Future research trends of forest landscape degradation: The effect of changing status and use of rural road networks

The degradation of forest landscape was mainly driven by anthropogenic disturbance at short temporal and small spatial scale. However, the execution (intensity or frequency) of anthropogenic disturbance was determined by the accessibility of road network connection. The passing effect of rural road network must be considered, when understanding on the degradation of forest landscape and selecting restoration measures for degraded forest landscape. The existing literatures deeply understood the influences of the natural passing effect on forest landscape degradation. And they, to a certain extent, also identified the function of huge road network to forest landscape degradation. But, rural road network more widely distributed, and its passing effect on forest landscape degradation involved less. Moreover, the evolution of the rural road network (e.g., change of use, renovation and expansion, new build) was greatly accelerated, due to land consolidation favoring to agricultural industrialization and new village construction helping to urbanization. Certainly, under such environment, the degradation of forest landscape will be greatly intensified. Therefore, the passing effect of rural road network was considered, when the study of forest landscape degradation carried out. And future priority field should focus on: the corresponding relationship between forest landscape degradation and the passing effect of rural road network was firstly identified. Secondly, underlying driving factors must be understood, as they determined the evolution direction of the above relationship. Finally, preferred recovery block and recovery model of degraded forest landscape were arranged through consultation with local residents together. The understanding of forest landscape degradation, under the function of the passing effect of rural road network, can provide the best path for the identification of degradation process and the selection of recovery strategy. Key words: Forest landscape, degradation, passing effect, rural road network