ANALYSIS OF RESOURCE POTENTIAL IN THE CONTEXT OF FORMATION OF THE COMPETITIVENESS OF THE FORESTRY COMPLEX OF UKRAINE

Abstract

The article presents an analysis of the forest resource potential of Ukraine according to certain criteria in the dynamics. Positive trends of its growth in the context of formation of competitiveness of forestry complex are proved, in particular: increase of the area of lands of forestry purpose for 50 years by 21% and achievement of level of forest cover of the territory to 15,9% (optimum level – 20%); increase in the stock of stands per 1 ha in up to 240 m3 (7th place in Europe); exceeding the volume of forest reproduction area by 6% for the area of continuous fellings, which indicates the inexhaustible activity of the forest industry. Negative tendencies of deterioration of the forest resource potential of the country were determined, in particular: high share of medieval stands (47.5%) and low share of mature and overripe plantations (18.7%), high average age of stands (over 60 years); most of the forest plantations are created artificially, which causes their low immunity to forest pests and various diseases, on half of the lands covered with forest vegetation it is forbidden to carry out felling of the main use, which reduces the full use of resource potential of the industry; most forests are state-owned, 13% are permanently used by utilities, and the share of privately owned forests is less than 0.1%. More than 7% of forest plantations are classified as reserve lands, and another part is subordinated to dozens of central government agencies, which leads to their decline and inefficient use. Thus, as a result of the analysis, the necessary directions for improving the condition of certain components of the forest resource potential in the context of strengthening the competitiveness of the forestry complex are substantiated. It is proposed to review the existing distribution of forest lands by various permanent users and by different categories of protection, which leads mainly to the decline and inefficient use of forest stands in the country. Negative manifestations in the functioning of the forest sector are also the high average age of plantations, a significant proportion of artificial plantations and the insufficient level of forest cover in some administrative regions.