Land Capability Classification Research Articles

A standardized land capability classification system for land evaluation using mobile phone technology

One of the major causes of poverty globally is land degradation and poor natural resource conservation, leading to reduced agricultural productivity. This degradation is often caused by a mismatch between land use and land potential, specifically using marginal lands for agriculture. For over 50 years the Land Capability Classification (LCC) system has been used globally for land evaluation to support soil and natural resource conservation. The LCC system classifies the land into eight classes; however, its use is currently limited by two factors: the lack of digital platforms for data input, storage, and management, and an insufficient technical capacity in many regions necessary to generate the required inputs. This paper describes the development of a system to facilitate rapid, flexible, and transparent determinations of LCC by non-soil scientists using a newly developed function of the Land-Potential Knowledge System (LandPKS) mobile app. Inputs include soil texture and rock fragment volume by depth, slope, and site observations of soil limiting factors. A standardized system for evaluating inputs and calculated indicators was developed based on US and international implementations of LCC. The system was evaluated using USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey data in eight US counties. Results show that the standardized system predictions were within one class for 73.8% of the 1,312 soils tested, despite a high level of variability in how LCC was determined within the US database. The LandPKS LCC system was further tested in Tanzania and Ethiopia to examine site-specific applications, usability, and usefulness of the system for national land use planning efforts. It was concluded that the LandPKS app automates a globally applied system (LCC) for supporting natural resource conservation and sustainable land management and can serve as a foundation for crop-specific land suitability evaluations. More generally, improved land evaluation efforts can contribute to better soil and natural resource conservation, more sustainable agricultural systems, and increased food security.

Assessment of soil resources of Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand for sustainable productivity

A study was undertaken to assess the soil resources of Pauri Garhwal district of Uttarakhand using remote sensing and GIS techniques. The area falls under warm humid lesser western Himalayas, covering 5.33 lakh ha area. Major physiographies are summits/ridge tops, side/reposed slopes, piedmont plains and escarpments with dominant land uses viz., forests (thin, medium and dense), scrubs, cultivations and grasslands. Twenty five soil series have been identified belonging to Entisols, Inceptisols and Mollisols. The study reveals that the area occurs mostly on steep to very steep slopes and prone to severe to very severe soil erosion. The soil is dominantly moderately shallow (29.54%) followed by shallow (22.7%), very shallow (15.59%), deep (12.78%), moderately deep (11.62%) and very deep (7.77%), respectively. The texture is dominantly loam (35.33%), followed by sandy loam (27.10%), clay loam (26.44%) and loamy sand (11.13%), respectively. The stoniness is mostly strong (67.19%) followed by slight (21.92%) and moderate (10.89%), whereas, soil reaction is dominantly slightly acidic (66.06%) followed by neutral (23.55%) and moderately acidic (10.39%), respectively. The land has been categorised under land capability classification (LCC) and major soils belong to class VIes (39.02%), followed by IIIes (17.98%), VIIIes (15.98%), Vse (7.55%), VIIes (6.77%), IVes (6.23%), IIIse (4.45%) and IIes (2.02%), respectively. The suitable soil and water conservation measures have been suggested to arrest soil erosion, proper soil management and to maintain soil health towards ensuring sustainable productivity of this hilly region.

Soil Phase: Base for Deriving Land Capability Class and Crop Suitability

A detailed land resource study of Gadagi-2 micro watershed, Lingasusgur taluk, Raichur district, Karnataka state, India, was carried out during summer 2017, at the scale of 1:8000 using cadastral map overlaid on IRS Cartosat-1 merged with LISS IV satellite imagery. Initially, a detailed survey was carried out to derive soil phase units based on land surface and profile characters. Five soil series were identified and mapped into five soil phase units. It is revealed that soil were non-saline with EC <4 dSm-1. The OC, available P2O5 and available K2O content of the study area were low to medium, and soil available N and S status were low in all the five soil phases. HEGiC2 soil phase was classified as class III land capability class with limitation of rooting and slope. Rest of the soil phases viz., KALhC2g1S1R1, VKRhD2g2S2R3, CHRhC2g1S1R1 and BHGhE2g2S2R2 were classified as class IV land capability with limitation of slope, texture, erosion, rooting condition and organic carbon. Suitability for horticulture and field crops were derived based on soil phase, site characteristics and climatic regimes. Proposed crop plan for field crops and horticulture crops for all five soil phase units was prepared. Suitable soil and water conservation measures such as deep and wider size pit and drip irrigation for fruit crops and forest trees, cultivation on raised beds with mulches and drip irrigation, graded bunds and strengthening of field bunds, crescent bunds were found suitable for vegetables, flowers and sole crops based on the soil phase characteristics.

Spatial pattern and temporal trend of land degradation in the Heihe River Basin of China using local net primary production scaling

AbstractBiophysical processes and people's livelihoods largely depend on ecosystem productivity; thus, land degradation is harmful for local sustainable development. Most previous assessments of land degradation used a comprehensive index system or trend analysis without localized benchmarks; thus, they were not fully objective. Here, we assessed the land degradation in the Heihe River Basin (HRB), China using the local net primary production (NPP) scaling (LNS) method. We improved the method by dividing land capability classes (LCC) using remote sensing data, and determining the reference NPP for each LCC to represent the productivity under optimal environmental conditions. To assess the extent, severity and trend of land degradation, we obtained LNS percent values which was defined as the ratio of present NPP to reference NPP. We categorized our identified land degradation hotspots, determined their causes and proposed potential strategies for land conservation. Our results showed that nearly one quarter of the area was degraded land, mainly located in the upper stream. The average NPP was 35.75% lower than the reference NPP, with a reduction amount of 0.82 GgC yr−1. Only the lower stream showed a significant decreasing trend in LNS percent values. The areas with a positive trend in LNS percent values were primarily observed in the middle stream croplands. We found the degradation condition deteriorated first and recovered later in the HRB. Land use change contributed more than climate change to the local NPP of the degraded areas. Our research provides a more general framework for assessing land productivity reduction induced by anthropogenic and natural processes in the drylands.

Land Development Recommendation of Bunguran Island as One of the National Border Areas Based on Level of Land Suitability and Land Capability

According to PP no 26 of 2008 concerning National Spatial Planning documents, Bunguran Island as national border areas must be monitored and regulated as the front yard of Indonesia. This study used analytical method based on matching between land suitability criteria and land quality data that considered the most severe factors. Data were being analyzed by the criteria of land capability using the classification by The Ministry of Public Works Regulation (20/PRT/M/2007). The results obtained the form of land capability classes in Bunguran Island, which in turn resulted in land capability as the reference in determining land use directives. The direction of land capability was analyzed based on the results of land capability compared to the land use conditions that can be used as a basis for recommendations or directives for land use in Bunguran Island. The parameters used in the classification of land capabilities are slope, drainage conditions, soil permeability, soil type, texture of soil depth, and erosion data. The descriptive analysis process by data parameters were carried out according to the classification of land capabilities. The result of this research was used to compose spatial pattern planning of Bunguran Island based on the land suitability and land capability.

Grassland Retention in the North America Midwest after Periods of High Commodity Prices and Climate Variability

Core Ideas Land use change models may overestimate the importance of commodity prices. Nebraska grasslands relative to total working lands decreased 1.7% from 2006 to 2014. South Dakota grasslands relative to total working lands decreased 3% from 2006 to 2014. In 2012, 84,900 km2 of grassland suitable for crops remained as grasslands. Land stewardship most likely was the reason why grassland was retained. The conversion of grassland, wetlands, and forest to croplands may contribute to environmental degradation and diminished sustainability. This study determined the impact of land use change from 2006 to 2012 and from 2012 to 2014 on the cultivation suitability of grasslands that were not converted to cropland. The model system, which includes Nebraska and South Dakota, was selected because it contains climatic conditions ranging from humid continental to semiarid and a large number of farms that produced both crops and livestock. During the study, commodity prices reached historically high values, and a severe drought occurred in 2012. Land use benchmarks were obtained by visually identifying land use at 81,600 sample sites in high‐resolution remote sensing images obtained from the National Agricultural Imaging Program. Sampling sites with Land Capability Class values ≤4 were identified as suitable for cultivation if appropriate practices were followed. In 2006, 2012, and 2014, grasslands accounted for 11.0, 10.76, and 10.78 million ha in Nebraska, respectively, whereas in South Dakota, grasslands accounted for 12.12, 11.65, and 11.69 million ha, respectively. In Nebraska, the percentage of grasslands relative to working lands (grassland + croplands) decreased from 60.6% in 2006 to 58.9% in 2014, whereas in South Dakota the percentage of grassland decreased from 69.1% in 2006 to 66.0% in 2014. In eastern Nebraska and South Dakota, 74.1% of the nonconverted grasslands in 2012 were suitable for crop production. Lower‐than‐expected conversion rates were attributed to a growing interest in land stewardship and a desire to maintain income diversification.

English

Successful crop production requires the knowledge of soil variation and the evaluation of the agricultural potentials of the land. Detailed land resource survey of approximately 100 ha land in Abeokuta North Local Government Area of Ogun State was carried out. Identified soil mapping units were examined in modal profiles. The soils were classified using the USDA Soil Taxonomy, FAO/IUSS World Reference Base (WRB) system and local soil series methods. Five soil mapping units were identified and were classified as Ilaro Series (Kanhaplic Haplustalf), Ibeshe (Typic Kandiustalf), Kulfo (Udic Kandiustalf), Molo (Rhodic Kandiustalf) and Otteyi Series (Lithic Haplustept). The soils were classified as Alfisols (71.56%) and Inceptisols (28.44%). Land Capability Classification (LCC) revealed that Ilaro, Ibeshe and Molo series belong to Capability Class II while Kulfo series was Class III but Otteyi series is of non-arable Class VI. Otteyyi Series had severe limitations of very shallow soil depth, high slope gradient and high gravel content. The area has good potential for crop production if soil fertility can be managed with appropriate fertilizer application and seasonal water deficit ameliorated by supplemental irrigation. Otteyi Series that is non-arable could be used for farm buildings and other physical infrastructures or animal grazing. Key words: Land evaluation, fertility capability class, soil series, limitations, arable cropping. &nbsp

Evaluation of Land Capability for Agroforestry Development in Ciliwung Watershed

Evaluation of Land Capability for Agroforestry Development in Ciliwung Watershed 1Rini Fitri, 2Nuraida, 3Eka Rahmi1Department of Agrotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Almuslim University,2Department of Agroindustrial Technology, Faculty of Agriculture, Almuslim University,3Department of Forestry, Faculty of Agriculture, Almuslim University,Jl. Almuslim Bireuen 24263, Aceh Indonesia*Corresponding author: rinnie_fitrie@yahoo.co.id Abstract Land conversion is one cause of damage to watersheds (DAS), leading to a complex problem physically, economically and socially in the upper and lower watershed. Upper Ciliwung watershed is classified as watershed of which its carrying capacity is restored as it has indicator qualification of high until very high and it is important to be handled. This study was aimed to analyze the cability of upper Ciliwung watershed area for the development of sustainable agroforestry. The units of land use (SPL) used for intensive observation were as many as 60 units of land use spread over seven (7) sub-watershed, namely sub-watershed of Cibalok, Cisuren, Ciliwung, Ciesek, Cisukabirus, Cisarua and Ciseseupan. The unit of land use of which its land capability class was analyzed included the use of shrub land, open land and dry land agriculture. The unit of land use will be used as a recommendation for the use of agroforestry in upper Ciliwung watershed. The results showed that the land capability class in the upper Ciliwung watershed consisted of land capability class II, covering an area of 329.7 ha (23.92%), capability class III of 464.8 ha (33.72%) and capability class IV of 584 ha (42.36%). Land use of upper Ciliwung watershed was dominated by class III with dominant obstacle factor namely bumpy slope. Analysis of land capability on shrubland, open land, and dry land agriculture which spread over the unit of land use in the area of upper Ciliwung watershed was generally recommended for land use of agroforestry-agrisilvopasture and agroforestry-agrisilviculture.Keywords: Land capability, land use, agroforestry, upper Ciliwung Watershed

Soil-Landscape Characterization and Mapping to Advance the State of Spatial Soil Information on Ethiopian Highlands: Implications for Site-Specific Soil Management

Currently, soil characterization and classification are becoming the primary source of information for precision agriculture, land use planning, and management. Thus, this study was focused on perusing the landscape-scale spatial variation of soils in data-scarce areas using toposequence-based ground sampling to characterize and classify the soils. Six typical profiles representing major landforms were opened and studied for their morphological characteristics and physical and chemical properties. Results indicated that the soils were shallow to very deep in depth, moderately acidic to moderately alkaline in soil reaction, non-saline, and clay to sandy loam in texture. The soils were found to be very low to low in organic carbon, very low to medium in total nitrogen , low to medium in available P, very low in available S, very low to low in available B, high to very high in CEC and very low to very high in base saturation. The soils were found to tbe deficient in Zn but sufficient in Fe, Cu, and Mn. Following the field survey and soil analytical results, five main reference soil groups, mollic Leptosols (Eutric), Prothovertio Luvisols (Clayic, Aric, Escalic), Skeletic Fluvisols (Arenic, Densic), Haplic Leptosols (Skeletic), Haplic Vertisols (Endocalcaric, Ochric), and Haplic Cambisols (Arenic, Aric) were identified in the different parts of the topographic positions. Pedon - 2, 3, 5, and 6 were classified in I to IV land capability class (LCC) and grouped as arable land with some limitations. They were in suitable to a marginally suitable range. The severe constraints to crop cultivation in the area were low fertility, erosion hazard, and climate for all soil units. Therefore, application of manure and compost alongwith chemical fertilizer, reducing complete crop residue removal, and soil and water conservation measures are essential to overcome these common and other limitations.

Land Resource Inventory for Evaluation of Land Capability and Land Use Planning in Palakkad District of Kerala State using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques

Land resource inventory was carried out in Palakkad District using remote sensing, GIS and GPS technologies. IRS- ID, LISS-III Satellite imageries were used to delineate different soil units based on image characteristics and was correlated with the different landforms. A standard soil survey methodology was followed to prepare soil resources map of the area. The inherent soil properties as an internal attributes and topography, physiographic unit, slope and climate as an external land feature of each mapping unit were evaluated for their capability occuring. It was found that soils developed on valleys and pediplain covered an area of 45.7 per cent under agriculture and plantation crops and have been classified in Land capability class II and III. Soils of foothill slope and pediment constituting 5.7 per cent of the area were classified in class III and IV and covered by plantation and open scrub. Soils of hill side slope covered an area of 8.8 per cent and classified under class VI and VII with plantation and open scrub. Reserve Forest area which constitutes 29.1 percent was not grouped as per capability classification criteria. The study indicated that Physical, chemical and biological phenomenon occur in natural habitat and conservation processes play a decisive role and should be considered for designing proper Land use planning aimed at the effective utilization of land according to their classes.

Land Evaluation for Alternate Land Use Planning of Soils in Tatrakallu Village of Anantapuramu District, Andhra Pradesh

Twenty-two typical pedons (14 soil series- TTK1 to TTK-14) representing major landforms of Tatrakallu village of Ananatapuramu district of Andhra Pradesh were evaluated by using qualitative and quantitative methods. Three major land capability classes (III, IV and VI) were identified with two sub classes (erosion and wetness). Crop suitability analysis revealed that the village falls under marginally suitable (S3) with limitations of soil fertility, wetness and sodicity and not suitable (N) with limitations of slope, texture shallow rooting depth, sodicity and poor nutrient status. Riquier’s parametric approach was found to be good indicator for identification of production potential. The land evaluation revealed that, suitability and productivity of these soils were highly variable, and hence their management must be site-specific. The suggestion including the crop residue retention, nutrient recycling, minimum tillage, crop rotation, cover crops and intercropping not only helps to conserve soil and water more effectively in soils but also increase organic matter content and improve fertilizer use efficiency. Farmers continued to grow groundnut, pigeonpea, chickpea and castor for many years on marginally suitable as they are not aware of suitable soils for a particular crop. Adoption of suggested ameliorative measures and land use not only improve the yield but also sustain the soil productivity.

EVALUATION OF LAND USE WITH LAND CAPABILITY CLASSIFICATION USING SATELLITE DATA AND GIS IN BATUR UNESCO GLOBAL GEOPARK

Development in ??Batur UNESCO Global Geopark has increased significantly in recent years. The land use changes in Bangli regency that the plantation, built-up/residential and tourism support facilities development increased quickly, especially in Kintamani district. To know the suitability of land use in Batur UNESCO Global Geopark area, it is necessary to evaluate land use with land capability classification. Landsat 8 remote sensing data on 27 September 2017 was used to create land use maps. Land use maps obtained through the process of image classification using supervised classification method and verified by ground check, this technique result 10 classes of land use. Land capability class map generated from improvisation overlay methods, reclassification of differentiator classes into the differentiator value of a raster data pixel (differentiator pixel value method). Furthermore, to evaluate of land use suitability was conducted by comparing land use with land capability class. In this process, there is an overlay between the land use maps with land capability class map using geographic information system (GIS). The results of evaluation land use in Batur UNESCO Global Geopark with land capability class overall has suitable area 15,764.78 ha (88.49%), not suitable area 1,767.48 ha (9.92%) and not detected/cloud interference 283.67 ha (1.59%).

Geoinformatics based Micro-Watershed wise Land capability analysis for Sustainable Land Resources Management

Land is one of the important component on which physical, economical and social development depends. The land capability classification is the grouping of land units into defined classes based on its capability. It is a broad grouping of soils based on their limitations and is designed to emphasize the hazards in different kinds of soils. It serves as a guide to assess suitability to the land for agricultural crops, grazing and forestry. The present study GIS methodology to spatially define recommended sustainable land management regimes over the arid zone based on land capability classification criteria. The land capability classification system as applied in this analysis was based substantially on a classification scheme proposed by [1]. Local agronomists and other agricultural technical personnel consider this classification system more applicable for the arid region. Sustainable development is possible only when management goals and actions are economically viable, feasible and socially acceptable. Keyword: Land capability, Micro-watershed, Sustainable development. Cite this Article Kartic Bera, Pabitra Banik. Geoinformatics based Micro-Watershed wise Land capability analysis for Sustainable Land Resources Management. Research & Reviews: Journal of Ecology . 2019; 8(1): 39–46p.

ANALISIS KEKRITISAN LAHAN UNTUK PERENCANAAN REHABILITASI LAHAN DAS SOLO BAGIAN HULU (Analyses of degraded land for rehabilitation planning in upper Solo Watershed)

Water erosion is one of the causes of degraded land and a decrease in land productivity. Improvement of degraded land needs to detect sources of erosion and vulnerability level of the degraded land. The research was conducted to predict the vulnerability of soil erosion and distribution of degraded land in order to support the implementation programme of Land Rehabilitation and Soil Conservation. The research was conducted in upper Solo Watershed. Soil erosion was predicted using Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE). The analysis of Land Capability Class was undertaken to determine the suitability of current landuse with its capability. Analysis of critical land was based on the regulations of the Directorate General of Watershed Management and Social Forestry (BPDAS-PS) Nomor 4/V-SET/2013. The data used were DEM (Digital Elevation Model) Aster (30 m x 30 m), map of the Regional Physical Planning Program for Transmigration (RePPProT) scale 1: 250,000, map of forest area (1: 50,000) from BPKH (Forest Zone Determination Center), land cover map from BPKH (1: 50,000), Google Earth imagery, rainfall data from 93 rain stations and field surveys. The results show that the upper Solo Watershed is dominated by land categorized as potentially degraded (54%), followed by slightly degraded (35%), while land which is classified as degraded occupied 7% of the total watershed. The dominant land capability is categorized as V th class and limited by soil erosion (89%). Dry land agriculture areas were found at land capability VI th and VII th which should not utilized for agricultural activities. Implementation of agroforestry and teracing are alternatives to prevent further land degradation and to improve the current condition.

Land Capability Classification of Wadi Jerafi Basin, North Sinai Egypt

The Egyptian Government pays a great attention nowadays to encourage the agricultural investment in Sinai Peninsula. The current study focused on wadi Jerafi which is one of the most promising areas in North Sinai Governorate. The goal of this study is to evaluate the land capability classification of Wadi Jerafi basin using two universal software’s systems, namely as: MicroLEIS DSS (Cervatana Model) as semi-quantitative approach and Revised Storie Index as parametric approach. Accordingly, a grid soil survey was done through a total of 137 soil profiles. These soil profiles were investigated and sampled, then were chemically and physically analyzed. Based on soil variation in depth, gravel content and soil texture, seven soil mapping units (SMU) were delineated and evaluated to assess their agricultural capability. Cervatana Model classified the studied area into two capability classes; good capability (S2l) covering the largest area (63.25 %) and marginal capability (S3l) covering the lowest area (36.75 %). The most limiting factors are soil depth, gravel content, soil texture and/or salinity. On the other hand, Revised Storie Index (using Storie method equation) divided the land capability of the studied area into two classes unsuitable (N) which covers of about 60.87 % of the total area and marginal suitable (S3) covering of about 39.13 % of the total area. Another method of capability index calculation called Square Root Method was applied and therefore it distinguished three capability classes; moderately suitable (S2) covering 8.87 % of the total area, marginal suitable (S3) covering 75.39 % of the total area and unsuitable (N) covering 15.74 % of the total area. Accordingly, this paper recommend to implement Revised Storie Index as a parametric approach to evaluate the rate of each soil parameter and to use Square Root method to calculate the capability index of each mapping unit.

Evaluasi Terhadap Penggunaan Lahan dan Pola Ruang dalam Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah di Kabupaten Pontianak, Provinsi Kalimantan Barat

Lahan perlu direncanakan penggunaannya melalui pemilihan penggunaan lahan (land use) yang sesuai dengan kemampuan lahannya, agar penggunaan lahan dapat memberikan hasil produksi yang tinggi, namun sekaligus juga tetap menjaga agar sumberdaya lahan dapat digunakan secara berkelanjutan. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengevaluasi penggunaan lahan aktual dan rencana penggunaan lahan. Evaluasi dilakukan dengan berbasis pada kemampuan lahan. Metodologi yang digunakan adalah konfrontasi antara kemampuan lahan, penggunaan lahan aktual dan alokasi pola ruang dalam Rencana Tata Ruang Wilayah. Penelitian dilakukan di Kabupaten Pontianak. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Kabupaten Pontianak memiliki kelas kemampuan lahan II, III, IV, V dan VI. Lahan dengan kelas kemampuan lahan V dominan, mencakup luas 31% dari luas wilayah penelitian, dengan faktor penghambat drainase. Lahan dengan kemampuan lahan kelas II mencakup 24% dari luas wilayah, dengan faktor penghambat tekstur, drainase dan lereng. Saat ini, 79% luas wilayah Kabupaten Pontianak, penggunaan lahannya telah sesuai dengan kemampuan lahannya, sementara 21% dari luas wilayah, penggunaan lahannya melebihi kemampuan lahannya. Sebesar 81% luas wilayah Kabupaten Pontianak telah dialokasikan dalam RTRW sesuai dengan kemampuan lahannya, sedangkan 19% luas wilayah, alokasi pola ruangnya melebihi kemampuan kemampuan lahan.
 Kata kunci: Kemampuan lahan, penggunaan lahan aktual, pola ruang

Land Use Evaluation over the Jema Watershed, in the Upper Blue Nile River Basin, Northwestern Highlands of Ethiopia

Generating land capability class guidelines at a watershed scale has become a priority in sustainable agricultural land use. This study analyzed the area of cultivated land use situated on the non-arable land-capability class in the Jema watershed in the Upper Blue Nile River Basin. Soil surveys, meteorological ground observations, a digital elevation model (DEM) at 30 m, Meteosat at 10 km × 10 km and Landsat at 30 m were used to generate the sample soil texture class, average annual total rainfall (ATRF in mm), terrain, slope (%), elevation (m a.s.l) and land-use land cover (%). The land capability class was analyzed by considering raster layers of terrain, the average ATRF and soil texture. Geo-statistics was employed to fit a surface of soil texture and average ATRF estimates. An overlay technique was used to compute the proportion of cultivated land placed on non-arable land. As per the results of the terrain analysis, the elevation (m a.s.l) of the watershed is in the range of 1895 to 3518 m. The slope was found to be in the range of 0 to 45%. The amount of estimated rainfall ranged from 1640 to 131 mm with value declined from the lower to the higher elevation. Clay loam, clay and heavy clay were found to be the major soil texture classes. Four land capability classes, i.e., II, III, IV (arable) and V (non-arable), were identified with proportions of 28.56%, 45.74%, 22.16% and 3.54%, respectively. Seven land-use land covers were identified, i.e., annual crop land, grazing land, bush land, bare land, settlement land, forestland and water bodies, with proportions of 42.1, 35.9, 8.90, 8.3, 2.6, 2.1, and 0.2, respectively. Around 1707.7 ha of land in the watershed is categorized under non-arable land that cannot be used for annual crop cultivation at any level of intensity. Around 437 ha (3.5%) of land was cultivated on non-arable land. To conclude, the observed unsustainable crop land use could maximize soil loss in upstream regions and siltation and flooding downstream. The annual crop land use that was observed on non-arable land needs to be replaced with perennial crops, pasture and/or forest land uses.

Integration of Remote Sensing, GIS and MCDM for Land Capability Classification in Andit Tid Watershed, Ethiopia

Land evaluation is the core component of land-use planning process, particularly where resource is limited and degraded, like Ethiopian Highland. Thus, evaluation of land in terms of its capability is important. The aim of land capability is to identify the physical inherent capacity of the land for different uses to avoid further degradation. Relevant data such as soil depth, soil texture, soil drainage, erosion hazard, altitude, slope and slope direction have been utilized for land capability evaluation in Andit Tid watershed. The integration of remote sensed data, geographical information system and multicriteria evaluation approach was used to obtain spatial information of land capability. The result revealed that the largest part of the watershed was occupied by class III 122.44 ha (25.87%) and the smallest part occupied by class VIII 3.6 ha (0.76%), characterized by very steep slope and rocky and used only as natural reserves. Class I, which claimed only few limiting factors, occupied only 7.65 ha (1.62%). The first four classes (I–IV), which have a capability for agricultural purpose, occupied 63%, class V and class VI occupied 119.2 ha (25.19%), capable for grazing, and class VII holds 51.63 ha (10.91%), capable for forestry. The main limiting factors for land capability classification were soil texture, soil depth, soil drainage and slope. As compared to the current land use, with the current land use, most of the lands are used against the capability classification of the land.

Application of the LDN concept for quantification of the impact of land use and land cover changes on Mediterranean watersheds - Al Awali basin - Lebanon as a case study

Recognized by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) as a global developmental and environmentally threatening process, land degradation (LD) is initiated by natural factors but aggravated by unsustainable anthropogenic activities and absence of proper management plans. Therefore, in response to the UN 2030 Agenda on Sustainable Development for restoring degraded lands, this research targets the impact of land use and land cover changes (LU/LC), under the UNCCD's Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) concept, to identify the extent of LD, and to prospect the potential to counterbalance/neutralize ongoing degradation as a first approach to Lebanon, at the scale of the 301 Km2 Awali basin. By achieving this task, the proposed method will serve as a first step in building an inventory of LD and proposing measures to adapt or even overcome LD for applications in the Mediterranean basin's countries.The proposed sequential methodological approach consists of tracking detailed LU/LC changes from 1998 to 2016 using multitemporal satellite images. Generated maps are input to the Soil Conservation Service SCS-Curve Number (CN) method to determine surface runoff in complementarity to Pedological properties of the study area. Soil types are then classified under the USDA Land Capability Classification method to determine extent of degraded lands. Results intersected with LU/LC revealed the source and nature of mismanagement and the proposed counterbalancing steps.Two main findings result: the Awali watershed displays countable LU/LC changes translated in CN increases. Additionally, due to these changes, the basin displays a 36% LD that may continue to alarming rates if no intervention takes place. The proposed workflow combining existing methodologies enabled the application of the LDN concept to counterbalance losses by gains thus reducing degradation to 2% from alternative land planning, and near null from proposed soil corrective actions highlighting the importance of LDN usage.

Land Capability for Agriculture, Hermel District, Lebanon

ABSTRACT For the purpose of mapping land capability by United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) criteria, this paper presents a validated model to map land capability at a scale of 1:20,000 using a digital elevation model and the available soil information for Hermel District (525.6 km2) in Lebanon. The model was validated through fieldwork and it indicates a good overall accuracy of 89% and the significance of the model for mapping land capability at a district level. The study shows that 11.5 km2 (2.2%), 284.6 km2 (54.2%), 66.8 km2 (12.7%), 147.9 km2 (28.1%) and 14.9 km2 (2.8%) of the region were categorized in I, II, III, IV, and V land classes respectively. The comparison between the zoning map already produced for Hermel city and the land capability map demonstrates that the land use patterns need to be modified according to identified land capability classes to sustain the remaining productive lands for future generations.