Ecological potential assessment of soil in agricultural lands in Hamedan Province, Iran, using geographic information system
Journal Title: Journal of Advances in Environmental Health Research (JAEHR) - Year 2014, Vol 2, Issue 4
Abstract
The main purpose of the present study was to assess the ecological potential of agricultural soils using geographic information system (GIS). This research was conducted during 2014 in Hamedan Province, Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted mapping the 10 factors of soil characteristics (texture, depth, erosion, and aggregation, percentage of slope, direction of slope, height, soil salinity, pH, and fertility) that affect ecological potential. The maps were overlaid in ArcGIS software. The weighting of factors was performed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) technique in Expert Choice Software. Preference for the options (layers) was specified and an ecological potential map of agricultural lands in the province was created. Among the factors studied, the pH of the soil weighing 0.313 was the most important factor and soil salinity with 0.228 was the second most important factor influencing ecological potential. In general, growth-oriented agricultural development policies and improper management of farms in recent years has reduced the ecological potential of agricultural lands. The results showed that the highest and lowest ecological potential of soil in agricultural lands in the area was 6.2% and 0.07%, respectively. Development of sustainable agriculture practices, such as low tillage and no-tillage practices, reduction in the use of chemical pesticides, and use of green fertilizers to maintain and enhance the ecological potential of agricultural lands and resources, are recommended. In the policy-making process, sustainability and resource management must become a dominant notion and planning priority for policy makers and managers.
Authors and Affiliations
Karim Naderi-Mahdei, Abdolali Bahrami
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP420132
- DOI 10.22102/JAEHR.2014.40173
- Views 144
- Downloads 0
The study of azo dye removal from liquid medium by modified clay
In this batch study, montmorillonite was modified by a cationic surfactant [hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HDTMA-MMT)] and used as sorbent to remove bromocresol green (BCG) from aqueous solutions. The effect of seve...
Spatial epidemiology and pattern analysis of childhood cancers in Tehran, Iran
Identification of cancer clusters may have an important value to the study of disease etiology in cancer surveillance. We aimed to determine the spatial pattern of childhood cancer cases (CCCs) from 2007 to 2009 in Tehra...
Application of geostatistical methods for mapping groundwater phosphate concentration in Eyvan plain, Ilam, Iran
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the spatial changes of groundwater phosphate concentrations using geostatistical methods based on data from 10 groundwater wells. One of the conventional tools in decision making...
An empirical investigation into the relationship between workshop operations and accidents in local automobile garages in Ghana
Local automobile garage workers carry out daily workshop operations, which sometimes lead to accidents and injuries. Therefore, this study was carried out to establish a relationship between automobile workshop operation...
The type and amount of household oil consumption and the influential factors in Sanandaj city, Iran
Cooking oils are among the most important dietary components. Some of the influential factors in the combustion pattern of cooking oils include the mode of cooking, knowledge of the diseases caused by cooking oils, and p...