Land capability evaluation using NRCS agricultural land evaluation and site assessment (LESA) system in a semi-arid region of Iran

To achieve the sustainable agriculture, land capability evaluation in an accurate manner is essential. It also plays an important role to determine either the main potentials or associated limitations of the land. This research aimed to apply the NRCS agricultural land evaluation and site assessment (LESA) system integrated with GIS for classifying and mapping the capability of some calcareous soils in central of Iran as a semi-arid region for agricultural production purposes. The aforementioned model includes two sections: (1) LE and (2) SA. The first section contains soil productivity index and prime farmland, while the second one includes the effect of non-soil characteristics, development pressures, and public values on farming practices. The results showed that the specific weights for LE and SA sections were calculated 0.4 and 0.6, respectively. Integrating LESA outputs with GIS revealed that the 5.34%, 20.85%, 38.38%, and 35.42% of the studied area were, respectively, classified as “best”, “good”, “marginal”, and “not-suitable” area for agriculture productions. The marginal and not-suitable lands can be considered for developing the rangelands, agroforestry, as well as shrubs. It was concluded that the created thematic maps assist decision-makers for land-use planning and risk-based management for agriculture productions.