Research Hotspots and Trends in Soil Infiltration at the Watershed Scale Using the SWAT Model: A bibliometric analysis

Soil infiltration at the watershed scale is a crucial aspect of hydrological processes, significantly impacting runoff, groundwater recharge, and ecosystem health. The research of soil infiltration at the watershed scale using the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model has garnered continuous attention from scholars, with a growing trend in publications overall. This study selected 141 articles from the Web of Science (WOS) Core Collection database and conducted bibliometric analysis using the CiteSpace visualization software to analyze the research hotspots and trends in soil infiltration at the watershed scale using the SWAT model. The results indicated that the research field is interdisciplinary. Journal of Hydrology and Hydrological Processes were two of the most influential journals. Researchers and institutions from the United States, China, and Ethiopia were the core contributors to this area. “Land use” and “climate change” were currently the hotspots of interest in this field. There are three development trends: (1) The scale of research is continuously expanding. (2)The research subjects are diversified, ranging from initially focusing on agricultural watersheds to surrounding areas such as hillsides, grasslands, and forests. (3) The research content becomes more systematic, emphasizing regional coordination and ecological sustainability. Overall, the research on Soil Infiltration at the Watershed Scale Using the SWAT Model presents a promising and thriving field. This study provides researchers with a framework that objectively presents the research hotspots and trends in this area, offering valuable insights for future scholars conducting research on soil infiltration at the watershed scale using the SWAT model.