LAND CAPABILITY STUDY AND MAP IN FUNCTION OF LAND PROTECTION, SPATIAL PLANNING AND AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONING

UDK 631.164(497.6) The main act to consider the value of land from the perspective of various sectors and their needs (urban planning, agriculture etc.) in the Federation of B&H is the Decree on unique methodology for preparation of the spatial planning documents (Official Gazette of the Federation of B&H, No. 63/04 and No. 50/07), which prescribes the obligation of making the Land capability study as a segment of spatial basis. Land capability study projects are being implemented by the Institute of Soil, Agro chemistry and Melioration (PAM) of the Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences University of Sarajevo. By using defined soil bonity categories, land capability study defines the natural potential of soils in terms of agricultural production and food production, and defines the zones for various land use types. From the rational land use point of view, it means adequate spatial planning, urban development and environmental protection. This paper aims to present the importance, characteristics as well as use of the Land capability study at the municipality level using municipalities of Tuzla Canton as example. Agricultural areas of on the territory of five municipalities in Tuzla Canton (Gradacac, Gracanica, Kalesija, Zivinice, Sapna) account for 44,356.1 ha or 42.6% of the total area. Represented in these areas are soil bonity categories that range from II to VII. The first four bonity categories that are determined exclusively as agricultural land account for 28,739.91 ha or 63.1% of the total area. Within this group, the most represented is the IVb category with 17,229.8 ha. The best quality bonity categories II and III account for 7,514.3 ha or 16.5% of the total area. Analysis of the orthophoto images has identified a significant dynamics of change in space in the period 2008-2012 in four municipalities (Gradacac, Kalesija, Zivinice, Gracanica). Analysis has established that artificial areas (developed) increased by 737 ha, agricultural areas without orchards decreased by 1,136.72 ha, while the areas under orchards increased by 283.13 ha. The largest expansion of developed areas and settlements was recorded within the bonity categories IVb (47% of the total change) and III (27%).