A Bibliometric Analysis of Research on Forest Policy in Mexico

García N.E.; Rivera O.A.; Compeán J.L.; Borrego C.; López P.M.; Chico H.G.; Vázquez G.; Garcíag E. · International Forestry Review (2026) · DOI: 10.1505/146554825840679862

Resumen

HIGHLIGHTS – Forest policy studies in Mexico show strong emphasis on community forestry and decentralized governance. Bibliometric analysis reveals low-volume scientific production with high citation averages. Payments for environmental services (PES) and forest governance are dominant research themes. Research is mainly qualitative and institutional, with limited multiscale and comparative studies. There is an opportunity to expand international collaboration and apply mixed-methods approaches. SUMMARY – Sustainable forest management in Mexico is essential to maintaining the ecosystem services that support both biodiversity and human activities. The objective of this study was to identify the scientific perspective of forest policy in Mexico through a bibliometric analysis based on a literature review technique using quantitative methods. Scientific, academic and technical products indexed in Scopus and Web of Science were analyzed and supplemented with open access data from Google Scholar. The combined use of the three sources provided a broad view of scientific production. A total of 89 documents were found; manuscripts unrelated to the research and duplicates were excluded, resulting in a total of 49 documents for the study. A total of 540 authors contributed, with six documents by a single author. Global scientific output is concentrated in Mexico, United States, Norway and France. Bibliometric analysis concluded that thematic trends show that community forestry, governance, and payments for environmental services dominate the field, with critical debates on policy design and implementation.

Instituciones: Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú