Affiliation:
1. Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Castelo Branco, Portugal
2. VALORIZA – Research Centre for Endogenous Resource Valorization, Polytechnic Institute of Portalegre, Portugal
Abstract
The objective of this study is to determine the suitability for the cultivation of emerging fruit crops in the Beira Baixa region. The suitability was examined for the present time and in the face of two future emission scenarios (RCP 4.5 and 8.5). For this purpose, the biophysical criteria determining the cultivation of pistachio tree and almond tree were processed using a G. The analysis was performed by the AHP. After dividing the problem into hierarchical levels of decision making, a pairwise comparison of criteria was performed to evaluate the weights of these criteria, based on a scale of importance. In the present conditions, about 16.4% of the study area is classified as highly suitable for almond tree and 15.9% to pistachio tree. For the future scenarios, the area with high suitability will increase both for almond tree and pistachio tree. The AHP was adequate in the evaluation of the emerging fruit tree species suitability, since it allowed the integration of the several criteria studied, being a useful tool, which allows the decision making and the resolution of problems.