Assessment of soil quality of the southwestern region of Ezine district, (Çanakkale, NW-Türkiye)

Abstract

This study was conducted to determine the soil quality of the soils located in the SW part of Ezine District in Çanakkale, NW Türkiye, on a total area of 15,345 ha. In the assessment of soil quality, ten different parameters were evaluated. Soil depth, slope, texture, pH, electrical conductivity (EC), calcium carbonate (CaCO₃%), organic matter, nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K) parameters were considered. To determine the weights of characteristics, the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), a multi-criteria decision-making (MCDM) method, was employed. Based on the calculations and evaluations, it was determined that 23.01% of the soils in the SW part of the Ezine district have very high quality, 69.26% have high quality, 5.82% have moderate quality, 1.93% have low soil quality. The soil quality map produced with this study reveals that the very high and high-quality soils should be managed carefully to ensure agricultural sustainability, and that these favorable conditions should be preserved over time. In areas classified as moderate and low soil quality, appropriate conservation measures should be implemented to prevent further degradation and enhance soil conditions. Furthermore, it is recommended that the model proposed in this study be applied to other regions with similar climatic conditions.

Keywords

• Soil quality
• GIS
• Multi-criteria decision-making
• Sustainable agriculture

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