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Biomes and Regions of Northern Eurasia

Mixed and Deciduous Forests

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Conclusions

At present, in the European mixed forest zone woodlands occupy not more than 35-45 per cent of the whole territory of Estonia, Kaliningrad region, Belarus, and Central Russia. In the deciduous forest zone, the coverage is lower; only 13 per cent of the Tula region is forested. Afforestation took place between the 1950s and 1970s in response to the migration of the rural population to cities (Mandych, 1989). The area of arable land was reduced by more than 2 million ha, of hayfields by 4 million, and of pastures by 1 million. However, it was mainly less valuable secondary tree species that developed.

The decline in woodlands and the alteration (most often a simplification) of their composition have had wide environmental implications, especially with respect to faunal biodiversity and hydrological regime. To halt degradation of woodlands, forest management and afforestation programmes have been widely introduced. The measures include removal of dead and damaged trees, amelioration of forests, establishment and wide use of forest nurseries, applications of fertilizers, and many others. However, rates of afforestation in Northern Eurasia remain lower than in Central and northwestern Europe. Further development and a broader introduction of sustainable management policies, which encourage growth and entail the maintenance of forests, effective and enforceable legislative infrastructure, as well as the use of recent innovations (biotechnology) are therefore much needed.

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