PROTECTIVE FORESTS AND PROTECTIVE FORESTRY IN SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT

Abstract

The effect of  our climate continentality in contrast to Western Europe territory is its aridity and forest fires. Drought, bad crops and   famine accompanied Russian people during many centuries. Complex study of V.V.Dokuchaev  (late 19^th century) showed hard facts of ecological degradation of the territories based on deforestation  and agriculture management with the use of ecologically safe methods. V.V.Dokuchaev  offered to establish dense  forest strips, which could divide forest-free steppes by trees. The ideas were implemented in a number of Russian provinces. 2.14 millions ha of protective forests were established in Russia after II World war. Large protective forest strips  also covered watersheds and banks of long livers. Considering  principles of protective forestry, they became an important  source of wood and diverse forest products in  sparsely wooded area. Nowadays Russian lands degradation is 6–7 % every five years. It is a very serious social and economic problem, which leads to safety risk for Russia. The measures aimed at soil degradation prevention and desertification processes elimination, which are put into practice today, are not adequate to the extent of the problem. Nevertheless, establishment of the objects of protective forestry is commercially advantageous for Russian regions: in 10 years after forest strips establishment, crop yield  increases  in 20 – 30 %,  expenses are payed off in 4–7 years. Cessation of work, directed to protective forests establishment in southern and south-eastern  regions of the country, dying of the best part of early established forest strips contributed to  hot dry summer (2010),  which is quite normal for the area, to become a natural disaster of regional scale. Complex problems should be the support of State programs in protective forest cultivation.  Thus, developed by All-Russian Research Institute of Agroforestmelioration program «Strategy of Protective Afforestation Development in Russia till 2020» is focused on the problem.