Soil Survey and Land Evaluation

Abstract
Bangladesh is a least developed South Asian country and its economy is based on agriculture. Among the natural resources, land and soil are the key resource for agriculture. We have to ensure its proper utilization for ensuring food security without decreasing its extent and quality.
In Bangladesh the natural resources especially the land resources of an area is used for multiple purposes, which have strong influences on the socio-economic development of the area. Due to huge population pressure land resources are under continuous human and natural interventions so its land use is naturally diverse and complex. The land resources of an area is intensively used for agriculture, settlements, forests, water bodies and fisheries, salt production, industries and infrastructural development, tourism, preservation and management of environmentally important and special areas.
Land and soil resources are vital and limiting resource for agriculture. The encroachment on agricultural land is a pressing problem in the rapidly growing areas of our country. Cultivable land has reduced from 9.72 million hectare (1991) to 8.52 hectares (2011). This is alarming for an over populated country like Bangladesh. Food security of the country would be threatened if land and soil resources are degraded and cultivated area is reduced at present rate. To arrest negative balance land zoning is a must for sustainable agricultural development of the country.
Secondary data were obtained from publications of Soil Resource Development Institute (SRDI) and Department of Land Records (DLR). They provided spatial information pertinent to land zoning in Kaliganj Upazila. All maps were constructed in ARC/Info and exported into shape file formats compatible with ArcView 3.2. All themes were projected in the LCC having a scale of 1:50,000. Current land use data were collected by field survey which provided an opportunity to develop a working relationship with land use, topography and landscape characteristics.
The ultimate output of this study was a map showing the distributions of the various land zones. The Kaliganj Upazila comprises of about 21,316 ha land surface. Agriculture zone, Forest zone and Aquaculture zone accounts for 5,247ha, 8,760 ha and 5,871 ha respectively. About 858 ha area accounts for Commercial and Residential Zone and about 583 ha for Water bodies including rivers. The proposed urban zone accounts for 715 ha.

A research entitled "Evaluation of Coastal Sand Land Suitability for Rice Plant Development (Oryza sativa L.) in Sanden District, Bantul Regency, Yogyakarta Province" aims to determine the characteristics of land and the suitability level of coastal sand land for rice plant in Sanden District. The research was conducted from January to May 2018. The data in this research were obtained by using the survey method, the location was chosen purposively and the data were analyzed by matching method to evaluate the coastal sand land suitability of Sanden District for rice plants. The results of laboratory analysis showed that the coastal sand land in Sanden District was characterized as sand texture, very fast soil drainage, medium effective depth, salinity level of 6-11 mmosh/cm, low cation exchange capacity (CEC), low saturation base, neutral pH, very low C-Organic, no flood hazard, moderate total N content, low to very low K content and P content was very high. These results showed that the actual and potential land suitability for rice plant in the coastal sand land of Sanden District had the same unit level those were N2rc-1,2 or and N2x-1 or not suitable permanently with limiting factors of drainage texture and soil salinity.

This report is the result of the agreement between the Bureau of Soils and Water Management and the Municipality of Aborlan, Palawan on the soil and land resources evaluation of the municipality for the purpose of integrating the Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zone (SAFDZ), one of the components of the Republic Act 8435 known as the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) into the  Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the municipality as per Section 10 of AFMA.

THIS IS NATURE SIGNALING THE END OF DUALITY 
THIS IS HUGE - CHANGE THE ENTIRETY OF CREATION - NO DUALITY ANYWHERE.
IT IS VERY CLEARLY A PREDETERMINED ADVANCEMENT OF HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS - THIS BUBBLE IS TOO WELL DESIGNED - EUPHORIA CANCELS KARMA

Con el propósito de seleccionar los mejores usos para cada unidad de tierra, utilizando las directrices del esquema FAO para agricultura de secano, se evaluaron 1076 km 2 , que constituyen el Cantón Babahoyo, provincia de Los Ríos, Ecuador. Para ello se utilizaron los estudios geopedológicos, uso-cobertura y sistemas productivos del cantón a escala 1:25 000, de donde se derivaron 80 unidades de tierra, y se identificaron 8 tipos de utilización de la tierra (TUT) representativos, de los cuales se seleccionaron los TUT con los siguientes productos: arroz, banano y palma africana o aceitera. Se valoraron las cualidades de la tierra pertinentes: humedad disponible, oxígeno disponible, disponibilidad de nutrientes, condiciones de enraizamiento, condiciones que afectan la germinación, exceso de sales, toxicidad del suelo, capacidad de laboreo del suelo, posibilidades de mecanización y pérdida de suelo, en un

This proposal aims at getting information on land evaluation for the suitability of selected crops in Isiolo County, following closely the FAO (1972) land evaluation framework. The land qualities which are to be used in the evaluation are to be obtained from secondary sources. They include rainfall, temperature, rooting depth, pH, slope and drainage. A Geographic Information system (GIS) is to be used to overlay different data sets in order to derive land mapping unit.
It therefore contains a brief introduction on the study, background information, statement of the problem, justification, objectives; both broad and specific plus research questions e.g. what are the requirements for growing the selected crops?, literature review especially on past studies on the same topic, materials and methods on the project will be done, expected results (output), the work plan, budget and finally references; acknowledgement of the sources of the information herein.

This report is the result of the tripartite agreement among the Bureau of Soils and Water Management, the Department of Agriculture—Regional Field Unit 5, and
the Municipality of Calabanga, Camarines Sur on the soil and land resources evaluation of the municipality for the purpose of integrating the Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zone (SAFDZ), one of the components of the Republic Act 8435 known as the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (AFMA) into the Comprehensive
Land Use Plan (CLUP) of the municipality as per Section 10 of AFMA.

Land degradation for biomass production is a change in the physical, chemical and biological nature of the soil which gradually becomes lost in quality and quantity. The purpose of this study is to identify the level and factors of land degradation for biomass production, and formulate appropriate conservation measures to increase biomass production in the Bogowonto Watershed. The study was conducted in the Bogowonto Watershed. The method used is using stratified random sampling and data analysis using the method of developing dry land degradation assessment software. Verification analysis of land degradation in the field in the form of landscape analysis and analysis of soil conditions. Soil qualitative analysis is the identification of soil morphology. The results showed the level of land degradation for biomass production consisted of five damages, including very good, good, moderate, damaged and heavily damaged. The damage class is the highest damage level with a percentage of 73.40% and the results of the interpretation of the area classified as damaged class are in the Menoreh Hills, Factors affecting the level of land degradation for biomass production in the Bogowonto Watershed vary starting from the aspect of high rainfall, relatively steep slopes, inappropriate conservation actions, relatively shallow solutions due to, and percentage of unity that exceeds 40%. Conservation measures with agroforestry systems and the determination of reservoir areas are appropriate efforts to increase biomass production considering that ecosystems and water sources both during the rainy and dry seasons are maintained.

Digital soil mapping (DSM) is a successful sub discipline of soil science with an active research output. The success of digital soil mapping is a confluence of several factors in the beginning of 2000 including the increased availability of spatial data (digital elevation model, satellite imagery), the availability of computing power for processing data, the development of data-mining tools and GIS, and numerous applications beyond geostatistics. In addition, there was an increased global demand for spatial data including uncertainty assessments, and a rejuvenation of many soil survey and university centres which helped in the spreading of digital soil mapping technologies and knowledge. The theoretical framework for digital soil mapping was formalised in a 2003 paper in Geoderma. In this paper, we define what constitutes digital soil mapping, sketch a brief history of it, and discuss some lessons. Digital soil mapping requires three components: the input in the form of field and laboratory observational methods, the process used in terms of spatial and non-spatial soil inference systems, and the output in the form of spatial soil information systems, which includes outputs in the form of rasters of prediction along with the uncertainty of prediction. We also illustrate the history with a number of sleeping beauty papers that seem too precocious and consequently the ideas were not taken up by contemporaries and largely forgotten. It took another 30 to 40 years before the ideas were rediscovered and then flourished. Examples include proximal soil sensing that was developed in the 1920s, soil spectroscopy in 1970s, and soil mapping based on similarity of environmental factors in 1979. In summary, the coming together of emerging topics and timeliness greatly assists in the development of paradigm. We learned that research and ideas that are too precocious are largely ignored — such work warrants (re)discovery.

Sustainable crop production and protection of soil resources requires a proper understanding of the soil resources and limitations as well as allocation of land units to uses that are not adversely affected by the limitations posed by the land area. This study was carried out to evaluate some soils of the floodplains near the confluence area of River Niger in Central Nigeria using the Fertility Capability Classification (FCC) approach. Nine soil types identified in a land area covering a total of 18,750 ha of land straddling the floodplains of River Niger and Benue in Kogi State, Central Nigeria were characterized and classified using the USDA soil taxonomy and World Reference Base (WRB) Soil classification methods. The FCC system was used to evaluate the soils based on physical and chemical fertility constraints and limitations for general arable cropping. The starata and sub-starata types of the soils comprised mainly of Loamy topsoils with three of the pedons showing clayey starata types. Classification of the soils into various FCC units reveals that over 80% of the soils are arable with only one soil type – Leptic Cambisol with FCC unit LR +++ being non arable due to serious limitations of rock outcrops and very high gravel contents. Most of the soils could be effectively utilized for massive production of the common arable crops in the area if the appropriate tillage, soil fertility and land management strategies are applied. [Julius Romiluyi Orimoloye. Fertility Capability Classification of Some Flood Plain Soils in Kogi State, Central Nigeria. Life Sci J 2016;13(1s):48-55]. ISSN 1097-8135 (print); ISSN 2372-613X (online)

Haor area of Sylhet Basin is considered critical for its special nature, although it provides livelihood to the local communities. In spite of making considerable socioeconomic progress over last ten years in Sylhet haor area, it  still has the largest number of poor of which a significant portion is chronically malnourished and suffering from silent disaster. In order to assess the food security status, a study was conducted in five unions of Azmirigonj upazila under Habigonj district in Sylhet haor area in respect of homestead soil productivity and agricultural resource utilization during the period from October 2013 to June 2014. A household survey was conducted using structured questionnaire covering 60 households. Relevant primary and secondary data were also collected during the study period. Demographic characteristics in the study area showed that majority of the respondents were found old aged having higher level of education, large family size having small farms, low annual income, high farming experience and farming-based occupation. While comparing between 2002-2004 and 2014. It is observed that medium to rich people are increasing and with subsequent decrease in poor people. The most notable change of land use pattern was the increase in settlement area, and decrease in permanent freshwater lakes or rivers. Haor water is mostly polluted during the dry season and the people have limited access to pure drinking water. Flash flood has been reported to be the major natural disaster. Boro rice-fallow-local Aman is the major cropping pattern in the area. The topsoil and subsoil fertility of the homestead area varied greatly and contained containing remarkably low amount of nitrogen and organic carbon in general. Significant differences were found in organic carbon (OC), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn), sulfur (S) contents between topsoil and subsoil. Significant positive relationships were found between various nutrient contents and fruits yield. The area is dominated by crops, followed by livestock and poultry, fishery and homestead agro-forestry. The technology adoption indices indicate that the use of chemical fertilizer, low lift pump and power tiller were important adopted technologies in crop-based farming system. The rearing of developed modern poultry breed variety in livestock and poultry farming, poly culture of fish in fish farming and cultivation of fast growing forest tree in homesteads agroforestry farming systems were the leading technologies practiced by the respondents.  Among twelve food items, rice consumption of the respondents was much higher and estimated to be 32 percent higher more compared to recommended dietary need, but majority of them remained below optimum level of calorie intake. Under some During natural calamities, about 17 percent of the respondents could not failed to get available food for consumption. The respondents fulfilled their 84 percent dietary needs from the farming enterprises. However, the dominant contributor of farming enterprises was crops followed by fisheries and livestocks. The major problems of the study area were loss of resources due to natural calamities, high price and inadequate supply of agricultural inputs. The study reveals that there are enormous scopes of utilizing land and water resources and fallow land under homestead area for ensuring household food security in haor area of Sylhet Basin.

The monitoring of land use/land cover (LULC) changes in southern Port Said region area is very important for the planner of managements, governmental and non-governmental organizations, decision makers and the scientific community. This information is essential for planning and implementing policies to optimize the use of natural resources and accommodate development whilst minimizing the impact on the environment. To monitor these changes in the study area, two sets of satellite images (Landsat TM-5 and ETM+7) data were used with Path/Row (175/38) in date 1986 and 2006, respectively. The Landsat TM and ETM data are useful for this type of study due to its high spatial resolution, spectral resolution and low repetitive acquisition (16 days). A postclassification technique is used in this study based on hybrid classification (Unsupervised and Supervised). Each method used was assessed, and checked in field. Eight to Twelve LULC classes are recognized and mapping produced. The soils in southern Port Said area were classification in two orders for soil taxonomic units, which are Entisols and Aridisols and four sub-orders classes. The study land was evaluated into five classes from non suitable (N) to very highly suitable (S1) for some crops in the southern region of Port Said studied soils, with assess the nature of future change following construction of the international coastal road which crosses near to the study area. I-Introduction The total area of Egypt is about 1 million square kilometers. The desert a nd uninhabited lands represent about 95 %. The total population of Egypt will reach in 2015 approximately 84.7 million people [1]; however more than 95 % of this population concentrated around the River Nile. This unbalanced distribution as well as overpopulation cause serious socio-economical problems. Therefore, The Egyptian government started plans since 1980 to adjust this situation by redistributing the population through applying an effective horizontal urban expansion along the uninhabited lands. Therefore, determining the trend and the rate of land cover conversion are necessary for the development planner in order to establish rational land use policy. For this purpose, the temporal of remote sensing data can play an important role for monitoring and land cover changes analyzing. Land use/land cover (LULC) changes are important elements of the global environmental change processes [2]. LULC changes are very dynamic in nature due to several factors such as urbanization. The urbanization is a complicated process that is determined by the interactions of biophysical factors and human factors in space and time at different scales [3]. Recently, Remote Sensing (RS) has been used in combination with geographical information systems (GIS) and global positioning systems (GPS) to assess land cover change and temporal dynamics of LULC more effectively than by remote sensing data alone [4] and [5]. Moreover, the combined use of RS with GIS has proven useful for the timely assessment of land use dynamics [6]. Furthermore, since digital archives of remotely sensed data provide the opportunity to study historical LULC changes, the geographic pattern of such changes in relation to other environmental and human factors can be evaluated. Human activities impact is becoming more and more pronounced on the natural environment [7].

Today, Indonesia is facing serious problems in term of provision of food and other agricultural products, partly because of its high population that is not equally distributed among regions and high population growth. Facing the challenges of high population growth, limited land resources, consideration of the needs of land by various sectors, a sustainable land use planning models that support the efficient land utilization is needed. Land resources inventory and land evaluation are needed to delineate the high land capability to avoid degradation, as well as selected land with high land suitability to ensure high production. This process is necessary to ensure the sustainability in term of ecology, social and economy as pillars of sustainable development. In land-use planning process, geospatial information plays an important role as an important tool, both in the provision of spatial data base, as well as for the spatial presentation of the final analysis. This paper presents some examples of research models based sustainable land use planning that takes into account the spatial dimensions of the ecological, economical and social dimension, all are entirely put geospatial information as an important component of the analysis. The studies are carried out within the framework of the scientific community's contribution to sustainable development as an elaboration of the concept that was originally introduced by World Comission on Environment and Development.

The current research has investigated the soil quality status under dryland vegetation of Yabello district, Southern Ethiopia in which we should identify the nature and extent of salinity problem of the area for further research bases. About 48 soil samples were taken from 0-30, 31-60, 61-90 and 91-120 cm soil depths by opening 12 representative soil profile pits at 1.5 m depth. Soil color, texture, bulk density, Soil Organic Carbon (SOC), Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC), Na, K, Mg, Ca, CaCO3, gypsum (CaSO4), pH, Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP) were analyzed. The dominant soil texture was silty-clay-loam. Bulk density varied from 1.1 to 1.31 g/cm 3. High SOC content was observed in 0-30 cm. The soil pH ranged from 7.1 to 8.6. The electrical conductivity shows indirect relationship with soil depth while CaCO3 and CaSO4 concentrations were observed in a direct relationship with depth. About 41% are non-saline, 38.31% saline, 15.23% saline-sodic and 5.46% sodic soils. Na concentration in saline soils was greater than Ca and Mg in all the soil depths. Ca and Mg contents were higher above 60 cm soil depth in non-saline soils. The concentrations of SO2-4 and HCO-3 were observed to be higher at the most lower depth than upper. SAR value tends to be higher at lower depths in saline and saline-sodic soils, but decreases at lower depth of the non-saline soils. The distribution of ESP above 60 cm depth was in an increasing order in saline and saline-sodic soils. The result of the research has shown the direction to which extent of salinity we should consider for the Commiphora plant species we want to grow on the area.

Background. The study area exhibits a first class catena having homogenous parent material and forming a spatial continuum. Functionally and taxonomically distinct soils result from differences in drainage and lateral movement of materials in the soil. Objective. To classify the soils using a geopedological approach which involves a strong relationship between pedology and geomorphology. Methodology. The area was delineated into Soil Mapping Units (SMUs) through augering into soils defined by different macro-relief. Mapping units were demarcated according to slope categories namely 0 to 5%, 5 to 8%, 8 to 16%, 16 to 30% and >30% connoted as flat to gently undulating (AB), undulating (C), rolling (D), moderately steep (E) and steep (F) respectively. Profile pits were dug in the five identified mapping units using Stratified Random Sampling technique. Identified SMUs include UmIr/F, UmIr/E, UxIr/D, UxIr/C and UxIr/AB in the order of decreasing slope gradient. The first entry represents the physiographic unit (Uplands, U), followed by physiographic position (lower middle uplands, m or uplands, undifferentiated levels, x), geology (I), color (r) and slope class respectively. A soil map with a legend describing the mapping units was produced using a scale of 1:10000. Topographic influence on soil properties was presented by Pearson's correlation coefficient (r) with p-value included where the influence was significant. Statistical analysis was done using IBM SPSS 25 th edition and MS Excel. Results. All the mapping units are well drained and deep to very deep (>80 cm). The color of the upper B horizon is predominantly dark reddish brown. The texture of top horizon is clay in UmIr/F and UmIr/E and is clay loam to clay, sandy clay loam to clay and loam to clay loam in UxIr/D, UxIr/C and UxIr/AB respectively, lucidly exposing the influence of topography on the depth of clay illuviation (clay: r = 0.724; p ≤ 0.01). The structure is predominantly subangular blocky throughout the profiles with the top horizon of cultivated areas having predominantly granular structure. Saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) generally decreases with increasing clay content down the profiles and the bulk density ranges from 0.9 to 1.2gcm-3. Means of soil reaction of top horizons generally slightly decrease with decreasing gradient (r = 0.231) having lower values in cultivated areas. Percent organic carbon regularly decreases down the profiles with higher values in uncultivated, steeper areas (r = 0.521; p ≤ 0.05). In the top horizon: Total nitrogen is predominantly medium across the study area ranging from 0.2 to 0.56% (r = 0.185) and follows the organic carbon trend; Available phosphorus is deficient (<20 ppm) in the study area. Bases are sufficiently to richly supplied while micronutrients are richly supplied. All soils are non-saline and non-sodic; the cation exchange capacity (CEC) soil is predominantly medium across the profiles ranging from 15 to 27.6 cmol(+)/kg with values increasing slightly with increasing slope (r = 0.320). Based on data collected from description of the profiles and physicochemical data of the soils and according to IUSS Working Group WRB (2014) soil classification legend, the soils were classified as Mollic Nitisols. Implications. The soils are generally fertile for crop production but organic manure is recommended to buffer the acidic soil reaction, improve nitrogen and phosphorus sources. Conclusion. Soil characterization, land evaluation and precise input application are encouraged. RESUMEN Antecedentes. El área de estudio exhibe una catena de primera clase que tiene material parental homogéneo y forma un continuo espacial. Los suelos funcional y taxonómicamente distintos resultan de las diferencias en el drenaje y el movimiento lateral de los materiales en el suelo. Objetivo. Clasificar los suelos utilizando un enfoque geopedológico que implica una fuerte relación entre pedología y geomorfología. Metodología. El área se delineó en Unidades de †

To reduce the human influence on natural resources and to identify an appropriate land use, it is essential to carry out scientific land evaluations. Such kind of analysis allows identifying the main limiting factors for the agricultural production and enables decision makers to develop crop managements able to increase the land productivity. Objectives of this study were to develop a GIS based approach for land use suitability assessment which will assist land managers and land use planners to identify areas with physical constraints for a range of nominated land uses. Georef-erenced soil survey data and field work observations have been integrated in a GIS based land use suitability assessment for agricultural planning in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka, India. Also, GIS has been used to match the suitability for main crops based on the requirements of the crops and the quality and characteristics of land. Different land quality parameters, viz. soil texture, depth, erosion, slope, flooding and coarse fragments under various land units were evaluated for the crops. Subsequently all of them were integrated using a sequence of logical operations to generate land suitability and capability maps. Suitability and capability maps for each land use were developed to illustrate these suitability degrees and display the spatial representation of soils suitable for agriculture. It was also found that better land use options could be implemented in different land units as the conventional land evaluation methods suffer from limitation of spatial analysis for the suitability of various crops.

https://ipotesidipreistoria.unibo.it/article/view/14339/13929

Thanks  to  the  analysis  of  archaeological  data  relating  to  the agricultural  and  pastoral  practices  of  a  territory,  it  is possible to obtain numerous information, both of an ecological nature, and about the populations who lived there. With the reconstruction of the agro-pastoral dimension of a community it is however possible to understand not only the aspects linked to the exploitation of a territory, the subsistence and demography of a given group, but also more generally the social organization itself.  Through this particular approach, which we could define as “agro-economistic”, it is therefore possible to investigate in a more articulated way the ancient communities, the relationships between them and the historical phenomena that occurred to them. Through  a  model  developed  in  a  GIS  environment  and with  the  application  of  Land  Evaluation  techniques it  is possible to reconstruct and simulate the agro-pastoral exploitation of a territory (here the Ager Tarquiniorum  at the end  of  the  first  millennium  BC),  calculating  the  food  production  of  each  settlement,  as  well  as  the  consequent demography maximum sustainable. At the same time, through these data, it is possible to verify - on a quantitative basis - the socio-political models proposed by scholars for the communities or to propose new ones. Thanks to the 170 identification of sites specialized in particular productions, villages capable of producing a surplus, or vice versa non-self-sufficient  settlements,  it  will  be  possible  to  articulate  in  detail  these  socio-political  models,  hypothesizing exchange networks, hierarchical relationships, or competitive relationships between the different sites. Through this approach, it is also possible to describe the historical events that occurred also from a demographic point of view, with a rough reconstruction of the population involved, further enriching the reconstructions proposed. The scenario obtained will also be compared with similar studies applied to the territory of the Monti della Tolfa and Valle del Fiora. Doing so, the different choices made by the community, will further enrich the picture hypothesized up to now about the passage from the villages... to the cities, in Southern Etruria.

The soil and land resource inventory at village, as basic unit, are providing baseline data on soils, their constraints and potentials for crop production. Considering this fact, Pata Meghpar village (22013’14’’ to 22016’09’’ N latitude and 70029’16’’ to 70032’59’’ E) in Jamnagar district of Gujarat with an area of 1683 hectares was selected for land resource inventory on 1:10000 scale for land use planning activity. The soils developed on Deccan trap geological formations with distinct basaltic landforms appear at an elevation of 100 meters above mean sea level near Und river. The landform analysis of study area was carried out with the visual interpretation of Indian Remote Sensing Satellite P6 LISS-IV data of April 2012 in conjunction with cadastral map. The four basic landforms identified are isolated upland (119.3 ha & 7.1%), ravinous land (409.6 ha & 24.3%), very gently to gently sloping plains (543.9 ha & 32.3%) and nearly level plains (610 ha & 36.2%). The detailed soil survey was carried out and identified seven soil series with 10 phases. The soil series Pata Meghpar-1(Loamy, Lithic Ustorthents) and Patameghpar-2 (loamy-skeletal, Lithic Ustorthents) occurring on isolated upland are very shallow, excessively drained, brown loam(7.5YR 4/4) to dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4), gravely loam and slightly alkaline (pH 7.2-7.8). The Pata Meghpar-3(fine-loamy, Typic Ustorthents) on ravinous lands are moderately shallow, excessively drained, strongly calcareous, dark yellowish brown (10YR 3/4), weak fine sub-angular blocky structure, slightly alkaline to moderately alkaline (pH 7.7 to 8.6). The Pata Meghpar - 4 (fine, Typic Haplustepts) and Pata Meghpar-5 (fine, Vertic Haplustepts) occurring on very gently to gently sloping plain are moderately deep (50-75cm), moderately well drained, slight to moderately calcareous, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2), moderate, medium, sub angular blocky structures and moderate to strongly alkaline (pH 8.1 to 8.8). The Pata Meghpar - 6 (fine, Leptic Haplusterts) and Pata Meghpar – 7 (fine, Typic Haplusterts) occurring on nearly level plains are deep, clayey, moderately well drained, very dark grayish brown (10YR 3/2) to very dark gray (10YR 3/1), weak fine angular blocky to moderate medium angular blocky structure, moderately calcareous and moderately alkaline (pH 8.0-8.5). The baseline resource data are useful for deriving soil-landscape relationships in basaltic terrain at village and forms the basis for upgrading management packages for sustainable crop production at farm level.

Abstract. Shrimp is a commodity that is increasingly in demand. The limited land resources implies the need of effective land use planning. The objective of this study was to assess land suitability for brackish water shrimp ponds, which then will be recommended for pond development in the north coast of Tuban, Indonesia. Analytical hierarchy process (AHP) were used to obtain the weight of the different criteria consisted of soil characteristics, topographic, water quality, and infrastructure criteria. The suitable land for brackish water shrimp ponds was determined by weighted overlay in GIS. The results show that the study area contains highly suitable land for brackish water shrimp ponds. Land use and land cover map was interpreted from 2014 SPOT 5 imagery. The area recommended for brackish water shrimp pond was delineated by taking into account the suitability and the constraints of land use and land cover.
Abstrak.  Udang merupakan komoditas yang semakin diminati. Lahan yang semakin terbatas mengharuskan perencanaan penggunaan untuk tambak udang dilakukan secara efektif. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mendelineasi kesesuaian lahan untuk budidaya tambak udang air payau, yang kemudian digunakan untuk menentukan lahan yang dapat direkomen-dasikan untuk pengembangan tambak di pantai utara Tuban, Jawa Timur, Indonesia. Proses hierarki analitik (AHP) di-gunakan untuk mendapatkan bobot kriteria, yang terdiri dari karakteristik lahan, topografi, kualitas air dan infrastruk-tur. Lahan yang sesuai untuk tambak udang didelineasi menggunakan overlay terbobot dalam model SIG. Hasil analisis menunjukkan bahwa pantai utara Tuban memiliki beragam tingkat kesesuaian lahan untuk tambak udang. Pada tahap berikutnya, tutupan lahan dan penggunaan lahan diinterpretasi menggunakan citra SPOT 5 tahun 2014. Wilayah yang direkomendasikan untuk tambak udang air payau kemudian didelineasi dengan mempertimbangkan kesesuaian lahan, tutupan lahan dan penggunaan lahannya.

Two of the original ten suitability ratings conducted for the Buffer Zone of Mt. Malindang National Park – that of corn and high value crops – are presented in this study. The soils in the area are dominated by Adtuyon series characterized by high acidity and low inherent fertility. Slope, rock outcrops, and erosion are the other major limitations. After matching land characteristics with the crop requirements, both crops were rated similarly: moderately suitable in the uplands, marginally suitable in the hillylands and not suitable in the highlands and mountain areas. A complementing farm production economics study showed that where areas are unsuitable, high value crop farmers earn good income while moderately suitable areas show that corn farmers operate at a loss, yet they continually grow corn because this is a staple food. This inverse relationship shows that the soils in the Buffer Zone are in varying stages of land degradation as those in the gentle slopes which are moderately suitable are already in severe state and provide negative income to the farmers, while the highlands and mountain areas which are unsuitable but provide good income are relatively newly opened and not yet depleted of soil nutrients. The study recommends a review of national policy for intrusions of economic activities in fragile ecosystems, considering the good economic returns obtained by farmers in areas rated unsuitable for agricultural production. For the gentle slope areas which can be easily cultivated but now in the high state of degradation, there is a critical need to inculcate soil conservation and fertility rehabilitation in the consciousness of the farmers. Thirdly, economic returns alone seems insufficient to complement soil suitability studies. There is a need to introduce new concepts like environmental returns or ecological returns in lieu of economic returns for evaluating fragile ecosystems.

Soil science is taught in college as one of the sub-disciplines of agricultural sciences, hence, soil survey and classification practitioners are taught of soil data interpretation for agricultural use. There is however, more to soil data interpretation other than the traditional agricultural interpretation. Outside the agricultural application of soil resources information, as we move to the environmental applications, the impact is less on profit and economics but more on safety and human lives. The objective of the paper is to demonstrate how the principles of agricultural land evaluation can be applied for environmental interpretation of soil survey data, specifically to assess the soil's capacity to absorb nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter pollutants. The emphasis is on rating the limiting or restrictive features which are soil properties that restrict or limit management alternatives. A sample rating guide of wastes hazardous to the ground and runoff water, specifically nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter are cited. This rating is then applied to the soil survey data of Iligan City.

Increasing effects of climate change has led to an urgent need for reliable estimates of the soil carbon pool (SOC) which is one of the carbon sinks in the world. This is especially true in Africa where there is lack of basic data. This study conducted in the southern part of Mount Cameroon National Park (MCNP) seeks to determine SOC patterns and estimate CO 2 equivalence from SOC pool following land-use changes. Nine prominent land-use types were identified (under rubber, virgin forest reserve, oil palm, cassava, mixed cropping, tea, maize, banana and sugar cane). Soil samples were collected from 98 plots of 2,500 m 2 , each spread over the different land uses in five villages at 0-30 cm of soil. The collected Soils samples were analyzed for SOC and other physicochemical properties. Mean SOC ranged from 56.1± 11.00 t ha-1 (for rubber) to 225.24 ± 33.65 t ha-1 1 (for forest) giving an average for the area of 130.80 Mg/ha. The mean SOC in forest soil was significantly higher than that for cassava (p=0.038), oil palm (p=0.045) and rubber (t=4.849, p=0.0046). Losses in CO 2 equivalence, as a result of land use change from forest to other land use systems, ranged from 234.15 (for mixed cropping) to 620.74 t/ha (for rubber). The study provided estimates of carbon pools for different land uses in MCNP. Mixed cropping was only second to forest in terms of SOC values indicating that agroforestry can mediate between food production and environmental protection.

The study demonstrates the application of geospatial technologies to evaluate physical resources of semi-arid watersheds and presents a comprehensive methodology applicable elsewhere. The selected Andipatti watershed, located in Theni district in the State of Tamil Nadu (India), is known for agricultural activities; however, haphazard planning, management practices and inadequate investments result in land and water resource degradation. Since most of the agricultural lands in developing countries are similar to these conditions, the present study is attempted as a case to develop a framework to assess the land and water resources potential, utilisation level and land suitability for agriculture; and to evolve better management strategies. The physical characteristics of the watershed were studied based on in-situ, remotely sensed and secondary data sources. Thematic layers were generated with the combination of remote sensing, image processing and GIS techniques. In order to characterize and quantify the watershed based on soil erosion and surface runoff rates, the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) and natural resources conservation services curve number (NRCS-CN) were utilized. Data on water levels and geochemistry of water samples, collected from 36 dug wells were also utilized for this study. Sodium adsorption ratio (SAR) and electrical conductivity, as formulated by the US Salinity Laboratory (USSL) were utilized to examine the suitability of groundwater for irrigation purpose. The storie index has been used to assess the productivity of land using profile and textural characteristics of the soil. Keeping Food and Agricultural Organisation (FAO) guidelines as a reference, as many as 727 homogenous micro-land units were prepared. The physical land qualities and characteristics of each land unit were compared with the requirements of 13 major crops of the study area and suitable crops for each unit were identified. The individual suitability classes of all crops were compared using logical analysis and suitability crops for each land unit were determined under irrigated and rain-fed conditions. In order to integrate the results of these analyses and to suggest sustainable agricultural development measures, the study area was divided into 44 micro-watersheds. The information on land productivity, groundwater quality and existing land use/land cover patterns of the watershed were used to calculate land potential-utilisation index and groundwater potential-utilisation ratio for all micro-watersheds. All the results of land and water resources assessment were compared and a proposed land use map was prepared. The findings suggest strategies for coping with sustainable agricultural practices for the present study area and provide an integrated methodology for future assessments elsewhere, especially in the developing countries.

The coastal area of West Bangka Regency has the potency to be used for aquaculture, but has not been widely used so far. This study was conducted to formulate appropriate strategies for the development of coastal areas for cultivation. The methodology applied including land suitability analysis, feasibility analysis, cluster analysis and SWOT analysis. The results showed that the coastal villages in the district of West Bangka can be classified into three groups, namely the coastal villages that characterized the activity of the high coast, coastal village with characteristic low coastal activity, accessibility and high mining activity, and coastal villages with coastal activity, accessibility and low mining activity. Almost all coastal villages have an appropriate location for the cultivation of the ocean / beach. Based on the results of feasibility analysis for aquaculture (shrimp vannamei), grouper in KJA (grouper Rat) and seaweed (Eucheuma), the third cultivation feasible in West Bangka Regency. From this study, produced 10 priority strategies for the management of marine aquaculture / beach in West Bangka Regency.

The realization of proper soil conservation and utilization along a toposequence necessitates the studying it's soil properties. The soil properties of three physiographic positions along a toposequence in Abiriba Southeast , Nigeria were studied. Transect survey technique was usedto alignprofile pit on each physiographic position as samples were collected based on horizon differentiation for laboratory analysis. Data generated were statistically analyzed using analysis of variation, correlation and simple regression equation. The result indicated that foot-slope (84.27 %) recorded higher level of percent sand over the crest (81.30 %) and mid-slope (82.99 %). TN recorded had same level (0.03 %) in all the physiographic positions. The analysis of variance indicated that percent sand, clay, bulk density, organic carbon, total nitrogen and available phosphorus had no significant difference (p= 0.05) among the physiographic positions. Bulk density correlated negatively significant (r=-0.992, r=-0.994, p= 0.01) with organic matter in crest and midslope and negatively non-significant (r=-0.886) in foot-slope. However, soil properties such as sand, silt, moisture content, ECEC, pH and available phosphorus were predominant in foot-slope.