Developing a New Model for Ecological Capability Evaluation of Irrigated Agriculture Using GIS in Sepidan Township, Iran

Agricultural planning is a critical task that requires assessing numerous factors ranging from soil and terrain to socioeconomic markets and infrastructure. Assessing the ecological suitability of land for agricultural cultivation is a complicated procedure. It needs special environmental data and the knowledge of GIS experts to process and evaluate them. To improve the planning and management of irrigated lands, the present study aims to establish a model for the evaluation of ecological capability using a geometric mean approach. The proposed model was tested against several established methods, including the model of Iranian Ecology using Boolean logic, the weighted linear combination (WLC) technique, and the arithmetic average, using the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). Results showed the proposed model, calibrated with the geometric mean, was the most accurate (overall accuracy = 71% and kappa coefficient = 0.54) among the methods tested. In contrast, the Iranian ecological model (overall accuracy = 37.5% and kappa coefficient = 0.17) and the arithmetical mean approach (overall accuracy = 57.44% and kappa coefficient = 0.02) showed the least accuracy. The use of geometric mean assessment provides a high degree of flexibility in the identification of areas of agricultural use. Due to its simplicity and high accuracy, this model can serve as a framework for the assessment of ecological capability in other similar regions. In summary, this research highlights the importance of utilizing advanced models and technologies to enhance agricultural planning and management, ultimately leading to better crop production and a sustainable future.