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).
6 Land Cover, Land Use, and Vegetation Distribution
89
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).
6 Land Cover, Land Use, and Vegetation Distribution
89