3. Methodology

3.1 Complex network

Complex networks are intricate structures composed of multiple interconnected sub-systems with interaction occurring among them (Newman, 2003; Xu et al. , 2023). The complexity of these networks is affected by the number of sub-systems involved and the nature of their interactions (Wen & Jiang, 2019). In this study, oasis types are denoted as nodes, and their interactions are represented as the edges. This model quantifies the relationship among nodes and facilitates the analysis of the whole network system (Ramirez-Arellano et al. , 2021).
The flowchart of the oasis transition network construction in this study was shown in Figure 2. The entire oasis transition process was viewed as a complex network, and land types played the roles of sub-systems. Transformation relations between land types were regarded as the network edges. Depending on the edge direction, a complex network can be categorized into directional and non-directional networks, as well as weighted and non-weighted network based on the edge attributes. According to the land use transition matrix in Tuha Basin, six directional and weighted oasis transition network phases were created. The oasis transition process, key land types and oasis structural stability were then evaluated using three metrics: degree value, betweenness centrality, and average path length.