Heuristic Mapping of Frontier Processes

The value of analytical cartography and, in particular, of fuzzy set theory is demonstrated with regard to developing a specifiable and repeatable conceptual framework for multicriteria land evaluation. After a review of the distinguishing mathematical attributes of fuzzy set theory, including the derivation of the most useful functions, its application to the assessment of a 170,000-km area of western Paraguay is described. Fuzzy set theory and multicriteria evaluation are shown to provide a robust framework for planning so that real-world interactions of interest at the management scale of conservation units are explicitly recognized. The Appendix gives the syntax for the four-step application procedure in Idrisi32 using an 8% fraction of the total study area and three geographic themes representing a point, a line, and a polygon coverage.