Forest Resources Assessment as an Element of Sustainable Forestry in the Komi Republic

Abstract

According to forest fund accounting data, the Komi Republic ranks first in terms of forest resources in European Russia. However, with the positive dynamics of official accounting indicators, loggers have indicated a decrease in the quality of forest resources in terms of commodity and species composition, specific stock, wood properties, and transport accessibility. This necessitates a more objective assessment of the state of the regional raw material base and possibilities for its improvement, including an assessment of compliance with the principles and criteria of sustainable development. The subject of this study is the state of forest resources in the Komi Republic. Its aim is to assess the state of forest resources and prospects for their use in accordance with the sustainable development criteria in the forestry according to the author’s methodology based on foreign and domestic experience. The scientific novelty here is a new system of indicators adapted to the forest biological and economic conditions of the Komi Republic, based on aggregation and extrapolation methods, including geosystem data analysis. In the study, the forest area where reforestation activities are economically feasible have been determined, as well as their possible economic effect. Taking into account the indicators of the average increase in stock per hectare, average annual growth, and transport accessibility, forest districts were grouped, and the state of forests and outlook were described for each group. Recommendations are made for each group according to their natural and economic characteristics in terms of organizing sustainable forestry and forest use. The results can be applied to draw up Komi Republic forest policy, develop more detailed forecasts, and model forests use scenarios for certain regions of the republic; they can also serve as a methodological basis for the ecological and economic assessment of other forest-rich regions of the Russian Federation.