Intensive forest management: myths and reality
The RAS Research Board on Forests held academic dispute “Intensive forest management: myths and reality” on May 20, 2015.
The debate aim was to discuss widely the challenges of forest management intensification and scientific analysis of its state in Russia and worldwide, and providing Russian governmental authorities with unbiased information for rational and timely decision making.
Diversity of organizations and participants confirms the timeliness of the topic: almost 70 specialists from FANO RAS institutions, high school, institutional research centres, environmental NGOs, business, mass media, etc.
The discussion allowed determine the importance of the following statements:
- forest management in Russia needs intensification.
- setting cutting age of forest stands lower than the age of its quantitative maturity (the age when forest stands provide maximum timber) is not an instrument of forest management intensification.
- suggested lowering of cutting age within forest district borders, i.e. on territories larger than needed for timber processing companies supply, is not economically viable and will lead to forest degradation, decreasing of its market value and consequently to the loss of the forest income by the state.
Dispute participants decided to commission the RAS Research Board on Forests to:
- integrate suggestions of the scientific debate participants;
- develop an expert opinion based on debate participants’ suggestions;
- send an expert opinion to the Russian Government, Ministry of environment and natural resources, Federal Forestry Agency, NGOs and commercial organizations.
Academic dispute program
Dispute resolution
Talks and presentations:
