Developing criteria and indicator set for quality assessment of forest roads

Abstract

The objectives of the study were; to identify the concept of road quality, to determine the components of the quality level, and to establish a set of criteria and indicators influencing the decision making process relevant to road quality level. Its aim was to improve the methodology of how to measure a roads level of quality by converting it into a ‘checklist’ of different aspects of the forest road. In this concept, it was firstly enumerated the expectations from a road segment or road network by taking into consideration the geometrical standards, objectives, functions, tasks, environmental impacts, and disadvantages of the forest roads to state the components of assessment set. A questionnaire was then developed and applied to interest groups and perceptions and expectations on them were identified. Thus, a decision support base was obtained for the criteria and indicators to facilitate in determining the quality level of a forest road with regard to technical, economical, ecological, and societal factors.