Exploring Farm Household Land-Use Behavior in China: Evolution, Research Hotspots, and Emerging Trends (1996-2025)

Abstract

Advancing research on farm household land-use behavior is essential for understanding the implementation of the Rural Revitalization Strategy, promoting the development of an agricultural powerhouse, ensuring national food security, and achieving high-quality agricultural and rural development. Using CiteSpace bibliometric software, this study conducts a visual knowledge-mapping analysis of 564 publications on farm household land-use behavior indexed in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database from 1996 to 2025. From a quantitative perspective, the study systematically examines the current research status, major hotspots, and evolutionary trends in this field, and reconstructs its developmental trajectory. The findings indicate that research on farm household land-use behavior has evolved from an initial exploratory stage to a period of rapid expansion, followed by gradual stabilization. A preliminary core group of authors and research institutions has emerged; however, overall collaboration networks remain fragmented and lack strong interconnections. Research hotspots mainly focus on two dimensions: specific land-use practices and studies concerning land-use decision-making actors. Future research should place greater emphasis on green agricultural development, ecosystem sustainability, and strengthened academic collaboration and interdisciplinary integration in alignment with national macro-policy priorities.