Methodology for assessment of area and properties of farmlands suitable for establishment of shelter belts

The aim of the study is to develop a methodology for assessment of the area and properties of buffer zones around drainage ditches and areas surrounding protective belts around natural streams, for transformation into “biomass factories”. In Latvia and neighboring countries, these buffer zones have significant biofuel production, as well as climate change mitigation and nutrient retention potential. A GIS based algorithm using various data sources to obtain information about conditions and land use in buffer zones has been created. Spatial data about drainage diches and surrounding areas are obtained from the Latvian Rural Support Service, Corine land cover, State Forest Service and Latvian Geospatial Information Agency. In this study 15-meter buffers are defined for soil scarification, planting, tending, harvesting and biomass production for energy and other appliances. Using the methodology elaborated within this study, 706797 features of buffer polygons (buffer sides) were identified, each labelled with a unique number. Each polygon is labelled with a number that determines from which ditch line the buffer is derived. Total area of the generated buffers – 167532 ha. The data obtained can make a significant contribution to assessing the potential of buffer zones suitable for establishment of shelter belts.