ECOLOGICAL AND RESOURCES ROLE OF FORESTS OF THE REPUBLIC OF TATARSTAN

English. Introduction. The forests of the Republic of Tatarstan are exploited more than 300 years. During the period, forest cover has decreased from 51,2% to 17,1%. Thus, it is important for the region to have sustainable forest management enabling wildlife preservation and socio-economic functions conservation. The goal of this work is to study the structure of forests and their ecological functions, identifying perspective tree species of both economic and environmental purposes. Forests of the Republic of Tatarstan were chosen to be the object of study. Methods of the study included the following steps: forming of the stratum database of forestry and taxation characteristics

Russian. calculation of conversion factor stem volume to stem weight

calculation of the total biomass and carbon sequestration by tree species. The results of studies revealed that the dominant species in the forests of the republic were: aspen, linden, birch, pine, and oak (over 87%). According to the age structure, coniferous and hardwood crops are presented by saplingpole and middleaged stands, deciduous crops - mature and overmature stands. As a result of intensive forest management with intermediate thinning, midstand density of all tree species decreases with age. Forests of the Republic of Tatarstan are high-performance forests and they are presented by stands of I-II growth class, which proves richness of forest site type. Most forests are planted (80% - scots pine, 97% - spruce, 53% - oak). Volume stock of standing forest in the region is 189,8 million/m3, or 98.9 million tons, i.e. the forest keeps 49.5 million tons of carbon. Calculation of annual growth and carbon sequestration showed that each year the forests of the republic bind 1,1 million tons of carbon, their biomass increases by 2,18 million tons, forming more than 4 million m3 of stem wood. Conclusion. The most suitable tree species, which differ in rapid growth and accumulation of stem volume in terms of the Republic of Tatarstan may be Scots pine and Siberian larch (coniferous species), and birch, aspen and linden (deciduous species).

Приведены данные, характеризующие распределение лесного фонда Республики Татарстан по типам лесорастительных условий, основным лесообразующим породам, их возрасту, классам бонитета и полноте. Вычислены показатели общей фитомассы стволовой древесины, еѐ среднего годичного прироста и депонирования углерода. Определены с хозяйственной и экологической позиций наиболее перспективные древесные породы для лесовыращивания.