The design of forest roads network in compliance with the environmental issues using GIS and AHP

Authors : Amir Houssein FIROUZAN, Amirreza DASTAN, Seyed Armin HASHEMI

Pages : 183-188

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Publication Date : 2016-12-15

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Forest roads are one of the basic infrastructures for the management of forest areas. Ensuring the stable operation of forest roads network and maintaining initial capital spent on construction of forest roads requires proper estimation of the volume of earthworks is the construction of forest roads. Today, by using the Geographic Information System GIS , simultaneous information management with consideration of factors affecting routing, predictive and rapid assessment of directions became possible. The aim of this study is to provide a method to optimize the design of forest roads network by considering the environmental, technical and economic criteria and utilizing the capabilities of GIS and Analytic Hierarchy Process AHP , so that a greater number of these criteria entered in the design process. The study conducted in series 7 of Sherwood. After obtaining information layers on environmental characteristics affecting the forest road network design, based on technical principles and by using Pegger software, 4 roads were designed. After classification and valuation of the different layers of maps, for environmental evaluation, AHP pairwise comparison method used in the process. The results of this research proved the hypothesis that GIS and AHP have many capabilities in road design based on ecological principles. The study area has high topography so designing a proper road was not possible and given the proximity of road congestion, road 3 was chosen due to its environmental priorities. At the end, the ability of its implementation in the areas studied and approved
Keywords : forest road, considerations of environmental, technical and economic, multi criteria assessment, GIS, AHP