A GIS – BASED METHODOLOGY FOR LAND SUITABILITY EVALUATION IN VENETO (NE ITALY)

Since almost ten years, the Soil Science Research Group in Venice is carrying out studies on the characterization of soils in the Veneto region and their suitability for specific uses. Several areas have been investigated with the aim to select the best land use for a sustainable environment. The scenarios taken into consideration range from the Alpine and pre – Alpine region to the alluvial plain. Attention has been focused especially to land suitability for forestry, typical and niche crops, pasture and vineyard. The land evaluation procedure has been applied by a GIS – based methodology. Today, the GIS techniques are essential for the success of a correct and fast work, concerning the interpretation and processing of soil data and its display in form of map. Integrating information with crop and soil requirements, by means of "matching tables", it was possible to edit and manage land suitability maps for specific purposes. The applied methodology proved a useful and effective tool for sustainable land management.