Preliminary communication

A Model for Evaluation of the Hydrological Role of a Forest

Špela Planinšek ; Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Andreja Ferreira ; Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Anže Japelj ; Slovenian Forestry Institute, Večna pot 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to present a method for allocating and evaluating forest areas with hydrological roles and for determining the necessary forest management measures. The method was tested in the Draga watershed, which is characterised by a high proportion of forest cover (83 %). The development of a GIS-based decision support model first required deter­mining the needs for the forest hydrological role as well as the capacity of fo­rest sites for providing that role. The needs for the hydrological role of forest are expressed by external, ecological factors (terrain slope and forest soil types distinguished by their erodibility and ground porosity). A forest’s capa­city to assure the hydrological role is expressed by internal, forest stand fac­tors (stand structure, stand density and the degree of stand naturalness). The merged variables describing the needs and capacity were further divided into three groups: low-medium-high needs and high-medium-low capacities for providing the hydrological role. Overlapping the needs and capacity revealed locations where the needs exceed the capacity, and where erosion problems may occur in the field. A side-result of the model is the list of necessary forest management measures for enhancing forest hydrological role that can be ap­plied to every combination of external and internal factors.

Keywords

alpine watershed; evaluation model; forest; hydrological role; multiple-use fo­restry; suitability evaluation

Hrčak ID:

71631

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/71631

Publication date:

30.6.2011.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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