Оценка воздействия лесозаготовительной деятельности на сохранение биоразнообразия северного региона

Abstract

In the context of sustainable forestry, biodiversity conservation assessment is a necessary element in asset and service accounting. Logging is an important driver of economic growth in the northern regions of Russia. The past twenty years have seen changes in timber harvesting technologies and forest management principles, which has led to an increase in research interest in identifying ecosystem responses in terms of biodiversity conservation. This study aims to assess changes in biodiversity within the active forest management territory of the Komi Republic, encompassing ten municipal districts and 24 forestry areas. The objectives of the study include evaluating the impact of factors such as population density, road network, and intact area on biodiversity preservation. Statistical analysis methods were utilized to assess the biodiversity status, focusing on the number of rare species threatened by logging. The analysis studied changes in species abundance, territorial distribution across forestry areas, and changes in their conservation status. Using statistical and factor analysis methods, the study identified the impact of forestry and anthropogenic factors on the conservation of species. The novelty of the research consists in identifying the stability degree of ecosystems by analyzing the state of large areas that have experienced long-term anthropogenic impacts on the Komi Republic territory. Most forests within the active forest management zone demonstrated favorable ecosystem conditions, with logging activities causing lichen disappearance and reduced fish numbers only in individual small areas. The anthropogenic impact had minimal influence on the number of rare species due to low population and road network density. Large areas of undisturbed forests contribute to the natural preservation of biodiversity, but their significant reduction in the southern area causes a threat to the existence of rare species. The greatest impact on the change in biodiversity on the territories affected by active forest management is caused by factors such as the level of territorial exploration, the preservation of undisturbed forests, and selective logging. The practical significance of this study lies in the potential application of the proposed algorithm by large Russian forest businesses when conducting their operations.