SOFTWOOD HARVESTING AND PROCESSING PROBLEM IN RUSSIAN FEDERATION

References: 14th International Multidisciplinary Scientific GeoConference SGEM 2014, www.sgem.org, SGEM2014 Conference Proceedings, ISBN 978-619-7105-14-8 / ISSN 1314-2704, June 19-25, 2014, Book 3, Vol. 2, 443-446 pp

ABSTRACT
Presented article provides an overview and analysis of softwood harvesting and processing problem in RF. Research is aimed to show that for RF timber industry effectivization is to be focused on new technical and technological developments for softwood harvesting and processing on timber yards of logging companies. Factors affect on timber industry development analyzed in this work. It has been shown in the article that the main factors are: collapse of science, research and design organization; decline in domestic logging machinery; stagnation of wood and paper-based domestic market, which, according to economics, can consume in 2- 2.5 times more than currently; backlog in timber processing technology, particularly for softwood spices. Factors affect change of natural conifer timber stand to softwood in next generations are also analyzed. Information on changes that have been occurred over the last 70 years in the RF forests is presented. It is notably associated with changes in the average species composition formula in favor of softwood subsidiary crop that are replacing the coniferous stands in natural gen. It is shown that, for example, according to Vologda Region Forest Plan data (2007), for the period from 1961 to 2006, the area stands with a predominance of conifers in this region decreased by 9.3 % due to the spruce. There is information about softwood stand increase (37.6 %, due to birch and aspen, grown up on spruce felling site). A decrease in the area of coniferous stand in Russia was the result of its intensive use and further natural reforestation of felling with birch and aspen. It is shown that due to the poor use of birch and aspen stands and intensive use of conifer stands, area of mature and overmature conifer stands decreased by 16.1% and its growing stock- by 24.7 %. At the same time softwood mature and overmature stands increased by 208.1 %, and their stock - by 297.6 %. Analyzing Forest Plans of other RF Regions authors confirm that this trend is typical for all developed forest area.

Keywords: softwood harvesting, sustainable forest management, forest stands dynamics