How can GIS and AHP assist in land assessment for the selected dendroflora? The evidence from Türkiye's Eskişehir province

This study aims to present a transferable model for land assessment using the example of Ziziphus jujuba (Z. jujuba) cultivation, which has high economic value and value-added product development potential. For this purpose, ten criteria that influence the cultivation of Z. jujuba were initially identified: major soil groups, soil depth, land capability class, land capability subclass, slope, aspect, temperature, precipitation, elevation, and erosion. Eski?ehir Province in Turkey, with its diverse terrain, climate conditions, and soil characteristics, has been selected as the study area. Within the scope of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), ten expert opinions were obtained, the weights of each criterion were calculated, and reclassification was carried out. Poorly drained or insufficiently drained areas, rocky and stony lands, bare rock-rubble areas and river floodplains found in the land capability subclass, urban centers and built-up areas, streams, dam and lake areas, and roads were considered as limiting factors and excluded from the suitability map. According to the weighted overlay analysis, land suitability for Z. jujuba cultivation in Eski?ehir Province was categorized as 4.8% highly suitable, 21.2% suitable, 1.7% moderately suitable, and 72.3% restricted. The practical contribution of this study is that it provides a transferable model for land assessment suitable for high-value-added crops, such as Z. jujuba. This model can contribute to rural development by guiding the planning and spatial allocation of commercially valuable agricultural products.