Temporary lentic waterbodies of Latin America and the Caribbean: a scientometric study

Temporary lentic waters, waters that alternate wet and dry periods, are globally distributed, highly prevalent worldwide, and can be classified according to their hydroperiod. We used a scientometric perspective to summarize the knowledge about temporary lentic ecosystems in 19 Latin American and Caribbean countries. We conducted a topic search in Web of Science (WoS) using various keyword combinations of hydroperiod type (temporary, ephemeral, intermittent, episodic, and seasonal), type of aquatic lentic ecosystem (wetland, pond, pool, lake, and lagoon), and the name of the country. Final searches and screenings provided 608 publications. To analyze the data, we used 2 qualitative approaches. We generated word clouds to ascertain the primary research topics concerning temporary lentic waters in Latin America, and we constructed a bipartite network to visualize the geographical distribution of publications by topics. Knowledge gaps observed were geographical, encompassing disparities between and within countries, and thematic, because certain topics have received limited attention. Moreover, we detected a terminology gap: a lack of consensus about the terms associated with temporary waters, and a collaborative gap; the study of temporary waters has historically been fragmented in Latin America. Finally, we attempted to unravel the potential factors contributing to these knowledge gaps. By revealing major gaps in understanding the structure and functioning of temporary waterbodies in the region, our study provides a valuable tool for identifying pertinent future research areas.