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Constitution of the forest
road evaluation form for Turkish forestry
Selcuk Gumus
Karadeniz Technical University, Faculty of Forestry,
Forest Engineering Department, 61100 Trabzon, Turkey.
E-mail: sgumus@ktu.edu.tr.
Tel: +904623772861. Fax: +904623257499.
Accepted
24 September, 2009 |
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It is
highly important to describe the capabilities of existing
forest roads in terms of all the functions assigned to them
in line with forestry objectives and to define their
conditions of utilization in the future. This study aimed at
determining and grading the factors that are required to
make an evaluation concerning the forest roads and preparing
an evaluation form for them. Twenty-three evaluation factors
and indicators that subgroup these factors were defined to
evaluate forest roads. The method of Analytical Hierarchy
Process (AHP) was used to define the significance rates at
the step of factor evaluation. Survey method was applied for
expert group evaluation. Significance rates of the factors
were found through an evaluation of the data obtained. After
the significance rates of the factors that were regarded at
the outset as significant factors for evaluation of roads
were defined, factors having a significance rate of lower
than 2% were extracted and calculation was repeated
accordingly. After four iterations, the forest road
evaluation form was prepared with 13 factors. Factors in the
form and their respective significance rates were defined as
vertical slope value, 12.73%; condition of superstructure,
6.89%; condition of art structure and its compliance with
the draining system, 5.71%; availability of continuous
access, 5.17%; transportation costs, 3.94%; availability of
fire protection 12.37%; proneness to develop erosion and any
water quality problem 11.45%; the risk of land-slide due to
high hillside slope 12.55%; proneness to make pressure on
water courses 5.97%; risk to damage or annihilate the wild
habitats 5.63%; eligibility for forestry works 2.64% and
eligibility for utilization for security 6.45%. The
evaluation form was prepared as practical and handy to use.
Key
words:
Forest roads, road evaluation, road classification, road
evaluation form, AHP. |
