Zoning of the Russian Federation territory based on forest management and forest use intensity

• Main Authors: A. A. Маrtynyuk, V. M. Sidorenkov, E. V. Doroshchenkova, Е. М. Sidorenkova, U. G. Zakharov
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch Publishing House 2016-02-01
• Series: Сибирский лесной журнал
• Subjects: forest management and forest use intensity; zoning of the territory; forest ecosystem productivity; transport accessibility; zones of intensive forest management
• Online Access: http://xn--80abmehbaibgnewcmzjeef0c.xn--p1ai/upload/iblock/302/302d0469cfea9309c8c218344c573554.pdf

Over extended periods issues of forest management intensification are important in all aspects of Russian forest sector development. Sufficient research has been done in silviculture, forest planning and forest economics to address forest management intensification targets. Systems of our national territory forest management and forest economics zoning due to specifics of timber processing and forest area infrastructure have been developed. Despite sufficient available experience in sustainable forest management so far intensification issues were addressed due to development of new woodlands without proper consideration of forest regeneration and sustainable forest management operations. It resulted in forest resource depletion and unfavorable substitution of coniferous forests with less valuable softwood ones in considerable territories (especially accessible for transport). The situation is complicated since degree of forest ecosystem changes is higher in territories with high potential productivity. Ongoing changes combined with the present effective forest management system resulted in a situation where development of new woodlands is impossible without heavy investments in road construction; meanwhile road construction is unfeasible due to distances to timber processing facilities. In the meantime, changes in forest legislation, availability of forest lease holding, and promising post-logging forest regeneration technologies generate new opportunities to increase timber volumes due to application of other procedures practically excluding development of virgin woodlands. With regard to above, the Russian territory was zoned on a basis of key factors that define forest management and forest use intensification based on forest ecosystem potential productivity and area transport accessibility. Based on available data with GIS analysis approach (taking into consideration value of various factors) the Russian Federation forest resources have been zoned due to forest management and forest use intensity.