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FOREST CONSERVATION NEWS TODAY

Russia's Threadbare Forests Revealed

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Forest Networking a Project of Forests.org, Inc.

http://forests.org/ -- Forest Conservation Portal

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10/10/01

OVERVIEW & COMMENTARY by Forests.org

Only a small amount of European Russia's northern forests remain in

an intact condition. About 14% of the region's forests remain in

relatively undisturbed large blocks of at least 50,000 ha each. And

what little is left of the forests is at risk, as the best areas have

no protection under law. The point is made that a very small

investment could conserve these last great European wildernesses.

g.b.

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Title: Russia's threadbare forests revealed

Logging has left little of Russia's original forests intact

Source: Copyright 2001 BBC News

Date: October 9, 2001

Byline: Alex Kirby

Only a small part of the northern forests of European Russia remain

in relatively intact large sections.

Russian experts who have spent five years mapping the forests say

much of what is left is in jeopardy.

They say the best parts of the forests enjoy no protection in law,

and are ripe for exploitation.

Yet conserving the remainder would be comparatively cheap and simple.

The Russians used a combination of satellite imagery and more

traditional methods to compile their maps, entitled The Last Intact

Forest Landscapes of Northern European Russia.

They are being published in Moscow by Greenpeace Russia, and in

Washington DC by Global Forest Watch, part of the World Resources

Institute (WRI).

Unprotected

The researchers found that only 32 million hectares, about 14%, of

the region's forests remain in relatively undisturbed large blocks of

at least 50,000 ha each.

Only blocks this big, at least the size of a square with sides 14

miles (22 kms) long, are judged large enough to be able to remain

intact, conserving populations of large animals and also coping with

natural processes like storms and fires.

But the researchers say what little is left of the forests is at

risk, as the parts likeliest to attract exploitation have no

protection under federal or local law.

Fragmentation is the main threat

They say the main threat comes from logging roads, geological survey

lines, and the fires that usually follow them.

Dr Alexander Isaev, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a

former Soviet minister, was one of a team of scientists from Russia,

Sweden and the US to review the researchers' report.

He said: "The significance of this work goes far beyond Russian

forestry.

Irresponsible loggers

"These are the last big forest wilderness areas of Europe, and an

important part of our common European heritage. We need to keep them

wild and protected by law."

Dr Lars Laestadius of WRI told BBC News Online: "The best forests

have already been logged, and many of the surrounding areas are

depleted.

"The main threat is fragmentation, together with the fact that some

logging companies do not pay the real cost of responsible forestry.

"Forest degradation is often thought of as being only a tropical

issue. This report shows that there is serious forest degradation in

the north as well."

The best forests have already been logged

The report's authors said protecting the forests would not cost much:

"No forest guards are needed. The same remoteness and low

productivity which has protected them until now will continue to do

so.

"Our last remaining examples of wild nature can be protected even

under the very restrictive Russian budget for nature conservation."

The researchers worked by first looking at existing maps and

excluding all obviously disturbed areas near roads and towns.

Field check

They then examined detailed satellite images for further signs of

disturbance like logging and mines, which they also eliminated. That

let them identify the remaining large blocks of forest.

To check their work they then inspected 67 areas on foot, to ensure

they had correctly interpreted the satellite images.

Later this year Global Forest Watch and its partners will produce a

similar map covering all Russia's forests. Maps of forests in Chile,

Venezuela, Indonesia, Brazil, Canada and the US are in preparation.

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