ABSTRACT


MANUEL RODRIGUEZ ZAPATA
 
lt is presented an analysis on Land Use Capability of Chileansoils. This analysis is based on the 8 classes of Lancdf Use Capabilitydetermined by the US. DA. Soiland water Conservation Service. In orderto classify the Chilean soils under these systems, the country waspreviously divided into eight Natural Regions based on physiographiccharacteristics. Thece eight Regions were subdivicled into 20 sub-classesconsidering the interaction of climate, soils, topography, vegetation,water, !atitude and altitude.An analysis was made als oon the problems involved in the actualuse of the soils and land which were classified under the Land UseCapability Classes. Land management recommendations are consideredtaking into account the use that the soils have had. There werepresented two maps, one showing the Natural Regions, the other theLancl Use Capability of Chile, which covers 750.000 Km2 at a scale of1: 1.000.000. Finally, it was obtainecl a summary of the figures obtainedfor each class of Land Use Capability and compare with the ones ofthe last Agricultura! Census of 1955.It was recommencled to create a National Board for the purposeof promoting Coorclinatec research to obtain an Inventory of the NaturalRenewable Resources of the country. This will permit to coordinate theinvestigations carriecl out by differents Institutes clealing with soils,grasses, forests, water, climate, natural vegetation and animal resources.
Keywords:
Ingeniero Agrónomo. Director del Departamento de Conservación y Administración de Recursos Agricolas y Forestales.