Analysis of the Stocks and Conditions of Harvesting for Forest Berries with Considering Their Spatial Distribution and Availability

Abstract

Within the framework of the multi-purpose forest management concept, the resource and economic potential of harvesting wild berries was analyzed under different forest management scenarios. As a tool for forecasting and analysis, scenario-based simulation was used to model the forest ecosystems dynamics under the clearcut and the selective felling management types. The object of research is the Pashe-Kapetskoe district forestry of the Leningrad Region, the calculation was carried out for a period of 120 years. Based on the forest condition types’, species composition and simulated illumination at the ground level data, the potential productivity of wild berries was calculated. The most productive resources on the territory were bilberry and lingonberries, the predicted yield of which reaches 25–48 t/ha and 7–15 t/ha respectively. Zoning of the territory was carried out according to the resources availability for industrial harvesting, taking into account the interests of the local population. 37–48% of the wild berries harvest was available for industrial harvesting, about 30% was allocated for the needs of the local population, and 27–36% of the resource remained in economically inaccessible areas. The most promising was the scenario with artificial restoration of 50% of the clearcut areas and a full maintenance cycle. For this scenario, the maximum profitability was predicted from both the food resources procurement (4.1–5.7 million rubles per year) and the harvesting of timber.