Prepare Thematic Maps of Soil Characteristics for the Purpose of Planting it with Trees using Geographical Information Systems in some Areas of Basra Governorate

Abstract

This study was conducted to find out the suitability of the lands for planting trees in the study area in Basra Provence. Soil units were separated by using remote sensing technology through the use of the Landsat 8 satellite image with field observations and a map of soil units was prepared using GIS and ERDAS software, eight sites of soil profile were identified. The lands of the study area were evaluated for planting the selected trees using the amended proposals contained in the system (Sys et al., 1993). The process of evaluating lands in this system requires the availability of information about the characteristics of the land and its conformity with the requirements of the trees contained in those proposals. The results showed that the lands of the region are classified according to their suitability for the cultivation of the selected trees, and in varying degrees, into a suitable land class S3 and an unsuitable land class N1 for planting trees, with rates of 33.78% and 66.12% of the total area, respectively, and the main determining factors were the salinity factor, the organic matter factor, Soil depth factor and Natural drainage factor.