In this thesis, we evaluated the protective effect of a hop-hornbeam (Ostrya carpinifolia Scop.) coppice forest against rockfall in a selected area of the Lepena Valley. Field measurements included trees and rocks, while rock trajectories were modeled in ArcGIS Pro using the Least Cost Path method. To evaluate the interactions between trajectories and trees, we compared six methods for defining influence zones and analyzed the relationships using log-linear regression. More than 45% of the recorded rocks stopped directly or indirectly next to trees. The calculation method combining influence zones based on rock diameter and dbh showed the highest R2 in describing rock movement within the forest. The shortening of the modeled trajectory in the forest was statistically significant with an increase in basal area and the number of trees per unit of length. Rock diameter was weakly but statistically significantly correlated with the length of the entire modeled trajectory, whereas the correlation with the trajectory length within the forest was not statistically significant. The results indicate a significant protective effect of the analyzed coppice stand; however, they should be interpreted considering the limitations of the study.
|
