Applying geographical information technologies and multi criteria spatial planning in the sustainable management of forest ecosystem services

• Autores: Goran Krsnik
• Directores de la Tesis: José Ramón González Olabarria (dir. tes.), Jordi García Gonzalo (dir. tes.), Cristina Vega García (tut. tes.)
• Lectura: En la Universitat de Lleida ( España ) en 2023
• Idioma: español
• Tribunal Calificador de la Tesis: Juan de la Riva Fernández (presid.), Fermin Alcasena Urdíroz (secret.), Milena Lakicevic (voc.)
• Programa de doctorado: Programa de Doctorado en Gestión Forestal y del Medio Natural por la Universidad de Lleida
• Enlaces
  • Tesis en acceso abierto en: TDX
• Resumen

  • The growing complexity of geospatial reality and rapid spatial changes, caused by the uncertainty of natural processes and rapid social development, have increased the need for strategic spatial planning, requiring more specific objectives each time. However, in such a scenario where heterogeneous factors influence decision-making, there is no single best solution, but rather several applicable alternatives based on trade-offs. Forest ecosystems, with their multifunctional nature, provide numerous services and benefits to human well-being. Ensuring their sustainability requires the application of an appropriate management strategy that maximizes the supply of ecosystem services while minimizing environmental risks and avoiding decision-making driven by narrow interests. In this situation, the application of a multi-criteria decision support framework, combined with geographical information technologies, significantly improves spatial planning actions by facilitating the identification of suitable management options. This thesis is structured around four studies that address these challenges. The first and second studies focus on identifying forest use suitability based on ecosystem services provision and forest biogeophysical characteristics, aiming to facilitate the selection of appropriate management options. The first study considers current forest features, while the second study simulates forest dynamics and enables the definition of long-term management strategies. The third study assesses urban green areas and utilizes comparison methods between two cities to address the relativity of urban ecosystem service provision and improve urban planning. The fourth study aims to enhance the framework for predicting fire behaviour to ensure the uninterrupted provision of ecosystem services. The results highlight the importance of multi-criteria spatial planning in forest management and demonstrate the excellent applicability of geographical information technologies and decision support tools in assessing complex spatial environmental issues. These tools have the capacity to handle multi-objective analyses, enabling the evaluation of multiple choices for appropriate solutions and emphasizing the multifunctionality of forests. Our assessments also reveal several methodological and terminological constraints associated with ecosystem services-based environmental management. This thesis employs innovative spatial assessment tools and novel approaches to address these limitations, providing solutions and striving to achieve a more sustainable environment.