Assessment of the relationship between the forest road network and wood harvesting: The case of Bahtiyar Forest District

The aim of the thesis is to determine the effect of unitamount (1 m3) on wood harvesting by technically analyzing the relationship between forest road construction-maintenance expenses and logging-transportation expenses with the help of forest road network metrics (road length, road density, road spacing, opening-up are and ratio, land occupation area, spatial distribution of roads in the area, etc.); to evaluate the economic relationship based on the comparison of these expenses (and wood sales revenues). In this context, Bahtiyar Forest Enterprise (Dalaman, Muğla) was selected as the study area and the function of forest roads in the region in wood harvesting processes was analyzed with the support of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and the relation ship between road metrics and wood raw material production was revealed based on numerical data. In the study area, the general road density was found to be 24.7 m/ha, the average road spacing was found to be 253 m, the average rate of opening too peration was found to be 79%, and the average skidding distance was found to be 167 m. Under these conditions, it was determined that the construction cost of 1 km of forest road was $6427.11 and the annual maintenance cost was $57.1. The average cost for 1 m³ of wood raw material was determined as $18.60, and the skidding and transportation costs for logs were determined as $15.29. The total road cost reflected per 1 m3 of wood raw material was determined as $1.59. These results show that the forest road network and its spatial distribution directly affect wood raw material production activities in technical and economic terms. It was indicated that road network analyses at thescale of forest planning units could be effective in the planning and management processes of forestry operations for the minimization of road construction and maintenance, skidding and transportation costs, and the sustainable management of forest resources.