Investigation of the relationship between landform classes and electrical conductivity (EC) of water and soil using a fuzzy model in a GIS environment

Abstract. Soil genesis is highly dependent on landforms as they control the erosional processes and the soil physical and chemical properties. The relationship between landform classification and electrical conductivity (EC) of soil and water in the northern part of Meharloo watershed, Fars province, Iran, was investigated using a combination of a geographical information system (GIS) and a fuzzy model. The results of the fuzzy method for water EC showed 36.6 % of the land to be moderately land suitable for agriculture; high, 31.69 %; and very high, 31.65 %. In comparison, the results of the fuzzy method for soil EC showed 24.31 % of the land to be as not suitable for agriculture (low class); moderate, 11.78 %; high, 25.74 %; and very high, 38.16 %. In total, the land suitable for agriculture with low EC is located in the north and northeast of the study area. The relationship between landform and EC shows that EC of water is high for the valley classes, while the EC of soil is high in the upland drainage class. In addition, the lowest EC levels for soil and water are in the plains class.