The map shows three macro-thematic groups

1. Climate change impacts (top area)
Includes:

• climate change impacts
• urban heat island / air temperature
• water availability
• emission scenarios and global climate models
• genetic variation and tree species

This macro-thematic gathers research documenting the biophysical effects of climate change.

2. Socio-ecological systems and agriculture (right and center)
Includes:

• growing season
• climate variability
• farming systems and smallholders
• biodiversity / adaptive management

This macro-thematic connects climate, interannual variability, and agro-ecological dynamics.

3. Governance, policy, and concrete adaptation (bottom and left)
Includes:

• local governments and adaptation actions
• adaptation strategies / adaptive capacity
• climate action and climate policy
• sea level rise and coastal communities

The normative and operational core of research on sociopolitical responses to climate change.

Overall interpretation

• The field is strongly structured by agriculture and climate impacts.

  • Central clusters connect agricultural production ↔ climate ↔ seasonality.

• Local governance plays a important role.

  • It is the largest cluster: publications on planning and adaptation policies have largely been developed.

• Biophysical impacts are not isolated: they feed sociopolitical clusters.

  • e.g., urban heat island ↔ urban adaptation,
  • water availability ↔ agriculture.

• Biodiversity remains peripheral but connected.

  • It represents a specialized disciplinary niche within adaptation research.

1. Rise and consolidation of applied, territorial, and socio-political themes (2010 → 2024)

Local governments and adaptation actions

• Starts modestly in 2009 but becomes one of the two dominant clusters by 2024.
• Shows a ** continuous rising trajectory**, suggesting long-term institutionalisation of adaptation planning.
• Reflects diffusion of regional climate strategies.

Climate action and climate policy

• Increases significantly.
• Gains importance after 2015, likely linked to the Paris Agreement era.

Governance-oriented themes become a pillars of adaptation research after 2015.

2. Agricultural and food-system themes gain prominence and stability

Farming systems and smallholder farmers

• Starts small but becomes a top-three cluster by 2024.
• Reflects consolidation in global South contexts (vulnerability and resilience).

Links with climate variability themes

• Increasingly framed through risk, uncertainty, and seasonal forecasting.

Agriculture becomes the central socio-ecological domain of adaptation research.

3. Environmental impact and biophysical clusters diverge

Urban heat island and air temperature

• largest cluster in 2024.
• Rise 2014–2015.
• Linked to heatwaves, urbanisation, satellite remote sensing.

Sea level rise and coastal communities

• Steady growth.

Emission scenarios andclimate models

• Peak 2014–2016, then relative decline.
• Shift to applied, sectoral adaptation research.

Genetic variation and tree species

• Gradual rise, specialised niche.

Water availability and demand

• Mid-tier, slight growth.

Shift from macro biophysical modelling to applied urban/sectoral studies.

4. Biodiversity and adaptive management (small but persistent)

Adaptive management and biodiversity

• Slow but stable growth, little thematic merging.
• Remains peripheral to broader adaptation agendas.

Biodiversity adaptation grows, but stays secondary to human-centred themes.

① Ecological transition and climate emergencies (75 PhD)

Largest cluster: central in the network.

Concepts include: climate emergencies, adaptation strategies, food systems, ecosystem services, development economics, carbon sequestration

This cluster acts as the conceptual core of the PhD landscape, bridging ecological science, sustainability science, and socio-economic studies.

② Water availability and water balance (63 PhD)

A major applied science cluster focused on: water resources, irrigation and water management, watershed modelling

Water concept remain a pillar of adaptation research, both technically (modelling) and socio-economically (resource governance).
The cluster connects strongly with agriculture, tropical climate, and urban heat topics.

③ Candidate genes and genetic resources (56 PhD)

A biological and genetic cluster dealing with: plant genetic diversity, environmental genomics, forest

This cluster shows that adaptation at the biological level is a significant domain of French PhD research.
It forms a specialised but sizeable niche oriented toward breeding, genetic markers, and evolutionary responses to climate stress.

④ Climate shocks and gender inequalities (47 PhD)

A social-science-oriented cluster covering: gendered impacts of climate shocks, vulnerability and social inequalities

This is one of the most distinctive features of French PhD research: a strong engagement with social justice, and equity in climate adaptation. It is less visible in global scientific corpora; indicating a unique French emphasis.

⑤ Implementation of adaptation and climate inequalities (16 PhD)

This cluster is connected to: adaptation policies, economic sectors, action plans

It forms a policy–science interface, showing strong links to cluster ④ (inequalities) and cluster ① (transition).
It focuses on how adaptation is actually implemented in society.

⑥ Forest management and knowledge gap (12 PhD)

A smaller but consistent cluster involving: forest ecology, biomass production, knowledge gaps, ecosystem responses to climate pressures

It bridges biological adaptation (cluster ③) and ecosystem service perspectives (cluster ①).

⑦ Birth weight and social inequalities (9 PhD)

A small but coherent social-science cluster dealing with: health impacts of climate, neonatal health, socio-economic inequalities

Its presence highlights the emergence of climate–health linkages in French PhD research.

⑧ Agricultural value chains and social innovation (5 PhD)

Includes: value chains and agri-food systems, rural social innovation

This cluster creates a bridge between water management, development studies, and ecosystem services.

⑨ Energy consumption and urban environments (57 PhD)

Second major applied cluster, focused on: urban heat island, energy consumption, tropical climates, air quality, adaptation of buildings and cities

This reflects a strong interest in urban resilience, energy transitions, and climate impacts in densely built environments.