Impact
of road network on the structure of a multifunctional
forest landscape unit
in southern Turkey
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Mehmet
Eker* and Huseyin Oguz Coban
Faculty
of Forestry, Süleyman
Demirel University, East Campus, Cunur,
Isparta - 32260, Turkey
(Received:
February 20, 2009;
Revised received: May
10, 2009; Accepted: September 18, 2009)
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Abstract: Forest roads have many kinds of direct and indirect
effects such as physical, ecological, and socio-economic effects in landscape
scale. In this study the relationship between forest road network and the
structure of a multifunctionally planned forest
landscape, in the south of Turkey
was examined. The aim of the study was to determine whether or not the
correlation between road network and landscape structure across a gradient of
road density, categorical road/no road approach and landscape pattern data from
the managed forest landscapes existed. It was concerned with three type polygons
that were forest functioning patches, compartments, and stand patches and were
associated with higher road density or existing of road network. To quantify
the case, it was analyzed whether the spatial structure of forest patches
adjacent to roads differs from the spatial structure of forest patches away
from roads. GIS was used to integrate quantitative indices of landscape
structure. There was little negatively significant relationship between road
density and patch area/size, patch perimeter, and shape index of patton index (PI) and no
correlation with patch number and Fractal Dimension (FD). The forest road
network modified spatial pattern of patch shape through PI values. The road
network increased the number of patch and decreased mean patch size. The
existence of road network was more effective than topography index appearing of
PI and FD in the roaded areas. It was indicated to
potential reverse impacts of road network on spatial structure of forest
compartments in terms of shape index (FD). Highest proportions of harvestable
forest areas fall into roaded areas. The results
define that road networks are effective on the spatial structure of forest
landscape. The forest road network of study area has all probable ecological
impacts of forest roads mentioned in context.
Key words: Forest roads, Landscape structure,
Road effects, Shape indices, Road density, Multifunctional forest
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