Analysis; and others). Dr. Zurqani is a member of the Editorial Board for
Remote Sensing (MDPI) Journal, counseling outcome and research evaluation. He also was appointed to serve as a Guest Editor for the Special Issue
``Applications of Remote Sensing in Earth Observation and
Geo-Information Science' '. In addition, Dr. Zurqani conducted peer-review
for many journals including Journal of Environmental Informatics, Applied
Sciences, SN Applied Sciences, Remote Sensing, Heliyon, Geosciences,
Land, Water, Agronomy, Agriculture, Sustainability, Arid Land Research
and Management, International Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, Natural Hazards, and Conference of the Arabian Journal of
Geosciences. He is also one of the authors of the lab manual entitled, “GIS
Exercises for Natural Resource Management”. Dr. Zurqani has been the
recipient of numerous awards and honors: Recipient of Douglas R. Phillips
Award for Graduate Students, Department of Forestry and Environmental
Conservation, Clemson University, April 12, 2019; the First Place Best
Judged Poster (CAFLS) at the GRADS 2019: Clemson Student Research
Forum on April 4, 2019; the Second Place Poster at the 11th Clemson
Biological Sciences Annual Student Symposium, April 6, 2019; the Second
Place Best Judged Poster at the Clemson Student Research Forum on April
4, 2018; and the Third Place Poster at the 9th Clemson Biological Sciences
Annual Student Symposium, February 25, 2017. Dr. Zurqani conducts
cutting-edge research in the field of environmental information science,
remote sensing, land use management/planning, change detection of landscape degradation, and geographic information system (GIS) models. He
has focused on his research efforts on the development of new technologies
in the field of environmental information sciences, geo-intelligence (advanced geo-information science and earth observation, machine and deep
learning, and big data analytics), remote sensing, land evaluation, pedology,
land use management/ planning, monitoring and evaluating sustainable land
management, change detection of landscape degradation, and geographic
information system models.
Dr. Khaled R. Ben Mahmoud is a senior professor of soil pedology. He is
a distinguished soil scientist with wide range of scientific and working
experiences in Libya and abroad. He received his Ph.D. in 1977 from
Colorado State University (USA). His major teaching activities and research
are at the Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Tripoli, Libya. He has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students
in Libya and has supervised many M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis and dissertation in
Libya and abroad. He focused mainly on soil resources, land evaluation, and
mapping. He contributes to soil science in Libya and abroad as the Head of
the Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1978–1983), Dean of the Faculty of
Agriculture, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1983–1986), Chairman of
the Committee for Libyan Agricultural Mapping, Tripoli, Libya (1988–
1990). A Research Coordinator, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1997–
2001), Member of the Scientific Council of Agricultural Research Center
(ARC), Tripoli, Libya (2000–2002), Member of the Scientific Council of the
College of Higher Studies at the University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (2000–
2002), Member of the Scientific Committee of Libya Centre for Remote
Sensing and Space Sciences, Tripoli, Libya (1998–2006), A National
Coordinator of the Project implemented by FAO: Mapping of Natural
Resources for Agricultural Use and Planning Tripoli, Libya (2000–2006), A
General Coordinator of the National Programme for the Development of
Vegetation Cover, Tripoli, Libya (2004–2006). Director of the Division of
Land and Water Uses, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands
(ACSAD), The League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Head
of the Programme: Monitoring and Combating of Desertification in the Arab
World, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands (ACSAD), The
League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Director General of
Eddayra Co. (Agricultural and Environmental Consulting and Services),
Tripoli, Libya (2011–to date). Engaged as a local and international expert to
control, evaluate, approve, and accept of many soils studies and mapping
which have been implemented by different foreign and local companies,
agencies, and offices in different parts of Libya and abroad (1977–to date).
More than 100 country reports, research and scientific papers, and other
publications were published in different local and international scientific
journals and symposiums (in Arabic and English). He is the author of more
than 10 books that have been written in Arabic. The most important ones
are: Sandy soils of Libya (1981), The study of soils in the field (1984),
Principles of Soil Science for Agricultural Secondary and Technical Schools
(1985), Fundamentals of Soil Science and its Relation to Plant Growth
(1995), Libyan Soils (Their Genesis, Classification, Properties, and Agricultural Potentiality (1995), Fundamentals of Soil and water Science (2001),
Issues on Desertification and Land Degradation in the Arab Region (2010),
Towards a National Strategy for the Sustainability of Natural Resources and
Enhancing Food Security in Libya (2013), and The Libyan Desert (its
natural potentials and prospects for investment) in press. Finally, he was
appointed as a technical advisor to the President of the Libyan Presidential
Council for Agriculture, Tripoli, Libya (2018–to date).
2 The History of Soil Mapping and Research
31
Remote Sensing (MDPI) Journal, counseling outcome and research evaluation. He also was appointed to serve as a Guest Editor for the Special Issue
``Applications of Remote Sensing in Earth Observation and
Geo-Information Science' '. In addition, Dr. Zurqani conducted peer-review
for many journals including Journal of Environmental Informatics, Applied
Sciences, SN Applied Sciences, Remote Sensing, Heliyon, Geosciences,
Land, Water, Agronomy, Agriculture, Sustainability, Arid Land Research
and Management, International Journal of Environmental Research and
Public Health, Natural Hazards, and Conference of the Arabian Journal of
Geosciences. He is also one of the authors of the lab manual entitled, “GIS
Exercises for Natural Resource Management”. Dr. Zurqani has been the
recipient of numerous awards and honors: Recipient of Douglas R. Phillips
Award for Graduate Students, Department of Forestry and Environmental
Conservation, Clemson University, April 12, 2019; the First Place Best
Judged Poster (CAFLS) at the GRADS 2019: Clemson Student Research
Forum on April 4, 2019; the Second Place Poster at the 11th Clemson
Biological Sciences Annual Student Symposium, April 6, 2019; the Second
Place Best Judged Poster at the Clemson Student Research Forum on April
4, 2018; and the Third Place Poster at the 9th Clemson Biological Sciences
Annual Student Symposium, February 25, 2017. Dr. Zurqani conducts
cutting-edge research in the field of environmental information science,
remote sensing, land use management/planning, change detection of landscape degradation, and geographic information system (GIS) models. He
has focused on his research efforts on the development of new technologies
in the field of environmental information sciences, geo-intelligence (advanced geo-information science and earth observation, machine and deep
learning, and big data analytics), remote sensing, land evaluation, pedology,
land use management/ planning, monitoring and evaluating sustainable land
management, change detection of landscape degradation, and geographic
information system models.
Dr. Khaled R. Ben Mahmoud is a senior professor of soil pedology. He is
a distinguished soil scientist with wide range of scientific and working
experiences in Libya and abroad. He received his Ph.D. in 1977 from
Colorado State University (USA). His major teaching activities and research
are at the Department of Soil and Water, Faculty of Agriculture, University
of Tripoli, Libya. He has been teaching undergraduate and graduate students
in Libya and has supervised many M.Sc. and Ph.D. thesis and dissertation in
Libya and abroad. He focused mainly on soil resources, land evaluation, and
mapping. He contributes to soil science in Libya and abroad as the Head of
the Department of Soil and Water Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture,
University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1978–1983), Dean of the Faculty of
Agriculture, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1983–1986), Chairman of
the Committee for Libyan Agricultural Mapping, Tripoli, Libya (1988–
1990). A Research Coordinator, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (1997–
2001), Member of the Scientific Council of Agricultural Research Center
(ARC), Tripoli, Libya (2000–2002), Member of the Scientific Council of the
College of Higher Studies at the University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya (2000–
2002), Member of the Scientific Committee of Libya Centre for Remote
Sensing and Space Sciences, Tripoli, Libya (1998–2006), A National
Coordinator of the Project implemented by FAO: Mapping of Natural
Resources for Agricultural Use and Planning Tripoli, Libya (2000–2006), A
General Coordinator of the National Programme for the Development of
Vegetation Cover, Tripoli, Libya (2004–2006). Director of the Division of
Land and Water Uses, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands
(ACSAD), The League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Head
of the Programme: Monitoring and Combating of Desertification in the Arab
World, The Arab Centre of the Studies of Arid Zones Lands (ACSAD), The
League of Arab States, Damascus, Syria (2007–2011), Director General of
Eddayra Co. (Agricultural and Environmental Consulting and Services),
Tripoli, Libya (2011–to date). Engaged as a local and international expert to
control, evaluate, approve, and accept of many soils studies and mapping
which have been implemented by different foreign and local companies,
agencies, and offices in different parts of Libya and abroad (1977–to date).
More than 100 country reports, research and scientific papers, and other
publications were published in different local and international scientific
journals and symposiums (in Arabic and English). He is the author of more
than 10 books that have been written in Arabic. The most important ones
are: Sandy soils of Libya (1981), The study of soils in the field (1984),
Principles of Soil Science for Agricultural Secondary and Technical Schools
(1985), Fundamentals of Soil Science and its Relation to Plant Growth
(1995), Libyan Soils (Their Genesis, Classification, Properties, and Agricultural Potentiality (1995), Fundamentals of Soil and water Science (2001),
Issues on Desertification and Land Degradation in the Arab Region (2010),
Towards a National Strategy for the Sustainability of Natural Resources and
Enhancing Food Security in Libya (2013), and The Libyan Desert (its
natural potentials and prospects for investment) in press. Finally, he was
appointed as a technical advisor to the President of the Libyan Presidential
Council for Agriculture, Tripoli, Libya (2018–to date).
2 The History of Soil Mapping and Research
31