Multifunctional Evaluation of Spruce-Fir Forest Based on Different Thinning Intensities

Evaluating the performance of multifunctionality is a necessary foundation for forest multifunctionality management. This study aims to comprehensively adopt multiple methods to construct a multifunctional evaluation system for natural spruce-fir forests and explore the impact of thinning intensity on the multifunctional management effect of spruce-fir. This article combines subjective and objective evaluation methods and selects three methods to construct an evaluation system: the Analytic Hierarchy Process, the combined entropy weight method, and the CRITIC method. The results showed that the consistency of the three evaluation methods is good, and according to the score based on the evaluation results, the multifunctional performance of the sample plot with a thinning intensity of 20% (average score of AHP method is 75.5; EWM is 91; CRITIC is 96.5) is significantly better than that of the sample plot with a thinning intensity of 40% (AHP is 65.3; EWM is 51; CRITIC is 48), both of which were significantly better than those of the untreated sample plot (AHP is 12.7; EWM is 18.7; CRITIC is 17.3). A coupling relationship model between multifunctional values and different functions, as well as a coupling relationship model between different functions and various indicators, were constructed based on the evaluation system. Finally, the forest stand with the highest multifunctional comprehensive value was selected as the reference for the target structure to construct the target structure system, which is convenient for actual management. This study found that there is a nurturing intensity (20%) that can best utilize the multiple functions of forests, which has practical significance for promoting forest multifunctionality in forest management. In addition, this study scientifically constructed and compared several evaluation systems for the multifunctional performance of forests, laying a certain foundation for forest multifunctional evaluation and future forest multifunctional management.