Характеристика медоносных угодий и их пожароопасность в Еврейской автономной области

Abstract

Beekeeping is an essential economy branch. Therefore, it is so important to study the conditions that affect its state. The Jewish Autonomous Region (JAR) is one of the most important melliferous regions of the Far East. The main melliferous species here is the linden. Forest fires are a major negative factor in the growth of linden in the region under study. The research aims at identifying and studying forests, which include linden, suitable for the development of beekeeping in the JAR, and determining the risk of fire hazard in them. The research object is forests with linden in the JAR. Field expedition works were carried out in the period from 2003 to 2018. The review and analysis of the stands was carried out using 287 geobotanical descriptions of the sample plots. On the basis of the author’s map of vegetation of the JAR, locations of forests with the presence of linden were determined. These forests were assigned to four vegetation units. The predominance of plant communities with Amur linden over those with Manchurian linden is shown. In 93 descriptions linden does not occur in the forest, which indicates a possible succession – gradual replacement of linden with other tree species, and complete extinction of linden from the stand in the future. According to the Forest Management Department of the JAR Government and the Geographic Information System “Fires”, 290 forest fires occurred in the region. There is information on 290 fires and 104,770 ha of disturbed area. The largest fire-affected area (50,270 ha) was recorded in 2018 in black birch-oak forests of park type, sometimes with linden (Tilia), larch (Larix), beard lichen-mixed herbs cover and mixed herbs reedgrass meadows. There is a trend towards a decrease in the area and deterioration of the ecological state of the linden forests, and, therefore, the depletion of the region’s melliferous base. In this regard, the linden needs to be protected at both the regional and federal levels. Forests affected by negative naturalanthropogenic factors leading to stand degradation require continuous monitoring and assessment of the state to improve beekeeping as an industry. The results of the study can be used to substantiate recommendations for the protection of linden forests and will be useful to the agencies involved in the development of beekeeping in the region.