Екологічні наслідки негативного впливу несанкціонованого видобутку бурштину на лісові ділянки Житомирщини

Abstract

Amber mining has already led to an environmental catastrophe on a regional scale. According to official data, more than a thousand hectares of land, mostly located in the Central Polissya region (Zhytomyr region), have suffered very severe damage and need to be restored. The conservation value of such areas is lost, and further use for forestry or agriculture is very risky. To develop norms of anthropogenic loads on landscapes, it is mandatory to study anthropogenic transformation by identifying their current ecological status, establishing the dependence of changes on the intensity of anthropogenic loads individually for each natural region. The source materials for obtaining the results are the materials of field research, taxonomic descriptions of plantations, satellite and aerial photographs, as well as the establishment of temporary test areas according to the generally accepted methodology in forestry. The problem that arose in the Zhytomyr region as a result of unauthorized amber mining contributes to the rapid growth of anthropogenic pressure on forestry landscapes, causes them irreparable damage, leads to environmental and economic crisis, imbalances in the social situation of the population, environmental problems, there are significant changes in the structure and mineral composition of the soil layer of forest lands, completely or partially destroyed the living above-ground cover and undergrowth, undergrowth undergoes significant changes in habitat conditions and anthropogenic pressure. Violation of the ecological balance of the forest at different stages of biological development can lead to irreversible consequences in the forestry sector. The obtained results are promising for further development of own methods of ecological and economic assessment of the damage caused by the consequences of illegal amber mining.