Assessing suitability of lands for multipurpose uses in the present and future(Ilgane watershed, East Azerbaijan)

Subject Areas : KARBARI ARAZI

Saghar  Chakherlou ¹ (Department of Soil and Water, East Azerbaijan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research Center)

Received: 2022-10-09 Accepted : 2023-02-01 Published : 2023-03-17

Keywords: GIS, land use, East Azerbaijan, Suitability of land,

Abstract :

One of the ways to increase the production per unit area or in other words the optimal land use is to identify the production capacity of each land and choose the appropriate use for its production capacity. To achieve this goal, evaluating land suitability and determining production potential is a suitable way of working. The capability of the lands of Ilgane Warzeghan area with an area of 20965 hectares was done in order to identify and separate all the types, units and components of the land units and to specify the land limits of this area. The boundaries of land types, units and components of land units were determined based on the physiographic standard of the Soil and Water Research Institute, and then preliminary interpretive maps were prepared. In field studies, 1:50000and1:25000topographical maps of the region were used, and various maps such as land classification and aptitude, land use and land suitability were prepared on a scale of 1:25000. The results showed, 3 Land unit brigade (mountain, hill, river sedimentary plain), 3 land units (1.1, 2.1, and 5.1) and10land unit components (1.1.1, 1.1.2, 1.1.3, 1.2. 1, 1.3.1, 2.1.1, 2.1.2, 2.2.1, 2.2.2, 5.1.1) were identified in the study area were classified. Soils have limitations such as low and high elevation, slope, water erosion, rock outcrops, soil depth and gravel and stony for use. Among the factors that threaten the resources and lands of this region, we can mention the lack of proper land management, indiscriminate and uncontrolled grazing, and soil erosion