Protection forests to shield from rockfall

Abstract

The protective role of mountainous forests is often inferred but rarely quantified in terms of forestry management. To address this problem, this study focuses on a wooded slope, which protects a main road against rockfall at Sainte Foy Tarentaise, France, in which the effective role of the existing stand was quantified. The first stage of the research produced a number of clearly identifiable representative profiles, which were then used to supply forest stand data for input into a trajectory calculation program. Simulations were then produced for both positive and negative stand development to identify multi-functional management solutions. This work opens up new directions for both research and development works.