Applying the integrated model of GIS and AHP for evaluating ecological suitability of Ming aralia (Polyscias fruticosa): a case study of Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province, Vietnam

The Hai Hau district, located in the southeast region of the Nam Dinh province, belongs to the Red river delta where residents mainly rely on agriculture, fisheries, and handicrafts as their livelihood. In recent years, many households have switched from growing rice to Ming aralia (Polyscias fruticosa), a tropical medicinal plant with high economic value. On the basis of analysing the influence of bioclimatological and soil conditions in Hai Hau district, Nam Dinh province on the growth and development of cloves through the integrated Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) - Geographic Information System (GIS) model, this study has divided the adaptive thresholds for each climate factor with corresponding weighted values to evaluate the ecological adaptability of Ming aralia to the criteria’s in Hai Hau district. The research results show that the Hai Hau district has 25.3% of highly suitable area (S1), 33.8% of moderately suitable area (S2), 23.3% of marginally suitable area (S3), and 17.6% of not suitable area (N) for Ming aralia development. The suitable area for cultivation of Ming aralia with high economic efficiency is about 13,522.37 ha, or 59.1% of the total area, located in the northern communes of the district. This finding is a scientific basis for planning, planting, and exploitation of Ming aralia to improve sustainable livelihoods and promote local socioeconomics.