Forest is the country's main national wealth. These resources play a huge role in economic activity. Forest resources of Russia are not only wood and production based on its use.
This is the extraction of fur, mushrooms, game, medicinal plants, berries, that is, hunting and fishing. We must not forget about the benefits that water and forest resources of Russia bring. Forest cultivation solves many environmental, climate control and public health issues.
The area of forest resources of Russia
Forests occupy 4, 100 million hectares of the entire planet, which is 30 percent of all land. Wood reserves in the world have an indicator of 350 billion cubic meters. The forest resources of Russia look very impressive against this background. Wood reserves in our country are 80 billion cubic meters.
Russia is one of the richest countries in the number of forest stands. The land area is about 1, 180 million hectares. Russia's forest resource is also diverse. The geographical location of our country suggests the presence of several climatic zones. Therefore, in Russia, forests are divided into several groups depending on their economic, social and environmental role.
Forest groups
Forest resources of Russia are divided into three categories depending on their functional features. The first group includes reserved, water-protective and soil-protective stands. These are reserves, resort areas and forest parks, which occupy 22.9 percent of all plantings. Deforestation of these forests is prohibited, and they are protected by the state.
The second group includes land in low-forest areas with limited exploitation. These are multi-purpose plantations. They make up 7.6 percent of all Russian resources. The third, largest group (69.5 percent) includes permanently exploited arrays. This is a multi-forest zone, where there is a rapid economic activity. These forest resources of Russia are constantly being restored by people.
Forest Categories
Depending on the types of forest plantations, they are divided into categories. There are three main areas. The first category includes coniferous forests. These are massifs dominated by pine, cedar, larch, and fir. They occupy about 70 percent of all forest land, or 508.7 million hectares. The second category is deciduous forests.
Here prevails birch, linden, aspen, willow, alder and poplar. Their share in the total mass is 16.7 percent, or 119.7 million hectares. The latter category consists of hardwood plantations, which are represented by stone birch, beech, oak, maple, elm, acacia, saxaul and hornbeam. 2.4 percent, or 17.5 million hectares, occupy these stands. This unit is interconnected with the quality and hardness of wood.
Distribution of forest resources
The availability of forest resources in Russia is great. But their distribution over the territory is very uneven. Most of the forest stands are in the taiga region. This is the Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk Territory and the Irkutsk Region. Some of the numerous forests are in the European part of Russia. This is the Kostroma and Novgorod region. The northern and southern parts of the country are not distinguished by large timber reserves. There is a sharp decrease in forest stands. The distribution of resources also depends on the population of areas. The development of forest resources has led to a decrease in their area.
This situation is observed in the central part of Russia. Zones of tundra and steppes can be called one of the most forest-deficient areas of the country. In the southern region, the largest forests are found in the Caucasus. The semi-deserts of Kalmykia have the smallest indicators of the presence of forest plantations. Therefore, the forest resource of Russia in these areas is used to the smallest extent.
Forest use
About 90 percent of the plant's organic matter on the planet is concentrated in forests. Russia ranks first in the number of forest stands. Therefore, our country can use wood for economic purposes without damage to the environment. Despite the large volume of production activity in this area, the annual growth is 872 million cubic meters. In general, the entire volume of forest management per year in Russia is 550 million cubic meters. Therefore, you can not only remain a world leader in this area, but also increase forest resources. The use of forest resources in Russia is huge and affects several areas of the economy.
Forest industry
This is the most developed and oldest area of the national economy. Its structure has a complex division. The extraction of wood and its subsequent processing involves several stages, for each of which certain industries are responsible. One group of enterprises is responsible for the production of lumber and products from them. The second group relates to processing enterprises.
This is a pulp and paper and wood-chemical industry. The largest paper enterprises are located in Krasnoyarsk, Arkhangelsk, Irkutsk, Moscow, Syktyvkar, Svetogorsk and some other cities of Russia. Those enterprises that perform all stages of wood processing are called timber processing complexes. 60 percent of the wood goes to the production of lumber, and 40 percent - to the production of paper products.
Rational use
How to rationally use the forest resources of Russia? Forest area is large, but if used incorrectly, these indicators can be significantly reduced. Currently, this issue is becoming increasingly relevant. Areas with limited forest resources may experience a shortage of wood for full-fledged economic activity. Usually these are densely populated areas with well-developed industrial production. It is economically unprofitable to deliver timber from remote areas of our country.
It is better if all the necessary materials will be mined at the location of the enterprise. Therefore, it is necessary to streamline the use of forests. Restoring their volumes is a priority. You should always remember that the forest is an exhaustible resource. Arrays can be restored independently. But for this it is necessary that a person for a long time does not interfere with his integrity. Nowadays, when the capacity of industrial enterprises is growing, new factories are being built and the needs of people are growing, it is almost impossible.
The main ways of conservation of forest resources
How to save the forest resources of Russia? Logging, timber in Russia is of enormous scale. In order for this industry to continue to supply products in full, measures must be taken for the rational use and restoration of forests. There are several ways and directions. First, the role of the state in the process of regulating the use of forest resources should be dominant. Legislation should streamline, and the relevant authorities to control this area of the national economy. Secondly, technical and scientific developments in the field of the use of natural resources should be carried out, which will allow them to be processed more rationally. New technologies will improve wood processing and its further application. Thirdly, the entire natural potential of the country should be taken into account and subjected to a qualitative assessment. All production should be based on the principles of conservation of ecology and the environment in its original form. Waste treatment should be carried out and the elimination of all negative for the nature of the results of wood production.
