German-Ukrainian Efforts Towards Building Climate-Resilient Forests in Western Ukraine – First Results of Alternative Regeneration Systems

Abstract

Due to the current changes in the socio-ecological system in Ukraine, forest adaptation is of high importance. Continuous-Cover Forestry (CCF) is seen to be promising for Ukraine to provide the Ukrainian society with various ecosystem services from forests and to increase the adaptive capacity of Ukrainian forests. First, basic features of Ukrainian forests and the forest sector are outlined, and the regeneration systems of the major tree species with economic value are described. Moreover, the need for forest conservation in order to safeguard the biodiversity of Ukrainian forests is highlighted. Based on a joint Ukrainian-German research project called 'Resilpine', the first scientific results on the regeneration of major tree species in Ukraine with alternative silvicultural systems to clearcut are illustrated. The data show that natural regeneration in group (or patch) selection systems is abundant and sufficient compared to clearcut. Especially Scots pine, but also intermediate species, are establishing. Group selection cutting can therefore be recommended as a promising alternative natural regeneration system to clearcutting in order to convert Ukrainian forests.