Characterization of Agro-ecological Zones in West Lombok Using Automated Land Evaluation System and Geographic Information System

THESIS
CHARACTERIZATION OF AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES
IN WEST LOMBOK USING AUTOMATED LAND EVALUATION
SYSTEM AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM

1 NYOMAN SADIA

997341MIT

GRADUATE PROGRAM
BOGOR AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
2001

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THESIS

CHARACTERIZATION OF AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONES
IN WEST LOMBOK USING AUTOMATED LAND EVALUATION
SYSTEM AND GEOGRAPHIC INFOIRMATION SYSTEM

A Thesis
Submitted to
Graduate Program of Bogor Agricultural University, Indonesia
In fulfill the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in
Information Technology for Natural Resources Management

GRADUATE PROGRAM
BOGOR AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITY
2001

Research Title

: Characterization of Agro-ecological Zones

in West Lombok Using Automated Land Evaluation
System and Geographic Information System

Student Name

: I Nyoman Sadia

Student ID

: 997341MIT

Study Program

: Master of Science in Information Technology
for Natural Resources Management

Thesis approved by the Advisory Board:

Dr. Ir. Asep Saefuddin, M.Sc+
Supervisor

Dr. Ir. Setyo Pertiwi, M.Agr.
Co-supervisor

Chairman of Study Program,

32Dr. Ir. Handoko, M.Sc
Date: August 07,2001
...
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
In the name of God, Most Gracious, Most Merciful, this study was started, realized,
and ended with the fully blessings of God. Because of this, there were support and
contributions from so many people for whom I have the pleasure of expressing my
appreciation artd gratitude.
I sincerely thank Professor Dr.dr. Mulyanto, the Rector of Mataram University and
Dr. Ir. Mansur Ma'sum, Vice Rector I and Ir. Samiadi, SU, Dean of Faculty
Animal Husbandry who gave me permission to undertake this study. I would like
to acknowledge the financial support provided by LPIU UNRAM ADB LoanDIKTI, which has made this study available.
1 would like to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude to Dr. Ir. Handoko,
M.Sc, the Director of MIT Study Program and MIT Staff for giving me the

opportunity to join this course.

I am grateful to Dr. Ir. Asep Saefuddin, M.Sc, my supervisor; for leading the study,
for his keen constructive comments, his assistance through critical review for
successive drafts chapter by chapter.

I am greatly indebted to Dr. Ir. Setyo Pertiwi, M.Agr, my co supervisor; for her
scientific expertice, guidance, assistance, generous support of knowledge,
experience, and literatures, constructive comments, attention and positive attitude. I
am deeply grateful to her.

I would also like to thank Mr. Marwan Hendrisman, SP.1, my personal supervisor
from Puslitbangtanak, for providing generous support of soil and land evaluation
knowledge, literatures, constructive comments, for his guidance on the
methodology on Agro-ecological zoning, for leaning process of various computer
progradSoftware, (i.e. developing Automated Land Evaluation System or ALES,
NSM, Expert System, Cropwat), and also for giving support for aH data. I am
gratefbl to him.
1 am deeply indebted to Dr. Agus Kristyono, my external examiner for his
constructive command, criticisms, and suggestions to improve my Thesis.

I am also grateful to Dr. Hasil Sembiring, Director of IPPTP Mataram, and my
thanks to Ir. I Made Wisnu Wiyasa, implement chair of AEZ Project in IPP'TP, for
their encouragement and suggestions, and for supporting data.

I would also to thank Dr. Imelda C. Stuckle (Deputy of Director for Program and
Marketing of BIOTROP) and Orna P. Sahertian Bakhoven for editing the English
structure and grammar of my Thesis.

My thanks are also extended to It. G.H.Anto and M.Helmi S.Si (PT.Waindo
SpecTerra) for giving me Landsat Image of West Lombok. My thank is also
addressed to Pak Adi Priyono as GIs staff in Puslitbangtanak, for his help on GIs
technique and procedure, as well as his generous discussion.

I wish to thank my friend Drh. Adji Santoso Dradjat, B.Sc.Vet.Mphil.,Ph.D and Ir.
Budi Indarsih, M.Agr.Sc., lecture staff in Faculty of Animal Husbandry-Mataram
University for their sincere help and support my study.
Also my thanks to Ir. Achmad Maududie, MS.c, Mr. Mulyadi, Agung Budi
Cahyono, Sujatna Budi Wibowo, Idung Risdiyanto, Halili, Jamnton
Boonyanuphap, Thin Kaing, Miss Dewi Yusup, and Miss Farni Kastanya my

fiends who made me stay in the class, laboratory, and dormitory very friendly and
memorable.

I want to thank all persons who may not have been mentioned one by one, as well
as to all others who contributed in the conduct of this study, 1 am most deeply
indebted, hopefully God may bless your kindness.
Finally. my special gratitude is also extended to my lovely wife Ni Luh Sadri, SE,
my daughter Putu Jesse Nirmala Gayatri, my son Ade Sathya Sanathana Ishwara,
my mom, brothers, and sister for their prayers, understanding, moral support,
patience, encouragement, and everything during this study.

SUMMARY
Development Planning of agriculture need the land resources that suitable
to its agro-ecology, therefore, it is necessary to arrange an agro-ecological zone of

scale 1:50,000 to h o w the directive and suitable cornmcdities of area

continuously.
In agricultuml development, details support of information on
environmental condition and land resources are needed, particularly information

relating climate, land, hydrology and other living things. which influencing

agriculture and livestock production have to be considered.
Principally, the optimal use of agricultural resources is to provide open
opportunity to develop the concepts of competitive advantage without ignoring two

important principles: agro-ecology and regional principles. Agro-ecological

approach i s a series activity of regional resources evaluation, which considering the
biophysical, social-economic and cultural aspect. AEZ is mainly defined by varies
factors such as slope (contour map), climate (soil temperature regime and soil

moisture regime), landuse type, and management. Addition factors AEZs are

landform (physiography), land characteristic (soil sources and texture, acidity (pH),
drainage, sulfidic material), vegetation, social, economic and cultural factors.
The land condition include climate, lithology soil and terrain of Lombok
Island, especially in West Lombok is various, and its influence to the potential for
agriculture and its management. ?herefore, to support the optimal and sustainable

agriculture development planning, it is interested to realize the research and
analyze the physical characteristic of agro-ecological zone in West Lombok using

ALES for land suitability evaluation and G1S technology. Input data and
information of biophysical (quantitative) land are used. To do this analysis, the
computation of quantitative land suitability based on physical parameters using

computerized land evaluation of ALES program version 4.65 d. While, for spatial
analysis and to visualize the result of land suitability (non spatial data) and the

agro-ecological zone to spatial condition, spatial approach or GIS technology is
used.

The objectives of this study are I) to organize data and information about
biophysical condition of the state into database system and certain kind of map to
provide integrated and sufficient information about environmental condition in

certain area (districtlsub district), this stored as ALES database (non spatial

database) and as GIs database (spatial database); 2) to analyze the suitability of

certain important commodities of agriculture and livestock fodder to identify
certain commodities specific area, and 3) to make a map of certain land
characteristic and commdities based on agro-ecological zones on the scale of
1:50.000.

This research consists of three activities. Firstly is Deskwork to prepare
soil base map (soil polygon map) to determine the land units and collect the

physical land resources data, including climate, soil (physical, morphological, and
chemical properties), terrain and the other environmental data which is relevant for
physical land evaluation. For this research, data From semi detailed soil map of l : 5

0.000 scale is used. The choosing of land qualities and characteristics defined by

availability of data and its relevant. Secondary is Field verification for clarification
of physical land suitability class, which is resulted, from deskwork activity, and to

improve recent land resources data. Thirdly is Recompilation of physical land

suitability based from field verification data found.

The physical land suitability is divided into 4 class, i.e. S1 as highly
suitable (no or slight limitation to use); S2 as moderately suitable (moderate

limitation to use); S3 as marginally suitable (severe limitation to use); and N as

unsuitable (use is impossible). The accusation result of land suitability class using
ALES program depend on the selection of land use requirement, land
characteristics, and decision trees which is build from its characteristics for each
land utilization types.

The results of this study are: generally, by using ALES and G I s technology,
the characterization of agro-ecological zone, land suitability based on certain

commodities and its directive used can be well determined. Using systematic agro-

ecological approach, each land can be utilized effectively and efficiently. By

dividing and or grouping the land into polygon unit presented in agro-ecological

zone map, it will be easier for users to make decision.

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According to characterhation of agm-ecology, the West Lombok is divided
into 5 main zone and 32 sub-zones. Directives for land use in the West Lombok

Regency are: Zone I for forestry systems, Zone II for perennial cropstestate crops,

Zone I11 for a system of alley-cropping (i.e., perennial plants and seasonal crops in
the alleys), Zone IV for seasonal crops (cereals, vegetables, seasonal fn~its,
industrial plants, etc) and forage Crops; Zone VX for intensive of pond fisheries
(Fishpond) and forests at the border of the coast. According to evaluation of land

suitability using ALES, in Zone I, all seasonal and perennial are not .suitable class

(N),Zone II, some seasonal crops are S3 class and s o m e others are N class, annual
crops are S3 and 52 class, Zone 111, some seasonal and annual crops are 52 class,
some other are S3 class, and another crops are N class, Zone IV,some seasonal
crops are S l , S2, S3 and N class, annual crops on the greater part are S2 and S3
class, and h e VI, all agricultural commodities are N class. Operationalization of
AEZ and GIs, for planning and con~ollingof the agriculture development should

have a g o d future. When complemented by existing and other supporting

information technology like RS, GPS, Expert system, other IT, could aid
management decisions in agricultural development and productivity will be more
realistic and accurate.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
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vi
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENT .............................................................
SUMMARY ..............................................................................
TABLE OF CONTENTS..............................................................
LIST OF FIGURE ...........................
.
.........................................
LIST OF TABLE........................................................................
LIST OF APPENDIX ..................................................................
1 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................

1.1. Background.....................................................................

1.2. Problem formulation...........................................................
1.3. Objectives and Output.........................................................
1.3.1. Objectives ................................................................
1.3.2. Output.....................................................................

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2 LITERATURE

REVIEW ..............................................................................
2.1. Concept of Agro-Ecological Zones ..........................................
2.2. Zoning Method of Agro-Ecology .............................................
2.3. Component of Zones Agro-Ecological Zones ..............................
2.3.1. Climate ...................................................................
2.3.2. Physiographylrropography/Terrain.................................
2.3.3. Soil Resources...........................................................
2.3.4. Vegetation and Land use ...............................................
2.3.5. Social and Economic ...................................................
2.4. Agriculture systems and Alternative commodities........................
2.4.1. Sustainable agriculture system........................................
2.4.2. Alternative commodities and Plants suitability .....................
2.5. Automated Land Evaluation System (ALES) ..............................
2.6. Expert system for delineation of AEZs and Agricultural system
selectioning ..........................................................................
2.7. Geographic Information System (GIs) ......................................

3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ..................................................
3.1. Theoretical Framework ........................................................
3.2. Time and Study AreajResearch Site and Geographical Location ........
3.3. Data Types, Requirement, Sources and Data collection procedure ......
3.4. Equipment.......................................................................
3.5.ResearchProcedures ...........................................................
3.5.1. Preparation
. ................................................................
a. Prellrn~nrtrystudy ......................................................
b. Data collection and compilation.. ..................................
3.5.2. Data interpretations to determine the Agro-Ecological Zone ......

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a.Slope ...................................................................

b. Soil temperature regimens...........................................
c. Soil Moisture regimens...............................................
d.Climate data............................................................
e.Expert system analysis................................................
3.5.3. Digitizing. Attributing. and Details in map unit border ............
a. Digitizing and Attributing ...........................................
b. Details in map unit border...........................................
c . Overlay .................................................................

3.5.4. Land evaluation using ALES ..........................................
a. Ruildinglconstntcting an Evaluation Mode1 ......................

b. Evaluation using ALES ..............................................
3.5.5. Joining Link the results of ALES with GIs .........................

4 RESULT AND DISCUSSION ....................................................
4.1. Biophysical characteristics of the environment............................
a. Landuse system/Land cover ...............................................
b. Climate ........................................................................
c. Geology and Physiography and Relief ....................................
d. Soil .............................................................................
e. Land Potencies ...............................................................
4.2. Agro ecological zone, Sub-zone and Land characteristics
4.3. Land unite ........................................................................
4.4. Evaluation of Land suitability based on commodities in each AEZ .....
4.5. Utilization of AEZ and GI$ for Agricultural Development...............
5 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS................................
5.1. Conclusion.......................................................................
5.2. Recommendations..............................................................
REFERENCE ........................................................................
APENDlX