PRIORITIZING THE POTENTIAL OF NON-WOOD FOREST PRODUCTS FROM ARAD COUNTY BY USING THE ANALYTICAL HIERARCHY PROCESS

Romanian forest management plans and policies, traditionally focused on timber production, need to reconsider the NWFPs (non-wood forest products) importance in the development of the socio-economic sector. Within the country’s forestry economy, the nature, quantity and weight of NWFPs are variable factors from one county to another, influenced to a large extent by the area covered by forests. The aim of this study is to unravel the most important NWFPs available in Arad County. In order to analyze the potential of NWFPs, data from the forest management plans of the ten subunits within the structure of the Arad Forest Directorate and statistical data from various institutions were used. In accordance with the purpose of the study, NWFPs were clustered into four categories as designed in the European project COST FP1203 European Non-Wood Forest Products (NWFPS) Network: mushrooms, tree products, understory plants and animal origin products. Eight different types of NWFPs were identified and analyzed using the analytic hierarchy process. Potential NWFPs were prioritized in accordance with the 19 criteria selected, and thus the most promising NWFPs were determined. Subsequently, AHP results were implemented in the Choice Expert Desktop software package. The results of the study indicate that Coturnix coturnix and Vulpes vulpes are in the top of the most promising NWFPs. More importantly, the obtained results can help to better address the management of NWFPs from Arad County.