Forest road network planning for biomass exploitation and fire preventions: a least cost path analysis

Authors

  • Sarantis-Angelos Liampas PhD, Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resource, Democritus University of Thrace, Ath. Pantazidou no. 193, Orestiada 68200, Greece
  • Christos Stamatiou PhD, Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resource, Democritus University of Thrace, Ath. Pantazidou no. 193, Orestiada 68200, Greece
  • Vasileios Drosos Professor, Department of Forestry and Management of the Environment and Natural Resource, Democritus University of Thrace, Ath. Pantazidou no. 193, Orestiada 68200, Greece

Keywords:

Least cost path analysis, Multi-Criteria Analysis, Forest Opening Up, Analytic Hierarchy Process, GIS, Greece.

Abstract

The projects related to forest opening up constitute fundamental infrastructure projects for the development of our mountainous and semi-mountainous national economy. In the beginning, timber transportation and connection between forest settlements served as the sole purpose of forest opening up. However, nowadays, the perspective of forest opening up as being an important preventive measure of forest protection, which is a basic pillar of a multipurpose forestry system of the Greek Mediterranean mountains, is gaining ground. The application of modern tools in the opening up is now imperative for choosing the most economical and efficient forestry route. The paper presents a method of opening up roads in the forest, using the least cost path analysis (LCPA) and Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA) in a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment.

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Published

2019-12-16

Issue

Vol. 21 No. 4 (2019): CIGR Journal

Section

I-Land and Water Engineering