The Ob River Pine Forest in Novosibirsk: Past, Present, and Problems

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From the very beginning of Novosibirsk (pre-revolutionary Novonikolaevsk), the ribbon of the Ob River pine forest began to dwindle as a result of man-induced activity, e.g. logging, wood clearing, construction of dugouts and houses, etc. The small rivers that flew through the forest were used for quarries and water mills. As a result, the intensive industrial development disturbed the terrain and provoked revinement. Subsequently, the abandoned intracity park zones of the relict forest were transformed into residential, business, and industrial areas, such as Alhambra, Mikhailovsky Grove, etc. The quality of the forest stand during the period of industrialization was affected by the technogenic load from industrial enterprises that had no sewage treatment plants. An ill-conceived green policy led to the loss of the environment-forming function of the Novosibirsk pine forest, because only small areas of it remained within the city boundaries. The once green banks of small rivers that flew into the Ob preserved the last remains of the pine forest. However, they were destroyed, as the rivers were placed in underground pipelines, the ravines were washed away, and infill construction flourished. At the moment, the remaining green areas fail to perform the main function of urban forests: they neither reduce the negative environmental load, nor reproduce themselves. In addition, they make poor recreational areas. The remaining relic pine forest and other green areas continue to experience both direct and indirect negative impact, e.g. deforestation, air and water pollution, etc. The largest preserved site of the Ob River pine forest is the Zaeltsovsky public park. Located to the north of the Yeltsovka-2 (Bolshoi) River, it has been used for summer cottages, recreation, and foraging mushrooms and berries since the XIX century. The article gives a historical retrospective of the reduction in the area of the Ob River pine forest and its causes. It also describes the Comfortable Urban Environment project aimed at preserving green areas and pine forests.