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5,0% 5,0%<br />
6,9%<br />
6,9%<br />
0,6% 0<br />
0,6% 4,7%<br />
2,7%<br />
2,7%<br />
4,7%<br />
3,8% 3,8%<br />
4,4% 4,4%<br />
7,2%<br />
7,2%<br />
11,7%<br />
11,7%<br />
10,5%<br />
10,5%<br />
42,5% 42,5%<br />
Fagus<br />
Quercus<br />
Carpinus<br />
Alnus<br />
Abies<br />
Picea<br />
Pinus<br />
Castanea<br />
Betula<br />
Populus<br />
Other woo<strong>de</strong>n spesies<br />
Fig. 1: Distribution of areas covered with forest according to main wood species (%)<br />
Georgia has an abundantly large area of forests which provi<strong>de</strong> a substantial supply of wood of species<br />
including: birch (Betula medwe<strong>de</strong>wii), oak (Quercus pontica), buckthorn (Rhamnus imeretina), wing<br />
nut (Pterocarya ptherocarpa), blueberry (Vaccinium arctostaphylos), laurel (Laurus nobilis), azalea<br />
(Rhodo<strong>de</strong>ndron ungerni, R. ponticum), epigaea gaultherioi<strong>de</strong>s, osmanthus <strong>de</strong>corus, tree strawberry<br />
(Arbutus andrachne), persimmon (Diospyros lotus), blad<strong>de</strong>r nut (Staphylea pinnata), S. colchica,<br />
juniper (Juniperus foetidissima), apricot (Prunus laurocerasus) and others.<br />
Oriental beech in Georgia is characterized by a distinct zonal distribution, while solitary old age (300<br />
– 400 years) specimen trees (Photo 1, 2) are located directly on the shore of the Black Sea, and are<br />
found up to an upper boundary of the subalpine belt at an altitu<strong>de</strong> of 2,200 m and over. The forest<br />
belt is formed from 800(1,000) m to 1,500(1,600) m (Gulisashvili 19 4).<br />
The virgin beech forests of indigenous origin are found mainly on slopes with large inclines and in<br />
inaccessible mountain ravines and on slopes managed as protected areas. Because the main beech<br />
forests are located mainly on hillsi<strong>de</strong> slopes, near populated areas and close to the Black sea, natural<br />
forest ecosystems are frequently replaced with anthropogenic formations – agro-ecosystems.<br />
Over long periods, the beech forests in Georgia have un<strong>de</strong>rgone the anthropogenic stress due to<br />
high <strong>de</strong>mand for valuable timber (mainly parquet assortment) and fuel wood. As a result conditions<br />
of stability of species’ diversity and main forest-taxation characteristics of virgin beech forests<br />
remained in a fragmented form and retained importance from the point of view of implementation<br />
of sustainable forestry policy. Particularly, in fulfillment of protective-ecological functions (soilprotection,<br />
water-protection, water regulation), as well as supply of the population with wood raw<br />
material and fuel wood as well as other non-timber forest resources.<br />
101
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