Descriptions serve two purposes:
The basis for determination the requirements of a use;
The management specifications can be used.
The land use types will be based on the promising improvements identified in Step 4.
Selection of land qualities and land characteristics
Land use requirements are described by the land qualities
needed for sustained production.
Land quality is a complex attribute of land that has a direct effect on land use.
Land characteristics or land properties are measurable attributes of the land.
Critical values of the quality must occur in the planning area.
Mapping of land units and their characteristics
The national level, reconnaissance surveys at scales of about 1:250,000.
District level planning will need at least semi detailed surveys at a scale of about 1:50,000.
Setting limiting values for land use requirements
Limiting values are the values of a land quality or land characteristic that determine the class limits of land suitability for a certain use.
The land should be able to support the land use on a sustain basis.
The use should yield benefits that justify the inputs.
Matching land use with land
Compare the requirements of each land use type with the land qualities of each land unit.
Check measured values of each land quality or characteristic against the class limits.
Allocate each land unit to its land suitability class according to the most severe limitation.
A further possibility is the introduction of land improvements.
Qualitative and quantitative land evaluation
Qualitative land evaluations.
Identifying the critical importance of certain areas for important land uses such as for an export crop.
Quantitative economic evaluations.
Require estimates of crop yields, rates of tree growth, or other measures of performance.
Land suitability classification
Suitability is indicated separately for each land use type, showing whether the land is suitable or not suitable,including:
Where appropriate;
Degrees of suitability (Table 5 and 6).
Land suitability classification
The outputs from Step 5 are:
Land suitability maps, showing the suitability of each land unit for each land use type (Fig. 9);
Descriptions of these land use types.
The descriptions of land use types are given in a degree of detail appropriate to the level of planning.
At the national level, only outline descriptions of major kinds of land use may be needed. At district and local levels, land use type descriptions should specify the management.
Planning for research
Shown up information deficiencies:
Outside the land use plan; Within the land use plan.
Describe land use types in sufficient detail for subsequent analysis.
Select land qualities and land characteristics to be used in comparisons of land use requirements with land.
Map the land units and determine their relevant land characteristics and qualities.
Set limiting values to land use requirements, to be used for determining class limits for land
suitability. Take into account sustainability and the ratio of benefits to inputs.
Match land use with land:
- compare land use requirements with land qualities or characteristics to determine provisional land suitability classes;
- consider modifications to land use types, in order that they become better suited to the land;
- consider land improvements that could make the land better suited to the land use.
Map land suitability for each land use type.
Plan for research needed: additional surveys, research by outside agencies or within the land use plan.