Review article
Forest Road Planning, Construction and Maintenance to Improve Forest Fire Fighting: a Review
Andrea Laschi
; University of Florence DAGRI – Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forest Sciences and Technologies Via S. Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence ITALY
Cristiano Foderi
; University of Florence DAGRI – Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forest Sciences and Technologies Via S. Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence ITALY
Fabio Fabiano
; University of Florence DAGRI – Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forest Sciences and Technologies Via S. Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence ITALY
Francesco Neri
; University of Florence DAGRI – Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forest Sciences and Technologies Via S. Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence ITALY
Martina Cambi
; University of Florence DAGRI – Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forest Sciences and Technologies Via S. Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence ITALY
Barbara Mariotti
; University of Florence DAGRI – Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forest Sciences and Technologies Via S. Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence ITALY
Enrico Marchi
; University of Florence DAGRI – Department of Agricultural, Food, Environmental and Forest Sciences and Technologies Via S. Bonaventura, 13 50145 Florence ITALY and CNR – IVALSA Via Madonna del Piano 10 50019 Sesto Fiorentino Florence ITALY
Abstract
Forest roads play a key-role in fire fighting activities. In fact, all ground-based activities are strictly related to the presence of forest roads as access to fire edge. In spite of this important role, forest roads are often planned and built without considering their use in fire fighting, and this also occurs in literature, where few studies are dedicated to the importance of forest roads in fire fighting. A well-developed and well-maintained forest road network is the answer to different needs in fire management. The objective of this review is to clarify basic principles for obtaining efficient road network also for fire fighting, collecting, defining and resuming the main roles, the most important aspects and the reported experiences to be taken into account in forest road network planning and maintenance in fire-prone areas. The most important themes treated are related to: i) the analysis of the functions of forest roads in fire prevention and suppression; ii) the importance of forest road planning and building also considering their importance for protecting forests against fires: iii) the construction and maintenance characteristics to be considered for building and maintaining an efficient forest road network against fires; iv) the importance of fire prevention and the related role of forest roads. Special attention has been dedicated to maintenance activities, because a not well-maintained forest road is a not efficient forest road, and it represents a useless economic and environmental cost.
Keywords
forest road network; fire fighting; fire prevention; forest management; accessibility
Hrčak ID:
217411
URI
Publication date:
14.1.2019.
Visits: 3.117 *