Land Suitability Identification for a Production Forest through GIS Techniques Aim & Objectives The main aim of this study was to identify the suitable land parcels for a production forest within the premises of University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka. The objectives include studying of existing land use, topography, road network etc. in the study area, identification of suitability criteria for a production forest and compilation of the information in GIS for further analysis. Methodology The complete methodology includes identification of the spatial characteristics of the study area, conversion of information into digital form, suitability analysis within the GIS environment and presenting the outputs using a thematic map. The Study Area The University of Peradeniya is located in the Central province of Sri Lanka and is the largest residential university in the country. University is located in the foothills of Hantana mountain range and is spread over a considerable extent of land. A significant part of the university land is covered by plantation forests. A number of forestry related subjects are offered by the university hence, it was decided to identify the existing suitable land for a production forest with native species so that the students have accessibility to study the production forest environment. Figure 01 presents the existing land use condition of the area.  Figure 01: Land use of the study area |