Unveiling the nexus of scientific plans and real-world outcomes: A comparative analysis of land use optimization and agent-based simulation results in a natural landscape.

Sustainable land management requires balancing the socio-economic needs of local communities with land conservation. Effective land management programs hinge on how well plans align with the demands and actions of land users in natural landscapes. This study aimed to create optimized land use plans for a Jahan-Nama protected area in Iran as the initial step, followed by simulating stakeholder plans and conducting a comparative analysis.