Investigating the Impact of Environmental Changes on Agricultural Land Use Change in Highlands (Case study of Fereydunshahr County)

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 University of Isfahan, Isfahan, Iran

2 Lecture of university

10.22034/gp.2025.65934.3366

Abstract

Fereydounshahr, with an average altitude of more than 2,530 meters above sea level, is considered one of the highest counties in Esfahan Province. Agriculture is one of the most important economic sectors in this Region, and a portion of the county's land is dedicated to this activity. Land use change is one of the important issues in this region in the field of natural resource management, and it has increased rapidly in recent years. The present study aimed to investigate the impact of environmental factors on agricultural land use change in Fereydounshahr County from 2000 to 2020. This research, using remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS) techniques, has mapped and analyzed land use changes, especially in agriculture, in the form of thematic maps, and has examined and evaluated the most important environmental factors affecting the changes according to the perspective of the farming community using factor analysis and the perspective of relevant experts using paired comparisons using the eigenvector method. The results showed that there is generally a systematic change trend in most land use classes. Agricultural land use in this county has changed significantly over the past 20 years. So that the area of arable and garden lands has increased from 16,367.2 hectares in 2000 to 20,259.3 hectares in 2020 and this upward trend is currently continuing. The area of agricultural land is expanding on lands with slopes above 20%. The important reasons for these changes are economic issues, climatic fluctuations, and technological development. Considering the topography of the city, encroachment on lands that are not suitable for cultivation in terms of soil parameters, height, and slope will cause irreparable environmental consequences and damage to the environment of this region. The results of this research will provide more efficient decision-making towards natural resource sustainability for regional planners

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