Evaluation of Ecological Potential for Determining Optimal Land Use in Environmentally Sensitive Areas (Case Study: Taleghan City)

Problem Definition: 

The city of Taleghan has experienced uninformed landuse and environmental degradation for many years due to its unique geographical location, thus facing environmental instability conditions.

The aim of the present study was feeling the need to preserve the environment of this sensitive urban area and reduce the destructive environmental effects of land use change.

First, the ecological sources of the study area, such as slope, height, soil, vegetation, etc., were prepared. Then, data analysis was done to assess the ecological capability of the region. After that, the process of assessing the ecological capability of the area was followed according to Makhdoom’s model. Finally, the optimal land use was determined according to the power of each environmental unit of the area and the desirable status of land use in the study area.

The highest area under study had a slope of less than 1-9 %, which was consistent with those of the alluvial deposits and flood plains. At present, the maximum extent of the study area was field and then agricultural use. According to the ecological capability of the region, a rangeland area could be converted to agricultural and residential applications. The highest suitable area for agricultural use was in the order range of 2 and 3, while most of the area was in the next order range of 2 and 3. Taleghan City and its district villages were located in the suitability range for urban development.

Innovation:

 The aim of this study was the integration of environmental and urban metrics to extract the optimal land uses in the political domain of Taleghan City.