Integrating Multi-criteria Analysis and GIS for Land Condition Assessment: Part I – Evaluation and Restoration of Military Training Areas

This paper describes multiple criteria models that can be used to assess land condition in general, and military training areas in particular. Three measures of land condition are used, namely: 1) erosion status, which is estimated based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), 2) percent vegetative cover, and 3) range condition. In addition, the paper also describes site-specific thresholds that can be used to classify land condition after training. Thresholds can be set based on individual factors, or as a composite measure based on the cumulative impacts of all the factors. The multi-criteria methods are integrated or linked with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to make land condition assessment geographicallyspecific. Finally, a GIS-based land repair allocation model is developed that can be used to identify and prioritize critical areas in need of restoration. The methodologies are demonstrated in a case study involving the Fort Hood military training area located in Texas.