The spatial reality of olive tree cultivation in Sabratha area and the development of its dynamics during the period from 1990 to 2021

Abstract

The study addressed the spatial reality of the areas planted with olive trees in Sabratha area due to the revenues they achieve to the local economy which is a basic goal for development, or achieving self-sufficiency.  The study aims to determine the area planted with olive trees, and to show the factors affecting it from 1990 to 2021, then analyze the trend of change in these areas using remote sensing and geographic information systems techniques by analyzing the values ​​of the NDVI vegetation index, through which the change in these areas and their proportions can be studied over a different period of time. The data were obtained from satellite images of the Landsat TM satellite with a spatial accuracy of up to 60 meters for the year 1990, and 30 meters for the years 2000, 2010 and 2021. The study employed the historical approach by tracking the temporal change that occurred in agricultural areas, in addition to the descriptive analytical approach to analyze digital maps to clarify the geographical distribution of this phenomenon and highlight the most important factors that led to the increase, decrease and recession of these areas. The study’s findings revealed that the area of ​​land planted with olive trees witnessed a decrease of about 5% of the total area, while the percentage of barren lands in the southern parts increased to reach 91% of the total area. The study recommends supporting the agricultural sector to expand the cultivation of olive trees using modern methods.