Extended Abstract
Introduction
Land cover and land use are key elements of the interaction between humans and nature. In recent decades, land use changes—particularly in urban and peri-urban areas of Iran—have accelerated significantly, resulting in wide-ranging impacts on the environment, agriculture, and food security. Zanjan city and its surrounding areas have undergone substantial transformations in land cover patterns over the past two decades. The aim of this study is to analyze the trends and dynamics of these changes, with a focus on garden-settlements, agricultural lands, and barren areas.

Methodology
This research is descriptive-analytical and cross-sectional, employing a quantitative and spatial approach. Land cover changes were analyzed in five-year intervals from 2000 to 2020. The data used in this study included satellite imagery (Landsat TM and OLI), land use maps, and spatial information related to climate, topography, and regional infrastructure. After geometric and atmospheric corrections, the images were classified using a supervised method and organized into nine major categories: shrublands, woodlands, barren lands, rangelands, orchards, irrigated and rainfed agricultural lands, built-up areas, and roads. The land cover change model was implemented using IDRISI SELVA software and the Random Forest (RF) classification method.

Results and discussion
Between 2000 and 2020, the analysis of land cover changes in the study area revealed complex and sometimes contradictory land use patterns. The modeling results using satellite imagery and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) showed that the most significant initial changes involved the conversion of shrublands and barren lands into built-up areas, especially around Zanjan city. These changes were largely driven by the expansion of industrial zones, residential developments, and transportation infrastructure. In subsequent periods, some reverse trends were also observed, such as the reversion of certain barren lands into rangelands and shrublands, along with notable growth in rainfed agriculture and orchards. Nevertheless, the overall trend indicates a decline in natural covers such as rangelands and forests, accompanied by an increase in anthropogenic land uses. This instability in land use is largely attributed to the lack of coherent policy-making, economic pressures, and climatic changes, creating an unsustainable cycle in the use of natural resources. The findings clearly demonstrate that land cover changes are influenced not only by natural factors but also heavily shaped by managerial decisions and spatial planning. If current trends persist, serious risks to environmental sustainability and regional food security are likely to emerge.

Conclusion
Over the past two decades, land cover changes in the Zanjan region have predominantly reflected human expansion and the decline of natural vegetation. This unsustainable trend is the result of ineffective spatial policies, economic pressures, climate change, and weak natural resource management. The recurring transformation of lands between shrublands, rainfed agriculture, rangelands, and barren land indicates a high degree of instability in the land use system. Without structural planning, this trajectory will lead to serious environmental threats and a reduced ecological capacity of the region. Therefore, a reassessment of land use policies and the implementation of sustainable land management approaches are essential.

Funding
There is no funding support.

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.