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 sustained basis.
The use should yield benefits that justify the inputs.