Localization of Nitraria schoberi plantation in winter rangelands of Golestan province, Iran

Abstract

Rangeland improvement and restoration increases the quantity and quality of forage production and optimize the amount of livestock products. Land suitability is an activity to select the best sites for a specific plant species plantation. Application of optimal methods to accurate locating of rangeland plantation, considering rangeland potential and characteristics, leads to long-term sustainable economic benefits. Nitraria schoberi is a drought-resistant species that is important in stabilizing of sandy soils and soil erosion control. The locating of appropriate plantation sites of this species can play an important role in the improvement of degraded-winter rangelands. In this research, the geographic information system and two methods of classic and fuzzy logic were used to locate this plant. At first, the needed data and layers were gathered, for preparing the required maps. According to the ecological requirements of N. schoberi, the layers for the classic method were classified into two suitable and not suitable classes but for the fuzzy method the layers were classified into four classes via: not suitable, moderately suitable, suitable and highly suitable. Then, by combining the classifieds layers, the final maps were obtained using Boolean and fuzzy logic method. The results demonstrated that low precipitation, as well as, high salinity and temperature are the most limiting factors that must be considered in N. schoberi plantation projects. We found that the fuzzy logic gives better and more accurate results than the classic method, so it is recommended to localization of suitable areas for rangeland species plantation.

Keywords

• locating
• classic logic
• fuzzy logic
• rangeland rehabilitation