Sustainability of Forest Eco-Products: Comprehensive Analysis and Future Research Directions

Forest ecological products are closely related to ecological balance, and an in-depth understanding of the development dynamics of these products is crucial to the realization of sustainable development that integrates ecological, economic, and social benefits. Based on the Web of Science (WOS) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases, this study conducted a comprehensive econometric analysis of the number of articles, journals, research institutions, author collaborations, research hotspots, and research trends of forest ecological products globally during the period of 2003–2023 with the help of CiteSpace software (Philadelphia, PA, USA). The study’s results revealed the following insights: (1) The research on forest ecological products in recent years showed a general upward trend, but the research interest in foreign countries was higher than that in China. (2) The literature within the WOS database primarily focused on the field of ecology, whereas the literature in the CNKI database predominantly emphasized the field of forestry. (3) In both databases, the Chinese Academy of Sciences was the organization with the highest number of articles. Globally, Chinese institutions had the largest proportion of articles issued. The high percentage of articles issued by specialized agricultural and forestry schools in China showed clear domain relevance. (4) In both databases, author collaborations were relatively decentralized, and no significant core group of authors had been formed. (5) The research hotspots in foreign countries focused on the ecological regulation of forest ecological products, while the research hotspots in China focused on the realization of the economic value of forest ecological products. (6) “Machine learning”, “river basin”, and “health” are the future research frontiers in foreign countries, while “ecological function” and “forest ecosystem service” are the future research frontiers in China. The results of both databases indicate that the sustainability of forest ecological products is a research trend for the coming period. Finally, the outlook for future research on forest eco-products is presented in four aspects: promoting the establishment of a unified international standard certification system for forest eco-products, developing diversified products, strengthening the function of policy support and guidance, and establishing national partnerships.