Abstract
UDK 631.164(497.6)
 The main act to consider the value of land from the perspective of various sectors and their needs (urban planning, agriculture etc.) in the Federation of B&H is the Decree on unique methodology for preparation of the spatial planning documents (Official Gazette of the Federation of B&H, No. 63/04 and No. 50/07), which prescribes the obligation of making the Land capability study as a segment of spatial basis. Land capability study projects are being implemented by the Institute of Soil, Agro chemistry and Melioration (PAM) of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences University of Sarajevo. By using defined soil bonity categories, land capability study defines the natural potential of soils in terms of agricultural production and food production, and defines the zones for various land use types. From the rational land use point of view, it means adequate spatial planning, urban development and environmental protection. This paper aims to present the importance, characteristics as well as use of the Land capability study at the municipality level using municipalities of Tuzla Canton as example. Agricultural areas of on the territory of five municipalities in Tuzla Canton (Gradacac, Gracanica, Kalesija, Zivinice, Sapna) account for 44,356.1 ha or 42.6% of the total area. Represented in these areas are soil bonity categories that range from II to VII. The first four bonity categories that are determined exclusively as agricultural land account for 28,739.91 ha or 63.1% of the total area. Within this group, the most represented is the IVb category with 17,229.8 ha. The best quality bonity categories II and III account for 7,514.3 ha or 16.5% of the total area. Analysis of the orthophoto images has identified a significant dynamics of change in space in the period 2008-2012 in four municipalities (Gradacac, Kalesija, Zivinice, Gracanica). Analysis has established that artificial areas (developed) increased by 737 ha, agricultural areas without orchards decreased by 1,136.72 ha, while the areas under orchards increased by 283.13 ha. The largest expansion of developed areas and settlements was recorded within the bonity categories IVb (47% of the total change) and III (27%).
Highlights
Change in land cover/land use in B&H is very dynamic
This paper aims to present the importance, characteristics as well as use of the Land capability study at the municipality level in Tuzla Canton
Tuzla Canton comprising 13 municipalities is located in the north-eastern part of B&H
Summary
According to the CORINE data in the period 2000-2012, total change amounted to 67,672.05 ha of which 28.4% pertain to change within agricultural land. The most significant change is the conversion of agricultural land into artificial surfaces which accounts for 8,658.5 ha (Ljuša, 2015; Ljuša et al, 2015). Spatial planning is a highly multidisciplinary task where within the process of defining real space we meet with: natural characteristics of the area (land, climate, morphology, etc.), economic (level of production, employment), social (population characteristics), technical (infrastructural systems) and super-structural systems (Bublin, 2000). The first B&H Spatial Plan 1981-2000 was adopted in 1982. Projections of this spatial plan required about100000 ha of land for construction. After the adoption of the B&H Spatial Plan, municipality spatial plans were developed in a way which provided the protection of agricultural and forest land
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