Multi-criteria forest road network planning in fire-prone environment: a case study in Serbia

• Published in: Journal of environmental planning and management 2016-05, Vol.59 (5), p.911-926
• Main Authors: Stefanovic, Bogdan, Stojnic, Dusan, Danilovic, Milorad
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: "Tara" National Park; Autumn; Case studies; Constants; Construction; Construction costs; Criteria; Entropy; entropy weight coefficients method; Fire; Fire prevention; Fires; Forest & brush fires; Forest fires; Forests; Location; Management; multi-criteria decision-making; Multiple criterion; National parks; Natural environment; Network analysis; network of forest roads; Planning; Road maintenance; Roads; Roads & highways; Serbia; Weight
• ISSN: 0964-0568; 1360-0559
• DOI: 10.1080/09640568.2015.1045971

This paper presents a multi-criteria selection of the best forest road network with the aim of achieving effective preventive and timely repressive protection against forest fires. The research was carried out in national park (NP) "Tara" at a site which is under constant threat of fire. Four variants of the forest road network were designed and analyzed against seven criteria, and the best variant was selected using entropy weight coefficients (EWC) method. The importance of these seven criteria was studied by the management of the NP "Tara." The greatest importance was given to the criteria relating to the cost of construction and maintenance of permanent and temporary roads (47% of the total value of all criteria). The EWC method did not select the variant based on the lowest costs of construction and maintenance as the best option, but the variant whose location was the most suitable for effective defense against forest fires.