DESIGNING AN OPTIMAL FOREST ROAD NETWORK BY CONSIDERATION OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS IN GIS OPTIMALIŲ MIŠKO KELIŲ TINKLO PROJEKTAVIMAS ĮVERTINUS POVEIKĮ APLINKAI GIS PROGRAMA / ПРОЕКТИРОВАНИЕ OПTИMAЛЬHOЙ CETИ ЛECHЫX ДOPOГ С УЧЕТОМ BOЗДEЙCTBИЯ HA OKPYЖAЮЩYЮ CPEДY, ОЦЕНЕННОГО С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ ГИС

Abstract
Planning of forest road network is the most important issue for sustainable management of northern forests in Iran. This study represented a technical method of forest road planning by using GIS (Geographic Information Systems) in Vatan forestry plan of Golestan province, Iran. The aim of this study was to find out options for the optimization of skid trail length and for decreasing the negative effects of redundant skid trail length. Results of this study showed that the total length of forest road and the road network density was 36745 m and 8.68 m ha−1, respectively. 54% of the area was covered by these roads. 98.06 km skid trail was planned from road verge into the forest interior. The density of this skidding trail was 23.17 m ha−1. The suggested road network length measured using GIS was 47.23 km. Road density was 10.87 m ha−1, with 79% coverage. Skid trail length was 81.04 km, and skid trail density was 19.15 m ha−1. On the basis of GIS measurements, the skid trails on new road network system had shorter length and more frequency. This causes to decrease the cost of primary transportation. Moreover, in this plan the roads with suitable coverage passed from stable slopes.

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