A Bibliometric Review of Global Research Trends in Corticioid Fungi (2016–2025)

Corticioid fungi play important ecological roles in forest ecosystems by contributing to wood decomposition, nutrient cycling, and habitat formation. Their simplified morphology has long-complicated taxonomic classification, while molecular phylogenetics has revealed this group to be highly polyphyletic. This bibliometric review assessed global publication trends, research dynamics, and geographical patterns in corticioid fungi research between 2016 and 2025. After duplicate removal and manual screening, 231 publications were retained for analysis. The results showed that original research articles strongly dominate the literature, whereas review papers remain scarce. Publication output peaked in 2021, when integrative taxonomic studies combining traditional morphology and molecular phylogenetic approaches predominated. Geographically, European research centers laid the historical foundations of corticioid fungi research. In recent years, however, Chinese research groups have contributed substantially to the increase in species discoveries and taxonomic revisions, whereas megadiverse regions of Africa and Central and South America remain underexplored due to limited research infrastructure. These findings underscore the importance of international collaboration for advancing research in underexplored regions and enhancing global assessments of fungal biodiversity.