Trends in Changes in Forests and the Reforestation Fund of the Irkutsk Region

Abstract

In Russia and the Irkutsk region, there are a number of problems associated with reforestation. The significance of the issue is increasing due to the increase in felling volumes, the deterioration of natural and anthropogenic factors, and the lack of funding. The purpose of this study is to identify the main trends in changes in forests and the reforestation fund of the Irkutsk region. The article contains data on changes in the area of forests and species composition in Russia and Irkutsk region for the period 2010–2021. The problem of reforestation in Russia, especially in Irkutsk region, is considered and compared with world trends. We analyzed the dynamics of areas of coniferous, soft-leaved and hard-leaved vegetation in the Russian Federation and Irkutsk region. The study showed that in the Irkutsk region there is a higher rate of deforestation than in Russia as a whole. The study showed that in the Irkutsk region there is a higher rate of deforestation than in Russia as a whole. An analysis of the state of forest lands on the territory of the Russian Federation and the Irkutsk region showed that there is a stable change in the species composition in the forests of our country, not for the better, and a decrease in the area covered with forest vegetation. An assessment of the change in the area of forest lands in the Irkutsk region revealed an imbalance between retired and incoming forest plantations, and this imbalance is increasing every year. To solve the problem of deforestation and the decline in the quality of the country's forests, it is necessary to carry out reforestation measures on the lost forest areas of previous years. A new formula for calculating the reforestation fund has been proposed and, based on it, the volumes of reforestation work have been calculated. The authors draw attention to the need to preserve forest resources and propose measures to increase the proportion of artificial reforestation to prevent further loss of forests and preserve their ecological function. Keywords. Dynamics of the reforestation fund, the forest fund of the Irkutsk region, the forest cover of the Irkutsk region, the area of forests, the volume of harvested timber, the volume of illegal logging, reforestation fund calculation.