A modularity total environment network model for sustainable forest transportation

Abstract

Forest road network planning and development is important in providing accessibility to remote forest areas for timber harvesting, transportation to markets, and recreational activities, as well as preventing environmental degradation, soil erosion, water pollution, and an increased risk of forest fires and wildlife habitat fragmentation. Within the context that careful forest road transportation planning and design promotes sustainable forest management and development, this paper develops a multilayer network model for supporting sustainable forest transportation development. The model builds on a total environment conceptualization and the network paradigm, and it is composed of several layers, each containing information from an environmental aspect or a forest road network land use. By using community detection analysis from network science, the model provides insights into the decomposition of the forest network into functional areas, highlights the importance of places that connect different communities to maintain market integration, and provides a list of policies and good practices for the resulting communities. Overall, this paper presents a quantitative methodological framework that can be used for sustainable forest transportation.