About longevity and viability of artificial created water-protective forest forest conservation

Abstract

Khrenovskoy section of the "Special Expedition of the Forest Department of the Ministry of Agriculture and State Property for testing and accounting of various ways and methods of forestry and water management in the steppes of Russia" is located in the south-east of the Voronezh region. In the scientific literature this territory is called the "Stone Steppe". The expedition worked here from 1892 to 1898. The first planting was carried out by O.I. Kovalev and K.E. Sobenevsky foresters. In one plantation, many trees and shrubs were tested for their suitability for afforestation in the region. Successors of foresters of "Special expedition ..." G.F. Morozov and A.N. Mikhailov finally decided on the main species, having secured this status behind English oak tree, but taking into account the new requirements for creation of forest belts, the search for the best oak companions is still continuing. Currently, in the south-east of the Central Black Earth (Voronezh region) there are more than 126 thousand hectares of protective plantations on agricultural lands located near ravine and narrows. Most of them grow without forest management; many were exposed to fire and need reforestation measures. In the Stone Steppe, experimental restoration felling has been carried out since 1933, when the forest strips were 38 years old. The last experimental regenerative felling was carried out in the 63 years old summer plantation (forest belt No. 72). The possibility of coppice resumption and creation of oak plantations on felling was tested. Cultures are not preserved because of ill-timed clarification. In the coppice stands the breed composition has changed due to the reduction of oak, which is also explained by the untimely cleaning of oak coppice. There is a perspective in the coppice stands of maple-linden plantations and in old-growth mother stands of oak-maple ones, since in all variants maple young growth is viable and is available in sufficient quantity. The article shows that despite the minimum amount of oak in the composition of the parent stand, by 122 it will begin to take the leading place. The dynamics of the species composition of the 122-year-old water-protection forest stand is considered and the analysis of the results of reforestation cuttings is carried out in different age periods of this plantation. It has been established that the parent tree stand, despite its thinness, has a considerable stock of stem wood, English oak has leading position in vitality, and European ash and black ash ; in the most part, are limited in viability, elm that prevailed during planting was the last one in the old-growth plantation.