Evaluation of forest disturbance in south-west Zabaikalia (East Siberia)

Abstract

The forest estate in south-west Zabaikalia, a territory included in the Lake Baikal catchment area, has been investigated. For this purpose we have used both data of our own studies and monitoring data of environmental protection bodies. It shows that in our study area, fires, fellings, entomo-parasites and air pollution are the major negative factors affecting the state of the forest. In the period from 2003 to 2008 fires were registered in the area of over 500 thousand ha, pest foci in the forests covering an area of over 330 thousand ha, where almost 5 million m3 wood was cut in an area of about 43 thousand ha. The total area of forests in our study affected by air pollution amounts to about 700 thousand ha. According to the results, forest pollution in the territory is concentrated in the vicinity of large-scale industrial complexes, for distances up to about 40 km. The total area of forests weakened by air pollution amounts to about 2 million ha.