Agroecological Zones of Karkheh River Basin

An agroecological zones (AEZ) map is an essential tool for agricultural planning. By integrating the key components of the agricultural environments, it offers a birds-eye view of internal diversity, agricultural potential and constraints that decision-makers find easier to understand than a pile of single-theme maps. In this study, AEZ map of the Karkheh River basin has been prepared using the climate data covering the period 1973-1998, land use, land cover, and landforms/soils implemented in GIS. A total of 46 unique units have been differentiated, of which only five units including, 1- semi arid-cool winter-warm to very warm summer- rainfed cultivation- non limiting soils by 18.26% area, 2- semi arid-cool winter-warm to very warm summer- forest- rock outcrops or very shallow soils by 17.04% area, 3- semi arid-cold winter-very warm summer- rainfed cultivation- non limiting soils by 10.26% area, 4- semi arid-cold winter-warm summer-range- rock outcrops or very shallow soils by 9.20% area, 5-semi arid-cool winter-warm to very warm summer- irrigated cultivation- non limiting soils and terrain by 4.86% area, occupy nearly 60% of Karkheh river basin