Comparing Existing and Potential Land Use for Sustainable Land Utilization

Land is an important natural resource. As human demands increase, sustaining the productivity of land becomes more and more important. Land suitability evaluation can contribute towards better land management; mitigation of land degradation; and designing land use pattern that prevents environmental problems through segregation of competing land uses. This study was conducted to evaluate the level of agreement between existing and potential land use in two contrasting agro-ecosystems in Jordan: Ajloun in the high rainfall zone and Muwaqqar in the arid zone. Existing detailed soil maps and other data were incorporated within a geographic information system (GIS) in order to derive potential suitability for different land utilization types (LUTs). Existing land use in both sites was derived from the visual interpretation of the color’s aerial photographs and verified by several field visits. Output land use maps were cross-tabulated in the GIS to quantify the agreement between existing and potential land use for the main LUTs in both sites. Results showed variations between the two study sites with obvious difference between existing and potential land use for some of the LUTs. Main limitations for rainfed cultivation in Ajloun were the shallow soil depth and rockiness. This fact emphasized the high suitability of the area for forestry and the need for soil conservation measures to ensure sustainable cultivation. A tendency of using land for less demanding utilization was obvious in Muwaqqar, although most of the cultivated areas were located in non-suitable sites. Results of the study highlighted the challenges of sustainable agriculture in both agroecosystems and emphasized the urgent need for implementing land use policies and packages that take into consideration land suitability as base for making decisions about future land use