Use of satellite data and GIS for assessing the agricultural potentiality of the soils South Farafra Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt

Overpopulation and food security are the main global problems alert decision makers. In developing countries, such problem put extra pressure for horizontal expansion for agricultural development. The rapid sprawl of urbanized areas on the alluvial land of the River Nile and delta to accommodate the population growth has encouraged governmental and private sector for agricultural expansion in the desert. Unless there are reliable information and accurate studies for land and soil suitability, there will be a collapse of such investment. To evaluate the potential suitability of soil for agriculture development in areas of the western desert, satellite images, geographic information, and field survey including soil profiles and artesian water samples with laboratory analysis were integrated to classify the soils according their suitability for specific crop. The main land qualities of the different mapping units and the crop requirement were rated and matched to obtain the current and potential land suitability using Automated Land Evaluation System “ALES”. The study found that the main physiographic units are plateaus, hilland, mountain, and depression floor. But there are three limiting parameters for land suitability which are the lack of nutrient elements, wind erosion vulnerability, and soil texture. The study concluded that the best crops adapted with the soil conditions and could be feasible for economic use are: (1) native vegetation such as agol, sand trees, sammar, halfaa, bawaal, qordaob, bardi, and qortom; (2) filed crops such as onion, garlic, watermelon and wheat; and (3) fruits such as olive and date palms.     

Using GIS modeling to assess the agricultural sustainability in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, Nile Delta, Egypt

The evaluation of agricultural sustainability status helps in identifying specific indicators that constrain the achievement of sustainable agriculture. The agricultural sector in Egypt is facing major sustainability constraints such as scarce land and water resources, environmental degradation, and rapid population growth as well as institutional arrangement including land tenure and farm fragmentation, agricultural administration, lack of infrastructure, and credit utilization and high interest rates. This study aims to evaluate the agricultural sustainability in some areas in Kafr El-Sheikh governorate, north of the Nile Delta; the international framework for evaluating sustainable land management was used for realizing this objective. The map of the physiographic soils of the studied area was produced depending upon Landsat ETM⁺ images analysis; the results indicate that the area includes three main landscapes, i.e., alluvial, lacustrine, and marine plains. The characteristics of productivity, security, protection, economic viability, and social acceptability in the different mapping units were assessed. The obtained results show that the studied area includes two different class types, the first are the lands that are marginally below the requirement of sustainability and the second are those lands that do not meet sustainability requirements. The former class is represented by the physiographic units of alluvial plain, whereas the latter class is represented by the physiographic units of the lacustrine and marine plains. The sustainability constrains in the studied area are related to the soil productivity, economic viability, and social acceptability.     

Land suitability decision support for assessing land use changes in areas west of Nile Delta,Egypt

The main objective of this study was to discuss the efficiency of agricultural land suitability for assessing land use types in rural areas. In this research, El-Nubariya area west of Nile Delta was selected as a case study site, which considers one of the high priority regions for future development in Egypt. As input, a total of ten representative soil profiles and number of observations points were used for collecting soil samples. Based on the field survey, laboratory analysis, and satellite image interpretation in cooperation with geographic information system (GIS), the physiographic map was executed. Three main landscape units were identified as follow: marine deposits, eolian deposits, and river terraces. The soils were classified mainly as Typic Torripsamments, Typic Paleorthids, and Typic Calciorthids. Land suitability assessment was done to define maps of the suitable areas for agricultural production using MicroLEIS microcomputer program and ALESarid-GIS system as well. According to the crop suitability results, the most suitable crops to grow in the study area were maize, melon, potato, sunflower, onion, garlic, olive, and date palm in the order indicated. Generally, the data on land suitability resulting from the evaluation models indicated that 56.1 % of the area is considered as suitable, 30.8 % is moderately to marginally suitable, and 13.1 % is not suitable. The main limitation factors for land suitability are the excess of salts, shallow soil depth, and inadequate drainage conditions. The output results are presented as georeferenced soil suitability maps using GIS utilities.     

Utilization of remote sensing data and GIS tools for and use sustainability analysis: case study in El-Hammam area, Egypt

The North-Western Coast of Egypt (NWCE) represents one of the high priority regions for future development in the country. El-Hammam area is located in the NWCE with an area of 94752 acres and is one of the main challenging regions for sustaianble development. In this study, we have used remote sensing and soil data in combination with GIS tools, for land use sustainable analysis (SLU) in El-Hammam area. The SLU was established based on various factors such as: land capability and suitability, water resources availability, economic return from water and financial return from land and water. A physiographic soil map for the study area was prepared using remote sensing and GIS. Multiple field surveys were carried out for collecting information on various soil map units (SMUs) and their profiles. Laboratory analysis for the collected samples was performed, and then the soil properties were stored as attributes in a geographical soil database linked with the SMUs. Furthermore, land capability assessment was done to define the suitable areas for agricultural production using a capability model built in ALES software. Results indicate that the area currently lacks high capability and moderate capability classes. By improving the soil properties, the soil can attain potential capability; and 55630 acres will become marginally capable. The assessment of soil physical suitability for different land use types (LUTs) were analysed in ALES software, in order to generate the most suitable areas. The results from the land suitability analysis indicated that, 17114 acres are moderately suitable for wheat and sorghum; whereas 15823 acres are moderately suitable for barley and 12752 acres are moderately suitable for maize, olive and figs. Finally, the SLU was investigated based on two scenarios; (1) the most SLU under the conditions of shortage of irrigation water: clover, barley and sorghum against figs, as the irrigation requirements for barley and sorghum are low; (2) the most sustainable land use in the conditions of irrigation availability will be wheat and maize against figs and guava. From the results it is quite evident that GIS combined with modeling approaches are powerful tools for decision making in the study area.     

Land classification of part of Thrace (East Rhodope) by visual interpretation of MSS images of first and second generation landsat images

The aim of this investigation was the classification of East Rhodope mountain ridge area and the surrounding hills and plains into mapping units by visual interpretation of 1:500,000 paper print enlargements of MSS false colour composites (bands 1, 2 and 4) of LANDSAT-4 and MSS (band 7) of LANDSAT-1, supported by limited field observation and background information available from earlier surveys and maps. The basic mapping units used in the present study was the land systems (developed by CSIRO in Australia) because they are easily recognizable on LANDSAT images by their destinctive combination of physiography, soils and vegetation.The twenty various land systems occurring in the study area, such as high/low mountains with smooth/sharp summits, nearly flat/undulated plains, slightly/strongly dissected hilles etc., were defined and mapped on small scale of 1:500,000. They are of considerable interest because they provide the framework for production of the same scale geological and geo-morphological maps, erosion studies, soil, vegetation and other thematic mapping for natural resources surveys, because LANDSAT images reveal details of terrain and microrelief that can never be reproduced on a topographic map. Also this land system map may modify or add to earlier small scale thematic maps (geology, soils and vegetation/forestry maps) produced in the past by other techniques.     

我国部分市郊农田的重金属污染与防治途径

分析了我国部分主要城市农田土壤及农作物重金属污染状况，以了解土壤中与农作物中重金属污染物间的相互关系、变化趋势及造成污染的影响因素。结果表明，我国各大城市的农田土壤及农作物都存在不同程度的重金属污染，北方地区的土壤及农作物受重金属污染程度普遍高于南方。重金属在农作物与土壤中的含量一般呈正相关关系，受多种因素影响。对于已污染的土壤，可采用农业工程措施、生物修复法和施用改良剂等予以治理。     

Tropical sugar beet land evaluation scheme: development, validation and application under Kenyan conditions

In Kenya the government is promoting diversification of crops to embrace high value crops and drought resistant crop varieties in efforts to reduce poverty in rural areas. Sugar beet is one of the crops considered as an option in this context and it is therefore important to increase knowledge about the potentials in the country for cultivating this crop. Sugar beet trials conducted in Nyandarua and Butere Mumias Districts of Kenya have shown that the crop yields are comparable to those obtained in traditional sugar-beet cultivation regions of Europe. Since sugar beet yield is affected by climate and soils, the results of Nyandarua and Butere Mumias sugar beet trials are not adequate to propose that comparable yields can be obtained elsewhere in the country and other tropical regions. Physical land evaluations assessing the potentials and constraints for sugar beet production are therefore essential. The objectives of this study was to develop a Tropical Sugar Beet Land Evaluation Scheme (TSBLES) that can aid assessment of the suitability of different areas in the tropics for sugar beet cultivation; and to test this scheme for an assessment of suitable sugar beet zones and land areas in Kenya. The development of the scheme was based on various literature sources and expert judgment on sugar beet requirements, and a Tropical Sugar Beet yield prediction Model. The TSBLES accounts for physical conditions of land i.e. climatic, edaphic and topographic conditions. According to the assessment results 27% of the land area in Kenya is suitable for sugar beet cultivation. Of this area, 5% is highly suitable, another 5% is moderately suitable and 17% is marginally suitable. Most of the highly suitable land area is concentrated in Rift Valley, Central and Nyanza provinces. The Rift Valley has the highest share of the suitable land area.     

Analysis of the effect of geology, soil properties, and land use on groundwater quality using multivariate statistical and GIS methods

The regional survey of groundwater used as a small water supply system was performed to know the effect of geology, soil properties and land use on groundwater quality at Nonsan City, Korea. A total of 126 groundwater samples were collected and analyzed at the study area. The multivariate statistical methods, principal components analysis and discriminant analysis, and GIS technique were used for the quantitative interpretation of groundwater quality. The study area is mainly composed of Precambrian gneiss, Jurassic granite, and Cretaceous volcanics, and metasedimentary rocks of the Ogcheon zone. The land use was grouped as paddy, upland, grassland, resident, point source, industrial area, and water system. The soil properties were classified as 4 major groups, Entisols, Alfisols, Inceptisols, and Ultisols, by the degree of development, and reclassified as 11 subgroups. The modified and simplified geologic map, soil map, and land use map were made by using ARCGIS soft-ware. The area of geology, soil property, and land use affecting the groundwater quality for each well were also calculated by ARCGIS soft-ware to acquire the quantitative parameters for multivariate statistical analysis. The monitoring results of groundwater in the study area showed that 13%-21% of the groundwater samples exceeded the portable water guideline and the main causes were turbidity, bacteria, arsenic and nitrate-N. The spatial distribution of each component showed the close relationship between groundwater quality and geology reflecting the topography, land use.     

Using Remote Sensing and GIS Techniques to Study Soil Degradation Processes in North Shaanxi Province, China

Satellite image data and thematic map data were used to provide comprehensive views of surface-bound conditions such as soil and vegetation degradation. The current work applies a computerized parametric methodology, developed by FAO, UNEP and UNESCO to assess and evaluate soil degradation at 1 : 250 000 mapping scale. The study area is located in the arid and semi-arid zone of the northern part of Shaanxi Province in China, a region with considerable agricultural potential; Landsat TM images were utilized to provide recent data on land cover and use of the area. ARC/INFO and Arc-View softwares were used to manage and manipulate thematic data, to process satellite images, and tabular data source. ER mapper software is utilized to derive the normalized difference vegetation index (ND VI) values while field data to estimate soil erodibility (SE) factor. A system is established for rating soil parameters, slope, climate factor and human factor activity. The rating values serve as inputs into a modified universal soil loss equation (USLE) to calculate the present state and risk for soil degradation processes, namely soil wind erosion. The produced maps and tabular data show the risk and the present status of different soil degradation processes. The study area, in general, is exposed to high risk of wind erosion and high hazards of water erosion. Several desertification maps were produced, which reflect the desertification types persisting in the study area. Wind erosion, water erosion, vegetation degradation,physical degradation and salinization are the basic desertification maps, and others are combinations of these basic maps. In terms of statistic analysis, 33.75 % of the total land area (120. 330 0 ha) is considered as sand or sand dune, and not included in our analysis of desertification. About 29. 41% of the total land area has slight or moderate desertification and 37. 465 % is facing severe desertification.     

Risk assessment of water soil erosion in upper basin of Miyun Reservoir,Beijing, China

This research selected water soil erosion indicators (land cover, vegetation cover, slope) to assess the risk of soil erosion, ARCMAP GIS ver.9.0 environments and ERDAS ver.9.0 were used to manage and process satellite images and thematic tabular data. Landsat TM images in 2003 were used to produce land/cover maps of the study area based on visual interpreting method and derived vegetation cover maps, and the relief map at the scale of 1:50,000 to calculate the slope gradient maps. The area of water soil erosion was classified into six grades by an integration of slope gradients, land cover types, and vegetation cover fraction. All the data were integrated into a cross-tabular format to carry out the grid-based analysis of soil erosion risk. Results showed that the upper basin of Miyun Reservoir, in general, is exposed to a moderate risk of soil erosion, there is 715,848 ha of land suffered from water soil erosion in 2003, occupied 46.62% of total area, and most of the soil erosion area is on the slight and moderate risk, occupied 45.60 and 47.58% of soil erosion area, respectively.     

Land degradation risk assessment of El Fayoum depression, Egypt

The main objective of this study is to assess the land degradation risk of cultivated land in El Fayoum depression. The physiographic map of the depression was produced by using remote sensing and land surveying data. The depression comprises lacustrine plain, alluvial–lacustrine plain, and alluvial plain representing 12.22%, 53.58%, and 34.20% of the total area, respectively. The soil, climate, and topographic characteristics of the depression were extracted from land surveying, laboratory analyses, digital elevation model, and available reports. A simple model was designed to employ these data for assessing the chemical and physical risk of land degradation using Arc-GIS 9.2 software. The obtained results indicate that severe risk to chemical and physical degradation affect 54.15% and 29.23% of the depression, respectively. The current status of soil salinity, sodicity, and water table indicate that most of lacustrine and alluvial–lacustrine soils are actually degraded by salinization, sodification, and waterlogging. The results of degradation risk and the actual hazard indicate that the human activities are not sufficient to overcome the degradation processes in the most of the depression (80. 22%). Moreover, a negative human impact affects 26.29% of the area mostly in the alluvial plain. Great efforts related to the land management are required to achieve the agriculture sustainability.     

Estimation of soil erosion using RUSLE in Caijiamiao watershed,China

Soil erosion is a serious environmental and production problem in China. In particular, natural conditions and human impact have made the Chinese Loess Plateau particularly prone to intense soil erosion area. To decrease the risk on environmental impacts, there is an increasing demand for sound, and readily applicable techniques for soil conservation planning in this area. This work aims at the assessment of soil erosion and its spatial distribution in hilly Loess Plateau watershed (northwestern China) with a surface area of approximately 416.31 km². This study was conducted at the Caijiamiao watershed to determine the erosion hazard in the area and target locations for appropriate initiation of conservation measures using the revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE). The erosion factors of RUSLE were collected and processed through a geographic information system (GIS)-based approach. The soil erosion parameters were evaluated in different ways: The R-factor map was developed from the rainfall data, the K-factor map was obtained from the soil map, the C-factor map was generated based on Landsat-5 Thematic Mapper image and spectral mixture analysis, and a digital elevation model with a spatial resolution of 25 m was derived from topographic map at the scale of 1:50,000 to develop the LS-factor map. Support practice P factor was from terraces that exist on slopes where crops are grown. By integrating the six-factor maps in GIS through pixel-based computing, the spatial distribution of soil loss in the study area was obtained by the RUSLE model. The results showed that spatial average soil erosion at the watershed was 78.78 ton ha^?1 year^?1 in 2002 and 70.58 ton ha^?1 year^?1 in 2010, while the estimated sediment yield was found to be 327.96 × 10⁴ and 293.85 × 10⁴ ton, respectively. Soil erosion is serious, respectively, from 15 to 35 of slope degree, elevation area from 1,126 to 1,395 m, in the particular area of soil and water loss prevention. As far as land use is concerned, soil losses are highest in barren land and those in waste grassland areas are second. The results of the study provide useful information for decision maker and planners to take appropriate land management measures in the area. It thus indicates the RUSLE–GIS model is a useful tool for evaluating and mapping soil erosion quantitatively and spatially at a river watershed scale on a cell basis in Chinese Loess Plateau and for planning of conservation practices.     

典型岩溶断陷盆地农作物生态需水研究——以蒙自地区为例

从合理调控生态用水角度出发,探讨典型岩溶断陷盆地区农作物生态需水问题。根据蒙自断陷盆地的岩溶地貌特征,分别选取位于盆地、坡面和高原面的大洼子、朵古、牛耳坡3个观测点,利用Penman-Monteith公式、作物系数（FAO推荐）及同期有效降雨量,估算3个观测点2018年的参考蒸散量、生态需水量以及不同作物生长所需的人工灌溉水量。结果表明:（1）大洼子、朵古及牛耳坡的参考蒸散量分别为1 346.10 mm、1 200.00 mm、1 064.30 mm,远大于同期降水量,均呈现出蒸发旺盛的特点,加大了作物对于水分的需求;同时三者的参考蒸散量表现出较为明显的时空差异,使得3个观测点的农业种植条件存在差异;（2）大洼子种植的水稻、小麦、花生、油菜、大豆、马铃薯、葡萄等作物的生态需水定额均远大于大洼子同期的有效降水,在大洼子种植的作物均需要大量人工浇灌才能正常生长,而农作物的种植与其种植条件匹配度不高;（3）朵古及牛耳坡种植的玉米、万寿菊的生态需水定额与同期有效降水之间的差值较小甚至完全满足,表明玉米、万寿菊在高原山区的种植是与当地种植条件相匹配的;而种植在朵古及牛耳坡的苹果、烤烟的生态需水定额与同期有效降水之间的差值较大,表明在高原山区大量种植苹果及烤烟对于人工浇灌要求较高;（4）研究区大部分农作物在生长发育阶段内所需的水分主要依靠人工灌溉,与本地降水分布规律匹配度不高,区内农业结构与种植模式有待调整。在岩溶断陷盆地内要种植耗水较少,对热量要求较高的作物,山区则需要发展具有生态保护和经济效益的作物,但种植的重点区域仍是盆地区。      

Application of geomorphologic knowledge for erosion hazard mapping

An erosion hazard map was elaborated using geomorphologic and lithological information; this was the base to characterize the erodibility of the territory. The aim of the proposed methodology is to define the areas where more detailed studies are necessary (e.g., to estimate rates of soil erosion, mitigation measurements, land use) to prevent future problems. Field work and remote sensing data (study of historical aerial photographs and satellite images) were used to understand the geomorphologic evolution and the current processes taking place in an area; this information was used to group the units according to its lithology, dynamic and slope inclination. The map was processed using the geographical information system and categorized in zones of very high, high, moderate, low and null fluvial erosion hazards. The map covers the Metropolitan Area of San Salvador, which is experiencing serious problems of mass wasting processes, collapse and settlements of foundations. Most affected areas belong to the Tierra Blanca Joven tephras which are unsaturated and cover most of the surface; nowadays, the urban projects and infrastructure resting in this material are suffering from extensive damage. The geotechnical information on the tephras shows a decrease in strength and collapsible behavior when saturated. Due to this, the use of Quickdraw tensiometers (suction) and TMS3 (soil moisture content) is proposed for monitoring. The methodology of erosion hazard mapping correlates well with mass wasting reported in the studied area, and for this reason, it could be a good way to protect the natural resources and improve the land use.     

Hydrostratigraphic analysis of the Darling River valley (Australia) using electromagnetic induction data and a spatially constrained algorithm for quasi-three-dimensional electrical conductivity imaging

Efforts are being made to improve the irrigation efficiency in the Murray-Darling River Basin, Australia, to deal with predicted rainfall decline and to reduce the incidence of secondary soil and water salinization. The latter commonly occurs as a result of locating water reservoirs upon relic drainage channels. To better manage irrigation, information is required about the spatial distribution of soil type and the stratigraphic features capable of redistributing deep-draining water. In previous research, electromagnetic (EM) induction instruments (e.g. EM38 and EM34) have been used to map the distribution of soil type, hydrological processes (e.g. deep drainage) and vadose-zone features. The aim of this research is to demonstrate how a joint inversion of EM38 and EM34 data, using a one-dimensional spatially constrained algorithm for quasi three-dimensional (quasi-3D) electrical conductivity imaging, can be used to infer the areal distribution of soil types and physiographic and hydrogeological units. The quasi-3D modeling of true electrical conductivity provides a framework for future environmental monitoring and management to mitigate the hydrological processes that drive localized secondary salinization in the study area.     

黑龙江省克山县土壤-作物系统硒元素地球化学特征

黑龙江省克山县是我国克山病区.通过分析土壤表层（0～20 cm）样品809件,深层（150～200 cm）样品205件,对不同类型土壤中微量元素Se的含量、有效态含量、农作物籽实Se含量特征进行了研究.结果显示：土壤表层Se元素含量平均为0.249×10^-6,低于全国平均值,高于世界、和东北平原黑龙江省土壤平均值,土壤表层Se含量以足硒为主要特征,足硒土壤面积达93.95%;土壤深层Se含量平均为0.167×10^-6,明显低于土壤表层,Se含量不足或缺Se土壤面积占62.62%;不同类型土壤表层Se含量由高到低顺序为黑钙土=草甸土 > 黑土 > 暗棕壤,深层Se含量由高到低依次为暗棕壤 > 黑土 > 草甸土 > 黑钙土,与土壤表层高低顺序相反;不同土地利用类型Se含量显示建设用地和耕地Se含量较高,林地和水利用地含量较低,反映Se含量受人类活动影响明显;玉米、大豆、水稻主要农作物籽实Se含量平均为0.033×10^-6,呈低Se特征.