Abstract
Forest roads play an important role as public transportation as well as wood transportation in mountainous regions where public roads are not enough. The objective of this study is to evaluate road networks in six villages located in the center of the Kii Peninsula using network analysis in order to make them effectively formed. The α-indices showed that lower-standard roads did not form a circular type network but a go-back type network in this region. The β-indices were 1.0 or a little more than 1.0 and it means that alternative routes exist in some areas. In most areas, however, it is still difficult to find an available alternative route when traffic is held up by slope failures. According to the analysis with the η-indices, it was found that the network was subdivided mostly at the level of a village road. According to the evaluation based on the Crofton's formula, the connectivity of road networks between Simokitayama and Nosegawa villages and between Simokitayama and Otou villages was low. Conversely, the one between Tenkawa and Nosegawa villages was high. Therefore, road construction as well as improvement of the existing roads is required to improve the connectivity of roads, especially when they cross over ridges.
