInvasive potentialferalnesscoevolutionary historyfunctional noveltyphylogenetic noveltytrait-based ecologyPlant-herbivore interactionsplot-scale responses
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#7 of 8,640
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 modelingspatial autocorrelationtemporal autocorrelationphylogenetic non-independencelocal-scale predictionglobal biodiversity changeconservation policy scalestrend misestimationadaptive conservation
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#8 of 8,640
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

drylandsVertebrate diversityprotected-area coverageendemic speciesnarrow-ranging speciesagricultural developmentinfrastructure developmentLand-use changeClimate change scenariosSocioeconomic pathwayshabitat conversionUrbanizationalternative energy expansionanthropogenic threatsconservation frameworksrange coverageland conversion projections
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#9 of 8,640
5118m citations

Global expansion of human-wildlife overlap in the 21st century

Deqiang Ma et al.Science Advances202410.1126/sciadv.adp7706

Deqiang Ma, Briana Abrahms, Jacob E. Allgeier, Brian C. Weeks, Neil CarterUniversity of Michigan, United States

Human-wildlife interactionsterrestrial vertebrate speciesSpecies distribution modelinghuman population density projectionsclimate change impacts on wildlifeLand use planningsystematic conservation planningspatial heterogeneitybiodiversity conservationEcosystem servicesClimate change scenariosarea-based conservationfuture habitat overlapAnthropogenic impactrange shift predictions
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#10 of 8,640
4818m citations

The global loss of avian functional and phylogenetic diversity from anthropogenic extinctions

Joseph A Tobias, Ferran Sayol et al.Science202410.1126/science.adk7898

Thomas J. Matthews, Joseph A. Tobias, Ferran SayolImperial College London, United Kingdom

avian functional diversityavian phylogenetic diversityanthropogenic extinctionsLate Pleistocene extinctionsfunctional spaceevolutionary history lossisland endemicsextinction projectionsbiodiversity crisisecological functionsspecies richness erosionbird species extinctionsBiodiversity loss
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#11 of 8,640
4718m citations

Mapping the planet’s critical areas for biodiversity and nature’s contributions to people

Rachel A Neugarten et al.Nature Communications202410.1038/s41467-023-43832-9

Rachel NeugartenCornell University, United States

nature's contributions to peoplespatial congruenceGlobal Biodiversity Frameworkterrestrial vertebrate speciesminimum representation targetshalf-Earth conservation30x30 targetEcosystem servicesland-use conflictagriculture suitabilityrenewable energy developmentoil and gas extractionmining potentialUrbanizationConservation prioritizationbiodiversity representationsustainable land managementglobal land area analysisdevelopment opportunity costsconservation-development tradeoffs
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#12 of 8,640
4618m citations

Spatiotemporal dynamics and forecasting of ecological security pattern under the consideration of protecting habitat: a case study of the Poyang Lake ecoregion

Min Huang et al.International Journal of Digital Earth202410.1080/17538947.2024.2376277

Changjiang XiaoJiangxi Normal University, China

Ecological security patternhabitat protectionPoyang Lake ecoregionMorphological spatial pattern analysisLinkage Mappercellular automata-Markov modelRandom forestLand use change modelingLandscape pattern indicesEcological corridorsEcological source areasspatiotemporal dynamics forecastinganthropogenic habitat encroachmenturban expansion impactwildlife conservation planningmulti-level point-line-area frameworkoptimized protection scheme
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#13 of 8,640
4518m citations

Anthropogenic climate and land-use change drive short- and long-term biodiversity shifts across taxa

Teresa Montràs-Janer et al.Nature Ecology & Evolution202410.1038/s41559-024-02326-7

Alistair G. AuffretSwedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Sweden

anthropogenic climate changeLand-use changehistorical land-use databiodiversity shiftsclimate-land-use interactionsspecies richnessBiotic homogenizationcommunity thermal indexwarmer-adapted communitiesBritish birdsbutterfliesplantsbeta diversitysemi-natural grasslandstemporal biodiversity inertiaEnvironmental conditionsHabitat lossGreat Britainlong-term biodiversity changeshort-term biodiversity change
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#14 of 8,640
4418m citations

Mammal responses to global changes in human activity vary by trophic group and landscape

A Cole Burton, Christopher Beirne et al.Nature Ecology & Evolution202410.1038/s41559-024-02363-2

A. Cole BurtonUniversity of British Columbia, Canada

COVID-19 pandemicCamera trappingHuman activitiesActivity timingnocturnalityhabituationcarnivorestrophic groupsundeveloped areasdeveloped areaslandscape gradientsHuman footprintspecies-specific sensitivityHuman-wildlife interactionsAnthropoceneGlobal mammal survey
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#15 of 8,640
4318m citations

Ecological network assessment in dynamic landscapes: Multi-scenario simulation and conservation priority analysis

Jing Gao et al.Land Use Policy202410.1016/j.landusepol.2024.107059

Jian GongUniversity of Twente, Netherlands

Ecological networkdynamic landscapesLand use change modelingConservation prioritizationlandscape connectivityHabitat fragmentationspatial planningnetwork topologyEcological corridorsLand-use changegraph theorystructural connectivityfunctional connectivity
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#16 of 8,640
4318m citations

Treating gaps and biases in biodiversity data as a missing data problem

Diana E Bowler et al.Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society202410.1111/brv.13127

Diana E. BowlerUK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, United Kingdom

biodiversity monitoring dataData gapsspatial gapstemporal gapssampling biasspecies trendslong-term species trend modellingmissing data theorymissing data classessubsamplingweighting techniquesimputationbias reductionparameter estimate uncertaintyfactors driving missingnessOccurrence recordsspecies abundancesConservation prioritizationdata representativeness
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#17 of 8,640
3918m citations

Application of MSPA-MCR models to construct ecological security pattern in the basin: A case study of Dawen River basin

Fangyuan Zhang et al.Ecological Indicators202410.1016/j.ecolind.2024.111887

Yanyan JiaShandong Agricultural University, China

Ecological security patternDawen River basinMorphological spatial pattern analysisMinimum cumulative resistance modelEcological source areashabitat qualityecological protection red lineEPRLlandscape connectivity indexEcological corridorsgravity modelecological resistanceYellow River Basinspatial optimization strategyEcosystem servicesEcological restoration
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#19 of 8,640
3918m citations

Incorporating barriers restoration and stepping stones establishment to enhance the connectivity of watershed ecological security patterns

Dongmei Xu et al.Applied Geography202410.1016/j.apgeog.2024.103347

Jian PengPeking University, China

Ecological security patternwatershed connectivityecological barriersbarrier restorationstepping stoneshabitat connectivitylandscape connectivityEcological corridorswatershed managementconservation planningHabitat fragmentationconnectivity enhancementspatial ecologyEcological networkhabitat restoration
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#20 of 8,640
3818m citations

Identifying ecological security patterns to prioritize conservation and restoration：A case study in Xishuangbanna tropical region, China

Jie Wang et al.Journal of Cleaner Production202410.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141222

Yang BaiChinese Academy of Sciences, China

Ecological security patternXishuangbanna tropical regionConservation prioritizationEcological restorationhabitat connectivitylandscape ecologyEcosystem servicesbiodiversity hotspotspatial planningEcological corridorsLand use planningtropical forest ecosystemsecological risk assessmentconservation areaslandscape connectivity
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Dominant research themes and year-over-year shifts in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

What Topics Define the Class of 2026?

In the Class of 2026, research in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation is heavily focused on landscape-level connectivity and ecological security. Dominant topics include "Ecological corridors", "Ecological security pattern", and "Ecological source areas", which collectively highlight a structural approach to conservation. This spatial focus is further reinforced by the prominence of "Habitat fragmentation" and "landscape connectivity". The methodological backbone supporting these priorities is "Species distribution modeling", a critical tool for identifying key habitats. This cluster of topics implies that the field is moving beyond simply cataloging biodiversity, prioritizing actionable, large-scale spatial planning to ensure species persistence across fragmented landscapes.

Leading research themes
Leading research themes

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

The shift from the Class of 2025 to the Class of 2026 illustrates a clear transition from documenting environmental threats toward developing proactive conservation frameworks. Topics like "Ecological security pattern", "Ecological source areas", and "Ecosystem services" saw massive growth, becoming central to the highest-cited papers. Concurrently, traditional impact-focused themes such as "Extinction risk", "Habitat loss", and "Urbanization" experienced a relative decline in prominence. This pattern suggests that the research community is increasingly focused on systemic solutions and large-scale spatial planning—identifying critical areas and preserving connectivity—rather than just quantifying the magnitude of ecological decline.

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 Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Papers, Class of 2026. https://pri.pepkio.com/top-papers/wildlife-ecology-and-conservation/2026. Accessed 2026-07-17.

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