Identification of the prone lands for wood farming by Eucalyptus in Khuzestan province using Fuzzy AHP

Regarding stop industrial forests exploitation in northern Iran, this study was conducted to determine the suitable areas for wood farming by Eucalyptus in Khuzestan province using Fuzzy AHP and GIS. The indices used were included four main indices, water resources, land use, climate and soil and 22 related sub-indices (Soil texture, soil depth, soil salinity, soil acidity, distance from the river, water volume, surface water salinity, groundwater depth, groundwater salinity, mean annual temperature, mean minimum annual temperature, mean maximum annual temperature, minimum absolute temperature, maximum absolute temperature, mean annual rainfall, mean annual relative humidity, mean annual wind speed, shrublands around the rivers, sandy hills, Jihad Nasr lands, empty lands around the Jihad Nasr channels, empty lands around the water resources). Maps of these factors were prepared using Google Earth satellite imagery (from summer of 2017 to 2019), ground sampling (September of 2019) and available data. Eucalyptus cultivation map in Khuzestan province was also prepared from Khuzestan Natural Resources Administration and ground sampling by GPS in September of 2019. The land use map was prepared by the digitization of land use/cover using Google Earth satellite imagery from summer of 2017 to 2019. Accuracy of land use map was evaluated by 60 ground control points. The weight of effective indices in Eucalyptus wood farming potential was calculated using Fuzzy AHP. For this purpose, 30 expert questionnaires (30 expert judgments) were distributed among the scientific and operating experts of wood farming to express the importance and priority of effective factors in wood farming. Then, the mean questionnaire was obtained and it was analysed by Chang triangular fuzzy extent analysis. Based on this method, the normal weights of the indices and sub-indices were calculated using Fuzzy AHP method. Using the linear weighted combination of effective sub-indices, maps of the main indices and then a map of Eucalyptus wood farming potential was prepared. Finally, the wood farming potential map was validated by Eucalyptus cultivation map and its accuracy was evaluated in identifying the suitable areas for Eucalyptus wood farming in Khuzestan province. The results showed that among the main indices, water resources and land use had the most importance in the determination of the prone lands for Eucalyptus farming in Khuzestan province based on the Fuzzy AHP. According to the results, 12.83% of the area had very good potential and 10.47% of the area had good potential for Eucalyptus farming.  The results of the accuracy assessment of wood farming potential map also showed that Fuzzy AHP with overall accuracy 82% had good accuracy in identification of the prone areas for wood farming in Khuzestan province.