Natural revegetation of forest road slopes

Abstract

The revegetation of forest road slopes depends on many factors. For this research work we studied 170 transverse profi les of forest road in Menina mountain (Alpine region, northern Slovenia) on hard, mainly limy ground surface. Unvegetated slopes present a threat for traffi c safety, spoil the aesthetic image of landscape, and are regarded as potential erosion focal points. The inclination of slope, width of clearance, and ground surface all contribute to successful natural revegetation of slopes. Causeway side slopes are revegetated better than excavated side slopes, because they are flatter and constructed in a way that enables faster revegetation. Slopes on warm positions (S, W) revegetate better than slopes on cold sites (N, E). Slopes with suffi cient sunlight are also revegetating faster. The established key factors of revegetation of forest road slopes are exposition (position) of forest road, sunlight, and the inclination of slope. The amount of organic matter on the slope depends on these factors.