Forest park site selection based on a Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process framework (Case study: the Galegol Basin, Lorestan province, Iran)

Abstract

The aim of this study is to solve the forest park site selection problem using a Fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) framework in the Galegol Basin, Lorestan province, Iran. The Delphi screening method was used to select the most relevant criteria and sub-criteria to the forest park problem. Using the FAHP weighting approach, the weight of each criterion and sub-criterion was calculated. Then, the suitability map of forest park location was mapped by the weighted linear combination (WLC) method. The results revealed that 7 criteria (climate, water resources, physiography, landscape, vegetation cover, wildlife and economic criteria) and 16 sub-criteria received the required values and can be involved into the decision-making process of the forest park site selection problem. Using the derived weights of sub-criteria by FAHP and the WLC method, the final results showed that most of the study area is moderately suitable for the forest park location problem. The results of this study can be valuable in the planning of local forest park and future land use planning.

Keywords

• suitability map
• weighted linear combination
• criteria
• decision-making
• delphi method