ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY MAPS FOR DESERTIFICATION AND LAND DEGRADATION USING MEDALUS MODEL AND LANDSAT IMAGE IN SALAHALDIN AND ERBIL GOVERNORATES, IRAQ

Authors

  • Ruaa Kais Mahmoud College of Agriculture, University Tikrit
  • Ayad Abdullah Khalaf College of Agriculture, University of Tikrit

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36103/zjnehb71

Keywords:

vegetation quality index, soil quality index, climate quality index

Abstract

This paper aims to assess the extent of the impact of environmental sensitivity to desertification and land degradation using remote sensing data in the governorates of Salah al-Din and Erbil/Iraq. Thirty soil samples were collected from both sites to assess changes in soil properties and land uses, as well as factors of desertification and degradation such as texture, salinity, erosion, gypsum, and vegetation cover. The sites were identified using GPS. Physical (soil texture) and chemical (CaCO3, CaSO4·2H2O, OM, EC, and pH) properties were estimated. A Landsat image was acquired in April, and the NDVI index and spatial maps were calculated using ERDAS 15 and GIS 10.2. The results showed variations in soil properties such as sand, clay, gypsum, calcium carbonate, and organic matter, reflected in the soil quality index. In Salah al-Din, the soil type was categorized into two types: poor (76%) and moderate (32%). In Erbil, the soil type was categorized as high (1.65%), moderate (97%), and poor (0.5%). The vegetation quality index showed that 73% of the vegetation cover was of average quality. (26)% were of poor quality, while the Erbil site included the moderate quality variety. The results also showed spatial variation in the NDVI index, which ranged from moderate to very high in the Salah al-Din site, while it was moderate to mild in the Erbil site.

Received: 16/1/2025

Accepted: 11/3/2025

Published: 31/8/2026

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Published

2026-08-31

Issue

Vol. 57 No. 8 (2026)

Section

Articles

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Copyright (c) 2026 Ruaa Kais Mahmoud , Ayad Abdullah Khalaf

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

Mahmoud , R., & Khalaf, A. (2026). ENVIRONMENTAL SENSITIVITY MAPS FOR DESERTIFICATION AND LAND DEGRADATION USING MEDALUS MODEL AND LANDSAT IMAGE IN SALAHALDIN AND ERBIL GOVERNORATES, IRAQ. IRAQI JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES, 57(8), 2195-2208. https://doi.org/10.36103/zjnehb71