Land degradation is known as an important global problem due to its influence on the sustainability of agricultural productions. This problem became more serious in developing countries due to their increasing population pressures on land and the patterns of resource use. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of agricultural activities on soil properties and land degradation in Khatam City, Yazd province. Soil, elevation and land use maps were produced using ArcGIS9.3 and ENVI software. Four dominant land use classes in the study area were mono-culture irrigated land, multi-culture irrigated land, orchard lands and rangelands (control treatment). Soil samples were collected and their SAR, salinity and acidity in surface and sub-soil layers were measured. Evaluating the factors in a split plot design showed that there is significant differences between soil properties in various land uses.  Results indicated that mono-culture and multi-culture agriculture lands were less disturbed compared to the other land uses due to their appropriate management condition. The soil properties of rangeland were in poor condition and may cause desertification in future.

Keywords: Agriculture activities, Land degradation, Rangelands, Agricultural lands.

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