Sustainable land use in Moldova: GIS & remote sensing of forests and crops

Aleksandar Valjarević, Cezar Morar, Ljiljana Brasanac-Bosanac, Tatjana Cirkovic-Mitrovic, Tatjana Djekic, Marija Mihajlović, Ivica Milevski, Golub Culafic, Milan Luković, Liudmyla Niemets, Kateryna Sehida and Gordana Kaplan

Land Use Policy, 2025, vol. 152, issue C

Abstract: Forests and agricultural lands are critical components of the environment, influencing ecosystem stability, biodiversity, and land productivity. In the Republic of Moldova, a country with limited forest cover (11.4 % of its territory), the relationship between forested areas and cultivated land plays a key role in sustainable land management. This study examines the spatial interactions between forest land and two major agricultural crops—sunflower (Helianthus annuus) and grapes (Vitis vinifera) - using remote sensing and GIS techniques. By integrating Google Earth Engine (GEE), CORINE Land Cover data, and cadastral records, we analyze land cover changes from 1996 to 2018, identifying vulnerable areas where deforestation and agricultural expansion intersect. Additionally, fuzzy aggregate AHP and zonal statistical methods are applied to assess land suitability for crop cultivation and reforestation. Our findings highlight regions where sustainable land management policies should be prioritized to balance agricultural development with forest conservation. The study provides actionable insights for policymakers, emphasizing the need for adaptive land-use strategies that account for climate variability, urban expansion, and rural land degradation.

Keywords: Forest land; GIS; Sustainable Land Use; Moldova; Google Earth Engine; CORINE; Crops Suitability; Climate extremes (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837725000481
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:lauspo:v:152:y:2025:i:c:s0264837725000481

DOI: 10.1016/j.landusepol.2025.107515

Access Statistics for this article

Land Use Policy is currently edited by Jaap Zevenbergen

More articles in Land Use Policy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Joice Jiang ().