GIS-based land suitability mapping for agroforestry development in Gunung Mas, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Abstract. Hadiyan Y, Bhermana A, Susanto M, Fithor A. 2026. GIS-based land suitability mapping for agroforestry development in Gunung Mas, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Asian J For 10 (1): r100109. https://doi.org/10.13057/asianjfor/r100109. The expansion of agricultural land to support food security in Indonesia often leads to forest conversion, resulting in deforestation and land degradation. This study proposes agroforestry as a sustainable land-use alternative that integrates food crops with tree-based systems within forested landscapes. We developed a spatial planning framework to identify and allocate suitable agroforestry areas in Gunung Mas District, Central Kalimantan, Indonesia, using land resource assessments and GIS-based analysis. Slope classes were derived from a 30-m digital elevation model and integrated with land unit data to support planning at a 1:50,000 scale. Land suitability was then determined by matching specific land characteristics with crop growth requirements. The results show that agroforestry is primarily feasible on sloping lands within the 8-14% and 15-24% classes, covering a total of 202,874 hectares, or 18.71% of the district. Unlike monoculture systems, these areas were identified based on their capacity to maintain forest cover while remaining productive for food crops. These findings provide geospatial evidence to support location-specific land-use planning and policy-making. By utilizing this data, local authorities can better manage sustainable landscapes, ensuring that agricultural development does not come at the expense of forest conservation in Central Kalimantan.