تحلیل شبکه‌ای دانش تغییر کاربری اراضی برای امنیت غذایی و توسعه پایدار مناطق پیرا ـ شهری

ABSTRACT
Land use change, especially in peri-urban areas, is a significant environmental challenge associated with consequences such as reduced food security and imbalances in sustainable development. While numerous studies have been conducted in this field, a comprehensive and networked overview of these studies has been lacking. This research aims to analyze the knowledge network of land use change using knowledge network analysis to identify gaps and outline future research directions. This study collected and analyzed 1491 articles related to land use change from the Scopus database. Subsequently, the knowledge network of these articles was visualized using VOSviewer software. The findings reveal that the number of research studies on this topic was very limited between 1991 and 2003. From 2009 to 2016, it accelerated, and until 2024, the depth of this research gradually increased. The clustering of terms revealed food security and land use at the core of the network, supporting sustainable development goals. This research indicates that the knowledge of land use change is intertwined with environmental, agricultural, and social sciences. Also, the study demonstrates that this research area is growing and developing by providing a comprehensive overview of the knowledge network of land use change. However, there is still a need for further research in specific areas, such as theoretical innovations and international collaborations.
Extended Abstract
Introduction
Rapid urban expansion has exerted significant pressure on the environment and natural resources. This trend has led to the destruction of agricultural land, forests, and natural habitats, reducing biodiversity and threatening food security. In other words, as human society develops, land use, particularly agricultural land, is constantly changing, which has a profound negative impact on food security. Given the growing attention and research focus of scholars and academic communities worldwide, this study aims to analyze the knowledge network of land use change and its impact on food security and sustainable development in peri-urban areas. The data for this study reveals the existing patterns, challenges, and research trends in the field, assisting researchers in predicting emerging areas and important topics. Examining co-authorship of articles also highlights international and interdisciplinary collaborations. Furthermore, it improves the quality of research and knowledge exchange, identifies weaknesses and gaps in the existing literature, and helps researchers and policymakers set and predict their research priorities.
Compared to previous studies that have evaluated changes in land use and rural ecosystems, this research, based on the literature and background of the subject, seeks to identify and analyze changes and adaptations in land use based on thoughtful planning and policy-making systems and what is observed as incongruous and unsustainable changes in land use in peri-urban areas. Accordingly, through the analysis of the knowledge network as a new and multifaceted approach, this topic can lead to a deeper understanding of the challenges and opportunities in analyzing land use change trends, the challenges arising from the reduction of agricultural land, and its impacts on food security. Finally, many studies have separately addressed the issues of food security and land use change. There is a need for interdisciplinary approaches better to understand the complex relationships between these two issues. Addressing these gaps can be a starting point for researchers to focus on key issues and develop effective solutions for food security and sustainable development. In this regard, uncontrolled and unplanned urbanization can have many negative effects, such as reducing the quality of life, increasing pollution, traffic, and pressure on natural resources. Therefore, there is a need for effective policies and sustainable planning to manage these challenges.
 
Methodology
Based on the literature review approach, knowledge network analysis methodology was used in the current research. Therefore, the research method of this study is based on a three-level protocol of setting, monitoring, and analyzing the data set. The first step involved identification, screening, eligibility, and exclusion. In the second step, the articles, and then in the third step, the data was analyzed in the functional and network analysis framework. In line with the articles in this field and with knowledge network analysis based on previous studies, authorship, and occurrence of keywords, VOSviewer software was used.
 
Results and discussion
The findings revealed that among the keywords of all the documents published in the subject field, the searches of this field were recounted and shown in the form of a network. Searches repeated more than 50 times in scientific documents were detected using the software. The most basic queries were displayed in 5 clusters. Middle nodes represent more central questions such as food security, land use, food supply, agriculture, and climate change, and from the center to the periphery of the network, questions with smaller nodes are identified in the sense that the connection of those nodes with this field has been less studied. The subject of the research is new compared to the previous studies, and among these, the investigations that were closest to this research were conducted using the knowledge network analysis method. In 2021, Cheng et al.'s (2021) research recently mapped research knowledge about land use change and food security using VOSviewer.
 
 
Conclusion
The conceptual and thematic diversity and the interdisciplinary nature of the present research have caused various perspectives and thought frameworks to pay attention to the subject field. It should be mentioned that this research, with the knowledge network drawing method as a suitable tool for identifying the clusters and schools of thought suitable for entering into the studies of this subject field compared to the previous researches, has created a new research idea to identify its representation. Therefore, it gives researchers in the field of human geography and spatial planning the possibility to refer to new topics and the network of top authors in this field and use the findings of this research in their studies. Based on this value, the current research is a valuable resource for future research. Image analysis of the knowledge map of the literature with thematic context was performed in the database, and the research status, knowledge structure, and evolution context were examined.
 
Funding
This article is extracted from the doctoral thesis of the second author of the article. The scientific and spiritual support of Shahid Beheshti University is hereby appreciated.
 
Authors’ Contribution
Authors contributed equally to the conceptualization and writing of the article. All of the authors approved thecontent of the manuscript and agreed on all aspects of the work declaration of competing interest none.
 
Conflict of Interest
Authors declared no conflict of interest.
 
Acknowledgments
 We are grateful to all the scientific consultants of this paper.