The evolution of agricultural land evaluation in Spain

In Spain in the seventies and early eighties, categoric and parametric methods for general land evaluation prevailed, but from the late eighties onwards the FAO land suitability classification is the most accepted one, despite the conceptual confusion and the inadequate use of land evaluation criteria. These facts lead to the current lack of a methodological frame suitable for the biophysical characteristics of the Spanish agricultural land. The application of the main international land evaluation systems in Spain has not yielded satisfactory results, nor have their adaptations to local environmental conditions. Thus we claim the need for specific land evaluation procedures adapted to our particular environmental characteristics, in order to provide useful information for land use planning. Soil maps from the National Plan of Environmental Cartography confirm that situation and include the Capability and Vulnerability indexes as novel methodological elements in the assessment of the soil as a natural resource.