The Study of Factors Affecting Desertification Zoning Vulnerable Areas and Provide Effective Solutions to Mitigate Desertification in the Region Khomein

Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

The objectives of this study were to investigate and to zoning desertification in a semi-arid region, khomein city using MEDALUS model. In first the study area was divided into four homogeneous land unites based on geomorphological facies. Then, based on input data in MEDALUS model, effective indicators in desertification including climate, vegetation, soil, erosion, groundwater resources and land management were selected. Then, the indices were weighted and the geometic mean was calculated and the map of each criteria was provided. The final map of desertification was prepared based on combination of all maps of each indicator.
The results showed that 4.15%, 12.8%, 19.52%, 11.37%, 11.1%, 26.33%, and 14.7% of the study area are in vulnerable, low-intensity fragile, moderate intensity fragile, high intensity fragile, low-intensity critical, , moderate intensity critical, high intensity critical types, respectively.
Also, investigation of desertification, relate to land use and land units exhibited that bared land and 1 and 2 land units, that has the most percent of critical type of desertification, is more capable to desertification comparing to other land use type

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