*3.1. Georreferenced Databases on ArcGIS*

An infrastructure of spatial data was developed in order to facilitate the exchange and the use of the information among all of the beneficiary agents, with visualization and consultation through the web.

Several maps were created corresponding to scenarios from the most restrictive to the most comprehensive for each species, being these related to the suitable areas for the implementation of the respectives crops, detailed below.

### 3.1.1. Suitable Areas/Soils to the Cardoon, Miscanthus and Paulownia Cultivation

• 1st Scenario

The map presents the smallest suitable area for cardoon, miscanthus and paulownia in mainland Portugal, since it corresponds to the more restrictive data selection, namely, conditions and characteristics of the less appropriate soil or more penalizing in the maps of "Ecological Soil Value", "Current Permeability", "Natural and semi-natural vegetation with conservation value" and "Soil susceptibility to desertification". The map of "Soil-morphological aptitude to irrigated agriculture" was applied only to cardoon and miscanthus and in the case of paulowinia, it utilized the data of "Soil-morphological aptitude to silviculture". All these maps represents in consequence, inadequate areas for the cultivation of agricultural species.

For the cardoon, miscanthus and paulownia, the parameters related to "Temperature", "Precipitation (total amount)", "Frost (number of days of the year)", "Land steepness" (to the miscanthus were not considered due to the low area that was obtained), "Soil texture", "Soil pH" and "Soil thickness" were obtained from several sources.

Concerning the data of the "COS 2010", "CLC 2012" and "COS 2015", the areas that have not been identified as artificialized territories, cultivated areas for agricultural and forestry species, wetlands and water bodies were selected, with the areas considered as marginal soils, due to their suitability for non-food crops, remaining of interest.

• 2nd Scenario

Cardoon: the same maps identified in the 1st Scenario were considered, being added only one more parameter in the following maps (in brackets the value added is specified): "Ecological Soil Value" [Variable (E.V 3)], "Current Permeability" (Moderate-Class 3), "Natural and semi-natural vegetation with conservation value" (Moderate), "Soil-morphological aptitude to irrigated agriculture" (Moderate-4.5%) and "Soil susceptibility to desertification" (2-Moderate), in order to guarantee a wider area compared to the area previously obtained in the 1st Scenario.

Miscanthus: the same maps identified in the 1st Scenario, but incorporating a few parameters in the following maps (in brackets the added valueis specified): "Ecological Soil Value" [Variable (E.V 3)], "Current Permeability" (Low to Moderate-Class 2 and Moderate-Class 3), "Natural and semi-natural vegetation with conservation value" (Moderate), "Soil-morphological aptitude to irrigated agriculture" (Moderate-4.5%) and "Soil susceptibility to desertification" (2-Moderate), to obtain a wider area than the 1st Scenario.

Paulownia: the same maps identified for the 1st Scenario were considered, adding only one more parameter in the following maps (in brackets is specified the added value): "Ecological Soil Value" [Variable (E.V 3)], "Current Permeability" (Moderate-Class 3), "Natural and semi-natural vegetation with conservation value" (Moderate), "Soil-morphological aptitude to silviculture" (Undi fferentiated silviculture-20.3%)] and "Soil susceptibility to desertification" (2-Moderate), in order to ensure a wider area when compared to that obtained for the 1st Scenario.

• 3rd Scenario

Cardoon: the same maps of the 2nd Scenario were considered, adding only a few values in the "Temperature" map (equal or superior to 0 ◦C), "Precipitation" (equal or superior to 400 mm/year), "Soil texture" [Coarse (more than 35% clay, or less 35% clay and less than 15% sand)] and "Soil pH" (4.5 to 5.0; 5.0 to 5.5; 5.5 to 6.0; 4.5 to 6.0).

This methodology was applied in order to compare the edapho-climatic characteristics previously consulted and initially selected as adequate for the cardoon growth, with other data presented on the website www.cabi.org that corresponds to a "Directory of Invasive Species" with detailed information about the most important characteristics of the cardoon [46].

Miscanthus: the same maps of the 2nd Scenario were considered, adding only one value in the map of "Soil pH" (4.5 to 5.0) and "Soil thickness" (25–50 cm) to evaluate how they can a ffect the areas suggested for miscanthus cultivation.

Paulownia: the same maps of the 2nd Scenario were considered, changing only the "Soil pH" map, being added the next values 4.5 to 5.0; 5.0 to 5.5 and removed the following 7.5 to 8.0; ≥7.5, therefore, the pH parameters on the map are between 4.5 and 7.5.

This scenario was established to compare initially selected and consulted edapho-climatic characteristics for the paulownia planting, with other data presented on the Centre for Agriculture and Bioscience International—CABI website [47].
