Estimating the economic value of timber products potentially saved from wildfires by improving forest road standards

Abstract

The aim of this study was aimed to estimate the economic value of timber products from the forest stands that are potentially saved from wildfires after improving road standards. The study was implemented in the Alanya Forest Enterprise Directorate (FED) in the Mediterranean city of Antalya, Turkey. In the solution process, the possible increase in the accessible forest areas with improved forest road standards was investigated by using GIS-based network analysis methods. In the next step, the timber production in the forest areas potentially saved from the wildfire was calculated based on parameters such as site index, rotation period, and stand structure. Then, the economic value of timber product types was calculated using market prices. The results indicated that increasing the design speed on improved forest roads reduced the arrival time of firefighting teams to the forests, which consequently increased the accessible forest areas within the critical response time. It was found that the accessible forest areas within the critical response time increased from 47,231 hectares to 59,354 hectares when standards of the forest roads were improved. This saved 12,123 hectares of additional forest area from the wildfire in the Alanya FED. The cost of road improvement activities was estimated at US$ 2,286,998. It was calculated that the total timber products obtained from the forest area potentially saved was about 94,721 m3, and worth US$7,545,579 at market prices. The results can be used by policymakers in determining the potential investments in improving forest road standards to enhance the efficiency of firefighting activities.