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Resource suitability: Methods for analyses

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Abstract

There is a growing need to develop methods for analyzing resource suitability that are both legally defensible and accurate. Three approaches to suitability analysis are reviewed: the US Soil Conservation Service capability classification and important farmlands mapping; the McHarg, or Pennsylvania, suitability analysis method; and Dutch approaches to suitability analysis. Computer applications and the carrying-capacity concept are briefly reviewed. Three applications of suitability analysis are discussed: examples from Medford Township, New Jersey; Whitman County, Washington; and Abuja, the new federal capital city of Nigeria.

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  1. Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Washington State University, 99164-6414, Pullman, Washington

    Frederick Steiner

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Steiner, F. Resource suitability: Methods for analyses. Environmental Management 7, 401–420 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01867120

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