Forest road network assessment using lookout points orienting in Hyrcanian forest using GIS - Short Communication

Abstract

Road is a necessity for attaining ideas, principles and management plan in a forestry unit (district). The forest road network design must be aimed at a multi-purpose use of roads such as landscaping and tourism activities. This study was performed in the Namkhaneh section of Kheyrud forest 10 km east of Noshahr (Hyrcanian forest). First, the map of factors affecting the road routing was provided including trees type, soil, aspect, slope, altitude, etc. using GIS and determined parts of lookout on a topographic map of the study area. Then a new variant was designed as the secondary road and turnoff from the existing road trying to pass from more parts of lookout in its designing. Finally, existing and completive road networks were compared in terms of opening up and parts of lookout using the Backmund method. The results showed that the completive road network has more forest openness and more parts of lookout compared to the existing road network.

Keywords

• completive roads
• view points
• physiographic
• backmund method
• kheyrud forest - iran