DETERMINATION OF AGRICULTURAL POTENTIAL BY GEO SPATIAL MODELING AND MULTI CRITERIA ANALYSIS FOR “BALSAS MEZCALA” WATERSHED

• Main Authors: Anastacio Espejel-García, Jorge Romero-Domínguez, Ariadna Isabel Barrera-Rodríguez, Benjamín Torres-Espejel, Jesús Félix-Crescencio
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidad Autónoma Indígena de México 2015-07-01
• Series: Ra Ximhai
• Subjects: GIS; geo statistical; geo spatial matrix; raster dataset
• Online Access: https://drive.google.com/a/uaim.edu.mx/file/d/0B_QQ0W8TI5acSG9EOFp6ejVTU0U/view

The use of geographic information systems (GIS) facilitates the modeling of specific information allowing faster, lower costs and accuracy for the planning of the agricultural activities for large territories. The objective for this paper was to use GIS as a support for the approach of the land use potential for the “Balsas Mezcala” watershed; for this purpose the multi criteria analysis was used, that allows to consider decision make issues with multiples objectives and considering the following criteria: geo-pedological (geomorphology and soil), climatology (thermal models and rainfall) and the edapho-climatological requirements of the crops, the “Balsas Mezcala” hydrological region was chosen as the study area; through cartographic material the area was delimited and climate information was obtained from weather stations, geographic information and the data bases was collected from many different government agencies (INEGI, SEMARNAT, CONABIO, CONAGUA, IMTA), such information was processed in the ArcGIS software version 10.2.2, to obtained the geodatabases and geo spatial matrix which served as a cartographic input for the multi criteria analysis. The result of this investigation is a system that from geo spatial matrix and vectorial data originates raster dataset, same that were submitted to a modeling process with geo statistical algorithms, with that from a structure language, identify the potential zones with the highest aptness level, through the variable attributes that assign a weighted value using the methodology proposed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1971 and taken by Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) for case studies since 1977 as an Agro-ecological Zoning System (AEZ). The result of the modeling of the soil aptness level in the watershed are 4 classes with 6 levels of aptness (very apt, apt, moderately apt, little apt, very little apt, unapt): Lands with irrigation potential, lands for basic crops, lands for vegetables growing, lands for growing species with industrial importance.