Assessing and Mapping Changes in Forest Growing Stock Volume over Time in Bashkiriya Nature Reserve, Russia

Abstract

There is growing recognition that forest ecosystems are a key component in the global carbon cycle, and there is a clear demand for their study. This research is a comparative analysis of forest growing stock volume (GSV) and determination of annual growth in Bashkiriya Nature Reserve (Russia) for 1979 and 2015 using 8395 and 8405 observation plots, respectively. Also, we evaluated the spatial distribution and produced digital maps of the species and their GSV for each year. The results showed that pine and birch were the dominant species (60.5 and 24.8% of the area in 2015, respectively) and there were no significant changes in the area of stands during the 36-year period. We found that the GSV in the reserve had increased by an average of 23.2% over the 36-year period. Specifically, the total forest GSV increased from 7,678,960 in 1979 to 10,003,890 m3 in 2015, representing an annual gain of 0–1.5 m3/ha. The increase in GSV was mainly associated with an increase in birch and pine trees. The annual growth of GSV was determined as 1.8–2.1 and 1.4 m3/ha per year for pine and birch forests, respectively. However, these types of trees belong to the age categories of mature and overmature stands, i.e., with reduced intensity of GSV gain. Digital maps produced as part of this study provide a visual representation of the changes in forest spatial patterns and GSV over time, highlighting areas of the reserve where the stock has increased or decreased. This study leveraged a substantial dataset, which provided valuable retrospective insights into the dynamics of pristine forest ecosystems, allowing for the assessment of changes over a 36-year period. Overall, this study highlights the importance of the ongoing monitoring and assessment of GSV levels, especially in the context of rapidly changing environments and climates.