Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Forest roads are among the most prevalent infrastructure built in forested areas to extract timber. After initial construction, they continue to provide forest access to managers and the public, however come with a host of harmful environmental impacts. Many factors influence characteristics of forest road networks, including historical land use and policy. The aim of this study was to examine the development of forest road networks in Northern Sweden and Southeast Alaska using orthoimagery and historical documents. GIS analysis of historical orthoimagery found similar roadbuilding rates in both locations between 1960 and 2001, but a decline in construction of forest roads in Southeast Alaska after 2001. Three time periods in the development of forest roads in both locations were identified: the transition to forest roads (1950 to 1979), the subsidizing of forest road construction (1975 to 2001), and regulatory and economic constraints (1993-2023). Average road density in Northern Sweden was higher than Southeast Alaska across all time points of this study. Both locations contain intact forest areas of global significance, and forest road policy is critical to consider in protecting these landscapes.