Assessment of Ecological Power to Determine the Land Use in Agriculture: A case study of Qaleh Ganj County

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Assistant Professor, Department of human geography islamic, Azad university, Germi unit, Ardebil. Iran.

2 Ph.D. student of Geography and Rural planning, Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

3 MSc in Forest Economics and Social issues, Agriculture and Natural Resources Campus in Karaj, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran.

Abstract

Achieving sustainable development and using resources effectively and efficiently depends on a thorough and accurate knowledge of the available facilities and capabilities as well as the limitations that deter desirable situations. Development and maintenance of ecological power occurs when the land is used in proportion to its capabilities. In QalehGanj County, situated in Kerman province and with an area of about 10440 km2, people experience different environmental conditions with different environmental potentials for agriculture. In this research, environmental power was investigated as a way of determining the agricultural capability of the region. The main goal was to specify a proper location for agriculture development, which would, in turn, bring about the most productive output both at the present time and in the long run. The process of ecological capability evaluation in the present study was conducted using a multivariate evaluation (MCE) method. Once the specific usages were defined, appropriate metrics for each use were selected using Moodood's evaluation models for macro applications and expert opinions. These criteria were divided into two categories, factor and limit. After that, the standardization of the maps was done based on two fuzzy and Boolean logics. Also, weighing the factors was done using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The output of the weighted combinations would be indicative of the competence for locating each user. Applying this method, appropriate areas with high ecological power for agriculture (with an area of 34615.89 hectares) were recommended in QalehGanj County. The Expert Choice and IdrisiSelva software programs were applied in this study.

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Abdolamir, K. (2003). Using weighted linear combination model (WLC) in the case of landslides zoning district in Sarkhvn region, the province of Chahar Mahal and Bakhtiari, Journal of Geography and Development, (7), 146-131.
Abdoos, M., & Mozayeni, N. (2005). Fuzzy Decision Making Based on Relationship Analysis between Criteria, proc. North American Fuzzy Information Processing Society Annual Conf.
Akin chi, H., Özalp, A & Turgut, B. (2013). Agriculture land use suitability analysis using GIS and AHP technique, Computers and electronics in Agriculture, 97: 71-82.
Al Sheykh, A & Toutunchian, S. (2006). GIS Application in Crisis Management, A Case Study on the Usability of GIS in Crisis Management in Assaluyeh Region, Geomatics Conference, Tehran.
Beedasy, J., & Whyatt. D. (1999). Diverting the tourists: aspatial decision- support system for tourism planning on a developing island. J. Appl. Earth Observe. Geoinform. (3/4),163–174.
Gholami, A., (2011). Implicating of MCDM techniques in the propounding and prioritizing of appropriate alternatives in the recovering and burying of urban solid wastes, [dissertation], Universityof Mohaghegh Ardabili,
Malkzewski, J. (2004). GIS-based land-use suitability analysis: a critical overview. Program. Plann.62(1), 3–65.
Mirkatuli, J. & Kanaani, M. (2011). Assessing the ecological potential of urban development using a multi-criteria decision making model of MCDM and GIS.Case study (Mazandaran province), Journal of Human Geography Research, 77, 75-88.
Nouri, S. H., Sidayee, S.E., Kiani, S., Soltani, Z & Norouzi Orghani, A. (2011). Assessment of environmental ecological power for determining susceptible agricultural areas using GIS (Central District of Kiar city), Journal Geography and Environmental Planning, 21: (1),33-46.
Pourkhabaz, H., Akdar, M., Rahimi, A & Vahid, F. (2015). Implementation of Agricultural Ecological Model Using AHP and FAHP in the Environment (GIS Case Study: Khayyiz Behbahan Region), Quarterly Journal of Planning and Space Design, (4): 21-49.
Prato, G. (2007). Evaluating land use plans under uncertainly. Journal of Land Use Policy, 21, 65- 174.
Ramakrishna, N. (2003).  Production system planning for natural resource conservation in a micro watershed. Electronic green journal. 18, 1-10.
Sabz Andish Payesh Consulting Engineers Inc. (SAP). (2017). Studies on the Development and Progress of Qaleh Ganj city based on sustainable livelihoods approach. Ecological Capacity Assessment, 163 p.
Sarvar, R. (2017). Applied Geography and Land Reconstruction, Eighth Edition: Samt Publishing,Tehran, 252p.
Journal of Rural Research
Volume 9, Issue 4
March 2019
Pages 690-707

Files

History

  • Receive Date: 03 March 2018
  • Revise Date: 06 May 2018
  • Accept Date: 15 November 2018

Share

How to cite

Statistics