Land suitability analysis for emerging fruit crops in central Portugal using GIS

Fruit production is an important component of agricultural production in Portugal, and it has a positive impact on the economy, especially in rural areas. In recent years, there has been increased investment in so-called ‘emerging crops’. It is agreed that using the crops that are best suited to the soil and climate conditions as well as the socio-economic environment promotes sustainable use in rural areas. The objective of this study is to determine the suitability of different emerging fruit crops for cultivation in the Beira Baixa region based on analysis of soil and climate factors. The pistachio tree (Pistacia vera L.), strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo L.), almond tree (Prunus dulcis (Mill.) DA Webb) and walnut tree (Juglans regia L.) were checked against the biophysical criteria for cultivation. The results were processed using a geographic information system. Analysis was performed using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP). Thus, after dividing the problem into hierarchical levels of decision-making, a pairwise comparison of criteria was performed to evaluate the weights of these criteria based on a scale of importance. Then, the consistency of these operations was validated. The AHP was adequate for evaluation of fruit tree species’ suitability since it enabled integration of several criteria, decision-making and problem resolution. It is essential to be aware of the suitability and resilience of new crops in order to meet the need to adapt to climate change.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

“So Much to Learn: Understanding Missouri’s Landscape—The Early Years of the Missouri Conservation Commission”

In this second article of a two-part series, Quinta Scott examines the impact of Aldo Leopold on the formation of the Missouri Conservation Commission and his role in shaping Missouri’s views on the landscape

So Much to Learn: Dye Tracing the Current River Landscape, Part III

In this third installment of her work on the Current River, Quinta Scott looks at environmental change in the iconic Missouri Waterwa

“The Missouri Conservation Commision: Part I: The Need For It and the Constitutional Amendment That Established It”

In this first of two lavishly illustrated articles, Quinta Scott traces the evolution of thinking in Missouri that led to the creation of the state Conservation Commission and the influence of Aldo Leopold and Nash Buckingham

“The American Bottom: The Bar, between the Levees and the River”

This third installment of Quinta Scott’s work examining the Mississippi River environment looks at those narrow, man-made spaces between levees and the river, and the life within

“Above the American Bottom: The Bluffs and the Sinkhole Plain”

In this photo essay, Quinta Scott examines the natural history of the Mississippi River wetland and the varied landscapes that comprise the American Bottom

“American Bottom: The Floodplain between the Bluffs and the Levee”

The bottomland bluffs between the bluffs and levees along the Mississippi have been farmland for centuries. In this second of three photo essays, Quinta Scott documents the manmade environments on the floodplains