Research progress and development trends of aquatic plants on the Tibetan Plateau

Due to its unique geomorphic patterns and climatic conditions, many plateau wetland landscapes, such as rivers, lakes, and marshes, have developed on the Tibetan Plateau. The study of plateau aquatic plants can facilitate our understanding of the evolution of plateau wetlands, lakes, and marshes, as well as the structure and function of plateau wetland ecosystems. Based on data from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Web of Science core collection databases, we obtained 156 articles related to aquatic plants on the Tibetan Plateau published between 1991 and February 2022. We used Bibliometrix to analyze the identified citations, keywords, journals, and research institutions and to clarify the overall development of current research and research hotspots on aquatic plants on the Tibetan Plateau. In the past 30 years, the main research has shifted from community surveys and geographical distribution to differentiation, evolution, diversity, and community construction of aquatic plants. Time-scale succession characteristics of aquatic plants have also been used for paleolimnological reconstruction of climate and environmental change after plateau uplift. This research has laid a foundation for China to respond to global changes and to assess and establish water resources and water ecological security mechanisms.