Assessing the Ecological Potential of Firouzabad County for the Continuation and Development of Agricultural and Rangeland Management Asctivities

Intensive agriculture and overgrazing have reduced the fertility of agricultural lands, reduced the quality of pastures and degraded the environment. The occurrence of frequent droughts, declining groundwater levels, reduced soil fertility, and degraded rangeland quality have increased the vulnerability of the agricultural and livestock production sectors in this county. Therefore, this study was aimed at investigating the ecological potential of the region for the continuation and development of agricultural and rangeland management activities. Using the variables of altitude, geographical direction, slope, vegetation, climate, soil texture, soil drainage, soil fertility, soil erodibility, and water level, suitable areas for agricultural and livestock rearing activities were identified. Finally, weighted linear combination (WLC) and ordered weighted averaging (OWA) models were applied to identify the ecological potential of Firouzabad county for agricultural and rangeland management activities. Findings revealed that only a limited part of the lands were suitable for agriculture and livestock rearing. According to the WLC and OWA models, 28.7% and 12.6% of the areas had a moderate capacity for agriculture, horticulture, and rangeland management, respectively. However, 71.1 and 84.6% of the Firouzabad lands had poor or no capacity for agricultural and livestock rearing activities. Based on the findings, development of intensive agriculture should be avoided. Also, in areas with moderate ecological potential, intermittent cultivation of agricultural products, expansion of gardens and rational development of rangeland activities should be considered. Also, irrigated agriculture should be avoided in areas with weak ecological potential, and rangeland management should be practiced.