Water and forest resources of Russia. The use of forest resources in Russia

The forest is the main national wealth of the country. These resources play a huge role in economic activity. The forest resources of Russia are not only wood and production based on its use. This is the extraction of furs, mushrooms, game, medicinal plants, berries, that is hunting and fishing. We should not forget about the benefits that water and forest resources of Russia bring. Forest management solves many environmental, climate-regulating problems and issues of health improvement of the population.

Forest area of Russia

Forests occupy 4,100 million hectares of the whole area of the planet, which is 30 percent of the total land area. The world's timber reserves are 350 billion cubic meters. The forest resources of Russia on this background look very impressive. The timber reserves in our country are 80 billion cubic meters. Russia is one of the richest countries in terms of the number of forest plantations. The area of the land is about 1180 million hectares. The forest resource of Russia is also diverse. The geographical location of our country assumes the presence of several climatic zones. Therefore, in Russia, forests are divided into several groups, depending on their economic, social and environmental role.

Groups of forests

Forest resources of Russia are divided into three categories depending on their functional characteristics. The first group includes reserved, water protection and soil protection plants. These are reserves, resort areas and forest parks, occupying 22.9 percent of all plantings. The deforestation of these forests is prohibited, and they are protected by the state. The second group includes sites in low-forest areas with limited use. These are multipurpose plantations. They account for 7.6 percent of Russia's total resources. To the third, the most numerous group (69.5 percent) carry constantly exploited massifs. This is a multi-forest zone, where there is a stormy economic activity. These forest resources of Russia are constantly being restored by people.

Categories of forests

Depending on the types of forest plantations, they are divided into categories. There are three main directions. The first category includes coniferous forests. These are arrays, where pine, cedar, larch, and fir predominate. They occupy about 70 percent of all forest land, or 508.7 million hectares. The second category is soft-leaved forests. Birch, linden, aspen, willow, alder and poplar prevail here. Their share in the total mass is 16.7 percent, or 119.7 million hectares. The latter category consists of hardwood stands, which are represented by birch stone, beech, oak, maple, elm, white acacia, saxaul and hornbeam. These plants occupy 2.4 percent, or 17.5 million hectares. This division is interconnected with the quality and hardness of the wood.

Distribution of forest resources

The availability of forest resources to Russia is great. But their distribution across the territory is very uneven. Most of the forest plantations are in the taiga region. These are Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk Territory and Irkutsk Region. Some part of the numerous forest tracts falls on the European part of Russia. This is Kostroma and Novgorod region. The northern and southern parts of the country do not have large timber reserves. There is a sharp decline in forest plantations. The distribution of resources also depends on the settlement of areas by people. The development of forest resources led to a decrease in their area. This situation is observed in the central part of Russia. The zones of the tundra and steppes can be called one of the most forest deficient regions of the country. In the southern region, the largest forest tracts are found in the Caucasus. 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 in the smallest amount.

Use of forests

About 90 percent of the plant's organic matter on the planet is concentrated in the forests. Russia ranks first in the number of forest plantations. 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 increase is 872 million cubic meters. In general, the entire volume of forest use per year in Russia is 550 million cubic meters. Therefore, it is possible not only to remain a world leader in this field, but also to increase forest resources. The use of forest resources of Russia has a huge scale and affects several areas of the economy.

Forest industry

This is the most developed and old region of the national economy. Its structure has a complex subdivision. The extraction of wood and its subsequent processing includes several stages, for each of which certain industries are responsible. One group of companies is responsible for the production of sawn timber and products from them. The second group refers to processing enterprises. This is the pulp and paper and wood chemical industry. The largest paper-making enterprises are located in Krasnoyarsk, Arkhangelsk, Irkutsk, Moscow, Syktyvkar, Svetogorsk and some other Russian cities. Those enterprises that perform all stages of wood processing are called forestry complexes. 60 percent of the timber goes to the production of sawn timber, and 40 percent to the production of paper products.

Rational use

How to rationally use the forest resources of Russia? The area of forest space is large, but if it is used incorrectly, these indicators can be significantly reduced. Now this issue is becoming more urgent. Areas with low forest resources may feel lack of wood for full-fledged economic activity. Usually these are densely populated areas with well-developed industrial production. It is economically unprofitable to deliver wood from remote areas of our country. It is better if all the necessary materials are extracted at the location of the enterprise. Therefore, it is necessary to streamline the use of forests. Restoring their volumes is a top priority. We must always remember that the forest is an exhaustible resource. Arrays can be restored independently. But this requires that a person for a long time did not interfere with its integrity. In our time, when the capacity of industrial enterprises is growing, new plants are being built and the needs of people are growing, it is almost impossible.

Main ways of conserving forest resources

How to preserve the forest resources of Russia? The harvesting of timber and timber in Russia is enormous. In order for this industry to continue to supply products in full, it is necessary to take measures for the rational use and restoration of forest areas. Here you can identify several ways and directions. First, the role of the state in the process of regulating the use of forest resources should be paramount. Legislative acts should streamline, and the relevant bodies monitor this area of the national economy. Secondly, technical and scientific developments in the field of the use of natural resources should be conducted, which will allow them to be processed more rationally. New technologies will improve the processing of wood 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 preserving the ecology and the environment in its primordial form. Recycling of waste and elimination of all negative results of timber production for nature should be carried out.

Afterword

Using natural resources today, it is necessary to think about future generations. We must give them the opportunity for a full life. Natural areas, reserves are created precisely for this purpose. Mankind, using the gifts of nature, should help it to recover, so that this source does not run out. This is our future and the future of our descendants, which, unfortunately, is sometimes impossible to preserve in its original form.