Terrestrial Scanning / Topography & Monitoring

Joanna Fidelus-Orzechowska, Dariusz Strzyżowski, Jarosław Cebulski, Dominika Wrońska-Wałach: A Quantitative Analysis of Surface Changes on an Abandoned Forest Road in the Lejowa Valley (Tatra Mountains, Poland) 21.10.2020

The main aim of this research was to determine the magnitude of geomorphologic changes within a section of a forest road. The research was carried out in the Lejowa Valley in the Tatra Mountains. The measurements of the surface of the road were performed using a RIEGL VZ-4000 terrestrial laser scanner (TLS). TLS models for 2017, 2018, and 2019 served as the basis for the determination of quantitative and spatial relief transformations. The net annual change on the studied road within the first period equaled −884 m³ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, and for the second period −370 m³ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. Changes across the accumulation fan ranged from −265 m³ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹ to +36 m³ ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The average rate of erosion on the studied abandoned road is similar, and sometimes even greater than that on roads which are still in use. Our research shows that improper road location may lead to irreversible changes to the natural environment. The planning of a forest road must take into account natural conditions, otherwise progressive relief transformations may lead to significant surface changes and the road may be excluded from use.

The full article was published on MDPI webiste and can be found here.