the study was carried out in the fields of department of agriculture, university of lorestan, iran(lat. 32°18´ n., long. 45°22´ e.). according to the data gathered in the nearest synoptic meteorological station, the studied region is classified under semi-arid climates. mean maximum and minimum daily temperatures have been recorded in july and january as 29.5 and 5.5°c, respectively. mean annua...

This study investigates the agricultural land abandonment and agricultural land expansion in the case of the Edmonton-Calgary Corridor, Canada. Using remote sensing data from 2000 to 2012, we include environmental and socio-economic factors to explore the drivers of land use conversions between agriculture and natural land. This research also adopts spatial techniques to allow for spatial effec...

Simulations are used to generate plausible realisations of soil and climatic variables for input into an enterprise land suitability assessment (LSA). Subsequently we present a case study demonstrating a LSA (for hazelnuts) which takes into account the quantified uncertainties of the biophysical model input variables. This study is carried out in the Meander Valley Irrigation District, Tasmania...

The North Carolina wine industry is growing at a fast pace. Many new vineyards are being planted with European varieties. Vitis vinifera varieties in general are the most challenging species of grape grown, requiring considerable effort to consistently produce yields of appropriate volume and good quality. The model produced in this research was designed to help guide site selection for V. vini...

The ornamental and medicinal saffron with high economic value encompasses a great share of non-oil exports in Iran. As a result, identification of suitable areas for saffron cultivation in Ardabil province located in northwestern part of Iran necessitate effective planning for expanding cultivation and production of this product. Given the effect of various environmental factors on growth and y...

The aim of this study is to develop a new approach for delineating urban growth boundaries (UGBs) by applying the weight of evidence (WOE) method to land suitability assessments. Rapid urbanization is causing urban areas to encroach on agricultural land in China, posing a threat to national food security. Land use planning with clear delineation of UGBs is an effective method for controlling ur...

The conservation of species at risk of extinction requires data to support decisions at landscape to regional scales. There is a need for information that can assist with locating suitable habitats in fragmented and degraded landscapes to aid the reintroduction of at-risk plant species. In addition, desiccation and water stress can be significant barriers to the success of at-risk plant reintro...

Cellular automata (CA) is increasingly used to simulate various dynamic courses, e.g. urban spatial growth, forest fire spread and soil desertification. CA simulates these courses with iterative evolvements. Through simple and partial rules to form complex space structures and patterns, CA can express complex systems which are difficult to perform only with mathematical formulas. In combination...