Methodology for improving the agricultural suitability of land for the sustainable development of a territory

Abstract

The concept of long-term socio-economic development of the Russian Federation predetermines the sustainable development of rural areas, as well as an increase in the standard of living among the rural population. These processes can be optimized within the framework of a competent urban planning policy by a geographic information system. Geoinformation systems ensure the sustainable development of a territory by using simulation tools to plan a set of environmental measures, as well as the measures to improve the agricultural suitability of lands. The article describes the data integration process towards the comprehensive assessment of the territory of the Rostov region, describes the research methodology, and identifies the key factors that are behind the indicators of agricultural suitability of land. The authors present the preparatory stage, or data collection for a simulation model. The justification of development planning solutions for rural areas is provided as a detailed classification of lands and anthropogenic factors that affect the stability of the entire landscape system of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. The method of an objective function and the use of the priority matrix is used to calculate the agricultural suitability of the territory. A set of environmental measures has been developed on the basis of the levels and types of damage and pollution of the territory of a constituent entity of the Russian Federation. The proposed set of measures is standard, although it includes an assessment of their effectiveness. The result of the study is presented in the form of the maps of the Rostov region, demonstrating the agricultural suitability of the territory for the crop production before and after the corrective measures. The conclusion discusses the prospects for the application of the simulation model, its versatility and advantages.