Belarusian Polish Forest Mapping Belarusian Polish Forest Mapping

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Belarusian-Polish Forest Mapping project The most affected are old growth stands. Among the BIFs meeting the criterion Average age of stand more than X years, 1.5% of the total BIF area is being logged annually. This figure would be much greater if all such forests were easily accessible. However the greater part of such forests is located in bogs and as such they have little commercial value. BIFs selected by other criteria had much lower logging rates, as typically selected stands are younger and/or less interesting commercially. In such forests, carrying out selective cuts of low intensity, compatible with their biodiversity requirements, can even sometimes increase their conservation value, for instance by increasing the share of broadleaved species in the stand composition. The number and area of logged BIFs significantly differs by forestry enterprise. This is because of regional variation in forest age and composition, as well as different limitations on logging within enterprise territory. The average annual logging rate of BIFs in the example territories (17 forestry enterprises) was 0.4%. Table. 3.7. Share of BIFs logged per year, on the example of 17 forestry enterprises. Forestry enterprises Average age of stand more than X years Uneven age/canopy structure Endangered vegetation types Rare broadleaved species present in canopy layer Small water courses All BIFs criteria Number Area Number Area Number Area Number Area Number Area Number Area Baranovichi 0.1 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.2 Berezino 4.1 3.8 1.7 1.5
Belarusian-Polish Forest Mapping project “KDO” (“class for regeneration cutting,” where forest regeneration is found unsatisfactory), as these forest stand classes are assigned for logging and reforestation in the current forest management period. We assumed that on average 50% of the area of stands classified as KO and KDO are subject to logging during the 10-year forest management period. The total area of all analysed forest stands amounts to ca. 614,000 ha, i.e. they account for ca. 63% of all BIFs, while the stands classified as KO and KDO covered 72,740 ha, which accounts for ca. 11.8% of the analysed BIFs. The mean interval between the end of the previous forest management period and the date of our calculations (the beginning of 2007) was ca. 6.6 years. On the basis of the above assumptions, it can be concluded that ca. 5.9% of BIFs found in our database may have already been replaced by young forest plantations and the mean annual felling rate in those forests is estimated at 0.9%. Table. 3.8. Shares of forests assigned for logging in BIFs that meet individual criteria, and the estimated annual felling rate (%). 100% (614,148 ha) is the whole data set available from the forest database Criterion Area (ha) Forest assumed for logging (ha) Share (%) of forest assumed for logging per criterion Estimated annual felling rate* 1. Little or no signs of human influence 32,844 1,336 4.07 0.31 2. Average age of stands more than x years 302,714 49,077 16.21 1.23 3. Considerable amount/long term continuum of dead wood 32,844 1,336 4.07 0.31 5. Forests on steep slopes 14,580 3,251 22.30 1.69 6.1. At least 30 years of difference between species and average age of stand at least 80 years 429,833 54,966 12.79 0.97 6.2. At least five species in dominant canopy layer and at least 50 years old, excluding understorey 180,183 20,203 11.21 0.85 6.3. Presence of trees 20 years older than in Cr. 2 127,030 16,458 12.96 0.98 7. Forest after natural disturbances 1,534 251 16.34 1.24 8. Endangered vegetation types 96,245 18,282 19.00 1.44 9. Rare forest-dependent species present 15,335 1,126 7.34 0.56 10. Rare broadleaved species present 46,059 3,969 8.62 0.65 11. Small water courses, surface springs, flooded 34,855 726 2.08 0.16 areas 12. Limited access areas 293 3 0.94 0.07 Total area of forests meeting at least one citerion 614,148 72,739 11.84 0.90 * assuming that the mean interval between the end of the previous forest management period and the date of our calculations was about 6.6 years and 50% of forest stands are subject to logging during the forest management period. Certain BIF types are more likely to be logged than others. At greatest risk are old forest stands with uneven age structure. These account for the largest proportion of forest stands assigned for logging, but the estimated annual felling rate, (although quite high) is not the highest compared to estimated felling rates in other BIF types and considering their high contribution to BIFs. Forests with limited forestry actions or Located along small water courses, surface springs, and in flooded areas, as well as those with Rare forest-dependent species present, are rarely or very rarely classified as KO or KDO (Table 3.8). While coniferous and mixed bog forests present little commercial value, major component of stands in riparian and swamp communities, black alder, as a fast growing tree species is often harvested in commercial thinning or continuous selective cutting. Therefore, such forests are usually given no chance to develop old-growth characteristics. Exceptionally, in remnants of ancient forests (such as Białowieża Primeval 37
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Belarusian Polish Forest Mapping Belarusian Polish Forest Mapping

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