Applying Delphi approach and TOPSIS method in designing forest road network using GIS (case study: Lacobon forests, Abbasabad, Mazandaran)

Document Type : Scientific article

Authors

1 M.Sc. of Forestry, Faculty of Natural Resources, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

2 Assistance professor, Faculty of natural resources, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

3 Associate Professor, Faculty of natural resources, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran

Abstract

Forest management plan are prepared for desirable use of forest products, ensuring the survival and continuous production. In forest management plan, designing appropriate roads play an important role.  In this study, Delphi technique and statistical parameters such as mode, median, mean, and binomial test were used to select the criteria. Afterwards, the criteria were weighted using TOPSIS method based on pairwise comparison and a road construction utility map was prepared by combining the criteria map and the weight of each by linear weighting method. Based on the suitability map, nine road network variants were designated and evaluated using PEGGER in ArcView software and the best option was selected. The weight of factors such as slope, forest stock and natural terrace were calculated 0.42, 0.24 and 0.10, respectively. Among all, the three variants including 3, 5, and 7 with 5725.01, 5668.88, and 5573.85 unit value per km revealed the best road networks. The study results showed that considering the environmental and technical criteria in the forest road designing mitigate environmental impact and reducing maintenance costs. Therefore, it is possible to design more suitable forest roads by combining GIS and Pegger software.

Keywords

References

- Abdi, A., 2005. Forest road network design with least cost by using GIS. MSc Thesis. Faculty of Natural Resources. Tehran University. Karaj, Iran, 84 pp. (In Persian)
- Abdi, E., B. Majnounian & A. A. Darvish Sefat, 2008. evaluation on forest road network variants based on construction cost using multi criteria method in GIS environment, Journal ofScience and Technology of Agriculture and Natural Resources, 12(44): 279-289. (In Persian)
- Abedian, S., 2009. Road network routing based on the parameters of landscape ecology. MSc Thesis. Faculty of Natural Resources. Tehran University. Karaj, Iran, 145 pp. (In Persian)
- Alidokht, M., N. Rafatnia, R. Naghdi & Sh. Shataie, 2015. Designing of Forest Roads Network with an Emphasis on Drainage structures and Construction Standards, (case study: Shafarood Forest northern Iran), Bulletin Applied Research Science, 5(1): 104-112.
- Asgharpour, M. J., 2004. Multiple criteria decision making. Tehran University Press, 456 p. (In Persion)
- Austen, E. & A. Hanson, 2008. Identifying wetland compensation principles and mechanisms for Atlantic Canada using a Delphi method approach, Wetlands, 28(3): 640-655.
- Erdash, O. & S. Gumus, 2000. The use of Geographical Information Systems in selecting forest road routes, Turkish Journal of Agriculture and Forestry, 24(5): 611-620.
- Gumus, H., H. Acar & D. Toksoy, 2007. Functional forest road network planning by consideration of ennironmental impact assessment for wood harvesting, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 142(1-3): 109-116.
- Hayati, A., 2012. Forest road network planning using GIS and Multi Criteria Evaluation. (MCE). Faculty of Natural Resources. Tehran University. Karaj, Iran, 82 p. (In Persian)
- Hayati, E. A. Abdi, B. Majnounian & M. Makhdom, 2013. Performance and sensitivity decision to call Delphi and AHP team decision-making in natural resources research, Journal of the forest and wood products, natural resources Iranian Journal,67(2): 1-14. (In Persian)
- Hwang, C. L. & K. Yoon, 1981. Multiple Attribute Decision Making: Methods and applications. A state of the art survey, Springer.
- Javanmard, M., 2015 Forest road network planning using Artificial Neural Networks and GIS. (MCE). Faculty of Natural Resources. Tehran University. Karaj, Iran, 81 p. (In Persian)
- Javanmard, M., A. Abdi, M. Ghatee & B. Majnounian, 2018. Forest road planning using artificial neural network and GIS, Iranian Journal of Forest, 10(2): 139-152. (In Persian)
- Linstone, H. A. & M. Turrof, 2002. The Delphi Method Techniques and Applications, Addison Wesley press, Digital version, p. 571.
- Lotfalian, M. & A. Parsakho, 2012.  Forest roads network planning, Ayizh press, 168 p
- Lotfalian, M., M. Abaspour, S. A. Hosseini, A. Parsakho & S. Peyrpv, 2016. Forest Road Design in Stable Location to Minimize Erosion, (A Case Study in Vaston District), Quarterly journal of Environmental Erosion Research, 2(22): 59-74. (In Persian)
- Moghaddasi, P., S. A. Hosseini & A. Fallah, 2015. The use of ANP (ANP) in the design of forest network based on multi-functional forestry, Journal of the forest and wood products, natural Iranian Journal,2(68): 1-14. (In Persian)
- Mohd Hasmadi, I., H. Z. Pakhriazad & F. S. Mohamad, 2010. Geographic information system allocation model for forest path; a case study in Ayer Hitman forest reserve, Malaysia, American journal of Applied Sciences, 7(3): 376-380.
- Moradmand Jalali, A. & S. A. Hosseni, 2011. Application of GIS in the design of forest roads, Environmental Science and Technology, 11(1): 274-263 (In Persian)
- Musa, A. K. A. & A. N. Mohamed, 2002. Alignment and location forest road network by best – path modeling method Malaysian Center for Remote Sensing.
- Salmalian, M., S. R. Mousavi Mirkala, M. Erfanian & O. Hosseinzadeh, 2016. Prioritization of the influencing factors in the designing forest roads (Case study: Lakobon forest, Abbas-abad, North of Iran), Forest Research and Development,1(4): 337-349.(In Persian)
- Sarikhani, N. & B. Majnoonian, 2005. The instruction to the preparation forest road, Management and Planning Organization, Publication Number: 141, 198 p. (In Persian)
- Taylor, J. G. & S. D. Ryder, 2003. Use of the Delphi method in resolving complex water and resources issues, Journal American Water Resources Association, 39(1):183-89.
Forest Research and Development
Volume 6, Issue 4
January 2021
Pages 695-713

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics