Determination of Demirci district optimal land use using geographical information systems and analytical hierarchy process

The pressure on natural resources is increasing due to population growth and the resulting increasing human needs. One of the resource affected by this pressure is the land we live on. This increasing pressure on the lands causes over time and misuse of the lands. Towards the end of the 19th century, the term sustainability emerged to reclaim land that was misused. In line with the term sustainability, studies are carried out to prevent wrong land use and to determine the most appropriate use of the land. In this thesis, the suitable land use of Demirci county, which has not been studied before, was determined. Analytical hierarchy process and Weighted Overlay methods, one of the multi-criteria decision making methods, were used in the study. First of all, 11 factors affecting land use were determined. Determined factors were created with the analytical hierarchy process and the importance scores were determined for each land use type by creating binary matrices. Then, digitization was performed for 11 factors in Arcgis program and maps were prepared. The maps prepared were put into weighted overlap by using the weight points determined in the analytical hierarchy process, and suitable land use patterns were determined. In the last part of the study, taking into account the social and economic characteristics of the district, land use patterns were weighted again with the analytical hierarchy method and as a result, the appropriate (optimal) land use map of the district was created. When the suitable land use map obtained as a result of the study and the existing land use map are compared, it is seen that suitable areas for agriculture are also used as agricultural land in the current use. The rangelands in the district where livestock activities are carried out are very limited. As a result of the analysis, when looking at the areas suitable for pasture, it is seen that these areas are currently used as agricultural land and forest area. When we look at the suitable forest areas as a result of the analysis, the southern slopes of Simav-Demirci Mountains and Asi Tepe and its surroundings were determined as suitable areas. Considering that the most important economic activity of the district is agriculture and animal husbandry, the scarcity of agricultural areas has led to the fact that these areas are used more efficiently. Another disadvantage is that pasture areas, which are important for animal husbandry activities, are used as forests. Another problem in the district is the opening of fields suitable for forest and pasture to agriculture. These fields, which are opened to agriculture, become inefficient over time. The activities of opening the forest and pasture areas to agriculture in the district should be stopped, instead, intensive farming methods should be determined in areas suitable for agriculture and production should be increased.