Utilizing soil quality index to assess soil susceptibility to desertification in the eastern Tigris area (al-Fatha-Udaim) /Iraq.

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine how vulnerable the land was to desertification along the eastern Tigris River by analyzing eight parameters directly connected to soil health. the study area is a part of the Salah Addin governorate and spans 5592.43 km2. The morphology of the study region was assessed using a soil quality index and maps generated using the ArcGIS v.10.5 software as well as Landsat image OLI from USGS combined with laboratory results and the MEDALUS model for evaluating soil quality indicators. The research concluded two distinct types of locations within the study region. About 43.78 %, with area equal to 2448.64 km2, falls under the first group, which is not particularly vulnerable to desertification. While the second group accounts for 56.22 % of the study area and encompasses 3143.79 km2, they are only somewhat vulnerable to desertification.