International Symposium on
Drylands Ecology and Human Security

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Calibration of Indices (Soil Properties) of the Soil Parameter
in the Iranian Model of Desertification Potential Assessment (IMDPA):
A Case Study, Northern Hableh Rood, Iran

M. Jafari 1, M. A. Zare Chahouki, H. R. Abbasi

1 Faculty of Natural Resources, Tehran University, Karaj, Iran
Phone: +98-261-2223044, Fax: +98-261-2227765
e-mail: jafary@ut.ac.ir


Abstract

One of the parameters in the Iranian Model of Desertification Potential Assessment (IMDPA) is soil.  Given the importance of soil in land degradation, few soil indices (properties) were determined in order to evaluate desertification potential of arid, semi arid, and arid sub-humid areas of Iran. The properties included soil texture, deep gravity percentage, soil depth, and EC. These properties were used to calibrate the soil parameter of the IMDPA, in Northern Hableh Rood region, which represents semi arid and arid sub-humid regions. First stage included the preparation of work map units of the study area based on slope, land use, and geology.  Values of soil indices were recorded for different work map units. The final score of soil parameter (IS) for the study area was determined based on IMDPA using the formula, IS=  
Desertification potential classes were low, moderate, high and very high. The map showed that 34.5% and 65.5% of the study area would be considered as having a medium and high desertification intensity class, respectively. Based on the vegetation parameter there were no low and very high intensity class.

Keywords: IMDPA, soil, desertification, Hableh Rood, Iran