Locating Astragalus hypsogeton Bunge appropriate site using AHP and GIS

Abstract

In order to locate Astragalus appropriate areas in Salook watershed, Iran, at the first, six main effective criteria including direction, slope, altitude, temperature, rainfall and soil texture were determined based on fields study and expert experiences. Then using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method were weighted based on questionnaire form in the expert choice 11 software, and relative importance of each criteria and their classes were calculated. Finally, obtained maps were overlaid in ArcGIS software to determine Astragalus appropriate areas. The results showed that Northern area have higher priority than other. With the most relative importance (0.5101), the heights above 1800 m the heights above 1800 m suitable sites for Astragalus spp. The three main criteria including altitude, rainfall and temperature with the weight of 0.3043, 0.2201 and 0.1550 have the most relative importance respectively and in terms of the location are in the first to third priority. In general, from the total area of Salook watershed, 553 hectares was identified as Astragalus species suitable site. This research showed that using technology and GIS and AHP and with the least cost and time, the optimal location of medicinal plants can be determined in different lands.