Analysis of Soil Quality Using Gis and Remote Sensing Approaches

Abstract

Soil health is a crucial factor that underpins ecosystem services, long-term agricultural productivity, and effective land management activities. However, soils face escalating challenges caused by degradation, like compaction, loss of nutrients, salinity, and unsustainable farming methods. Conventional laband field-based analyses provide accurate data; however, they are often constrained by scale and sampling frequency. To fill in these gaps, GIS and RS are used as tools for assessing soil quality. These tools enable investigators to combine different data sets, map spatial variability, and create soil quality indices (SQIs) that condense physical, chemical, and biological measurements into decision-relevant indicators. The added value of the system to facilitate site--specific remediation is illustrated by four case studies: in China, where weighted indices highlighted organic matter and cation exchange capacity; in India, land use planning was supported by GIS-based mapping -; in Turkey, yield and vegetation data were used to validate SQI maps -; while salinity and acidity are identified as key degradation factors relevant for Egypt. At the international level, the applications of GIS-RS are improving precision farming, yield estimation, and resource management.