A methodological survey to the determination and mapping of forest roads' technical competence: Example of Karacaören Forest Management Unit

Abstract: Taking the necessary precautions are required to serve functions of forest roads best for a long time, determining statuses of their technical competences. With this study, determining technical competence variables of forest roads and markers of this variables, retaining status of technical competence of each forest road according to each variable and mapping in CBS database and relationship between technical competence and topographic factors was introduced. Within the scope of the study, 11 variables that were used in the assessment of the technical competence of roads that constitute forest road network; platform width, ditch, expansion in curves and hairpin curves, superstructure, hydrological structure, road-shadow condition, excavation-fill side slope, deformation in platform, vertical slopes, plant growth in platform. with determining of the technical competence status part of each forest road, also mapping level of the technical competence of a forest road network was made in GIS. Also impacts of topographic factors, namely slope, aspect and soil characteristics, to technical sufficiency variables were manifested using SPSS and GIS software. As a result, quantities and locations of 11 variables, length of roads that lack technical standards quality in the study area are determined. Thus, forest roads had non-standard platform width measurements and did not have ditches or had ditches that lacked usable quality. The results of this study were be useful in the decision making of road maintenance priorities. Topographic factors, namely land slope had an impact on platform width; areas' being shady/sunny had impacts on ditch condition, platform degretation condition, and plant growth on road platform; soil depth, one of soil characteristics, had impacts on platform width, cut slope stability, and plant growth on road platform; other soil characteristics, one of soil characteristics, had impacts on platform width, cut slope stability, and plant growth on road platform; erosion, one of soil characteristics, had impacts on platform width, cut slope stability, and plant growth on road platform. Thus, it will be provided that determining of appropriate alignment through the evaluation of topographic factors. Key Words: Forest road, forest road variables, GIS, topographic factors