ARTIFICIAL FOREST REGENERATION IN THE MIDDLE VOLGA: PRESENT-DAY SITUATION AND PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED

English. The main goal of the research is to improve forest regeneration process in the Middle Volga with the use of the obtained results of artificial forest reproduction which assure accelerated forest cultivation and increase of stands productivity. As such, the following tasks were to be solved: revealing of the role and significance of planted stands in improvement of productivity of forests, assessment of their condition on the example of Scotch pine, study of the regularities of formation of crop depending on the way of forest regeneration and elaboration of the measures on improvement of performance of artificial forest regeneration in the Middle Volga. The methods of the research included collection of experimental material from different RF regions (data of Forest Fund State Recording and data of different forestries). The collected material included data on forest surveying and field data of characteristics of stands at the temporary sample plots. Electronic data base of silvicultural valuation figures for plantations was used for simulation. Changes in the area of Fir and Pine plantations was followed for a 46-year period. A significant role of artificial stands in forest fund of the regions of the Middle Volga, the area of which varies from 8 to 32 % and becomes larger from north to south, was specified. Better growth rates of Pine plantations, excess of their density, share of the main species and their bonitet in comparison with natural stands were proved to be real. The obtained results are based on the analysis of the data base of silvicultural valuation figures of Scotch Pine stands in 7 forestries of the Middle Volga. The problems of forest restoration in the Middle Volga and Russia on the whole were described. Some ways for improvement of efficiency of artificial forests reproduction for the Middle Volga by means of accelerated cultivation of trees in combination with intensive forest use were offered. They consist in enhancement of monitoring of condition of plantations during complete cycle of silvicultural production, timely silvicultural tendance of young growth, allocation of fund of accelerated forest cultivation with inclusion in it artificial stands, meeting specially elaborated criteria. Besides, the necessity of cultivation of artificial stands in the Middle Volga for meeting demands in target timber has reached its crisis point.

Russian. Рассматриваются результаты искусственного способа воспроизводства леса и роль лесных культур в повышении производительности лесов Среднего Поволжья. Обсуждены проблемы повышения результативности лесовосстановления на примере сосны обыкновенной и предложены пути его совершенствования.