The model developed may be used to assess desertification process and distinguish the areas sensitive to desertification in the study region and in regions with the similar characteristics.Įrosion and Land Degradation in Mediterranean areas as a adaptive response to Mediterranean agriiculture
In addition the plant cover and groundwater indicators were the most important factors affecting desertification process in the study area. Results showed that 12% of the area is classified as very severe, 81% as severe and 7% as moderately affected by desertification. In turn the geometric mean of all six quality maps was used to generate a single desertification status map. ArcGIS 9 was used to analyze and prepare the layers of quality maps using the geometric mean to integrate the individual sub-indicator maps.
Based on the MEDALUS approach, each sub-indicator was quantified according to its quality and given a weighting of between 1.0 and 2.0. Then several sub-indicators affecting the quality of each main indicator were identified. Six main factors or indicators of desertification including: soil, climate, erosion, plant cover, groundwater and management were considered for evaluation. Based on the MEDALUS approach and the characteristics of study area a regional model developed using GIS. The main aim of this study was the quantitative assessment of desertification process in the case study area of the Fidoye-Garmosht plain (Southern Iran). Sepehr, A Hassanli, A M Ekhtesasi, M R Jamali, J B Quantitative assessment of desertification in south of Iran using MEDALUS method. The major factors affecting desertification in the area are climate, wind erosion and low land quality management, vegetation degradation and the salinization of soil and water resources. The comparison of two maps based on the original and modified MEDALUS models indicates that the addition of more regionally-specific parameters into the model allows for a more accurate representation of desertification processes across the Iyzad Khast plain. Then all of the layers weighted by environmental conditions present in the area were used (following the same MEDALUS framework) before a desertification map was prepared. Since these parameters have mostly been presented for the Mediterranean region in the past, the next step included the addition of other indicators such as ground water and wind erosion. After creating a desertification database including 20 parameters, the first steps consisted of developing maps of four indices for the MEDALUS model including climate, soil, vegetation and land use were prepared. In this study, the MEDALUS model along with GIS mapping techniques are used to determine desertification hazards for a province of Iran to determine the desertification hazard.
Evaluation of MEDALUS model for desertification hazard zonation using GIS study area: Iyzad Khast plain, Iran.įarajzadeh, Manuchehr Egbal, Mahbobeh Nik
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