Biology pros and cons of deforestation. Deforestation as an environmental problem. The consequences of deforestation and ways to solve it. Deforestation and climate change

Together with the post-Soviet degradation of forestry and« optimization» forestry infrastructure, annual forest fires have intensified. But no less catastrophic is the problem of illegal logging.

Below we publish a report with the results of our own research by CEPR experts.They conducted an in-depth expert survey in two "forest" regions of the country- in the Kirov region and in the Republic of Karelia. At the same time, the situation with illegal logging is similar in other subjects of the Russian Federation, including in the regions of Siberia and the Far East. Moreover, illegal deforestation in the Russian regions is "impossible without the support of the authorities" or, at least, of its individual representatives. The damage from illegal logging is estimated by experts at tens of millions of rubles annually. ATCEPR study involved people whose professional activity directly or indirectly connected with the forest industry.

The logging industry is one of the most important sectors of the Russian economy. According to UN statistics, half of the territory of our country is covered with forests, and the total forest area of ​​Russia (851 million hectares) is one fifth of the forest area of ​​the planet Earth. Two thirds of these forests are suitable for use in the forest industry.

Russia is one of the largest producers and exporters of wood - fifth in the world, second in Europe .

According to the Federal Customs Service, the share of exports of timber and pulp and paper products to non-CIS countries in 2016 amounted to 3.3%, and to the CIS countries - 4.4%. According to the UN database UN Comtrade, the share of exports of wood, charcoal, wood products in 2015 was 1.8%. According to experts, the cost forest resources Russia exceeds the cost of resources such as oil and gas.

In 2015, according to the UN, the volume of official logging in Russia amounted to 206 million cubic meters. meters, that is, 5.5% of global volumes, among the countries of the world this is the fifth place. However, despite the huge resource potential, the efficiency of the Russian timber industry is extremely low. According to the estimates of the representative of the Union of Timber Manufacturers and Exporters of Russia, the Russian timber industry is characterized by a low technical level of production, a technological lag behind world trends, low profitability and unsustainable financial position enterprises of the industry, poorly developed road and industrial infrastructure, low level forestry engineering. So the timber industry in Russia is low-income- according to experts, the producer's income from one cubic meter of wood is several times less than the average on the international logging market.

A separate serious problem for the Russian timber industry is illegal logging and subsequent sale of illegally harvested timber. Estimated World Fund wildlife Russia and the World Bank up to 20% of wood harvested in Russian Federation, is illegal. If, for example, we rely on the previously indicated data that in Russia in 2015 206 million cubic meters were harvested. meters of wood, then the volume of illegal timber products, according to the specified expert estimates, will be 40-50 million cubic meters. meters of wood.

The damage to the budget is estimated at about 13-30 billion rubles annually(data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations), in 2013 the Minister of Natural Resources and Ecology of the Russian Federation Sergey Donskoy called the figure in 10 billion rubles annually. Experts believe that illegal logging is most widespread in export-oriented regions rich in forest resources, especially in the regions of Siberia. In 2013 non-profit international organization The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) has published an investigation into a scheme to legalize illegally cut wood and then sell it to China. Ecologists' assessments of the scale of illegal timber harvesting are very serious: for example, they believe that 50% to 75% of oak exported to China is illegal. There are other independent peer reviews.

Thus, the head of the Forest Program of the World Wildlife Fund, Elena Kulikova, claims that every fourth piece of wood in Russia is of “doubtful origin”. Director of the Amur branch of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Russia Yuri Darman emphasizes that two thirds of the volume of valuable tree species on Far East harvested illegally.

The damage from illegal logging is not only the country's economy, but also nature. Scholars from the World Resources Institute, Maryland Institute and representatives Google studied several hundred thousand satellite photographs of the Earth's surface and calculated exactly how much forests are destroyed in each country of the world annually. Russia was in first place - in the period from 2011 to 2013, an average of 4.3 million hectares of forest disappeared in our country annually. This figure can be compared with Canada, which was in second place with a result half as much - 2.4 million hectares annually. Scientists have also calculated that if all logging is stopped immediately, it will take at least 100 years to restore the forest in Russia.

However, according to Rosstat, last years there is no tendency to increase the scale of reforestation (and this is taking into account the fact that 2016 was - declared the Year of reforestation):

Center for Economic and political reforms spent own study of the problem of illegal logging. We conducted an in-depth expert survey in two "forest" regions of the country - in the Kirov region and in the Republic of Karelia. At the same time, the situation with illegal logging is similar in other subjects of the Russian Federation, including in the regions of Siberia and the Far East.

Our study involved people whose professional activities are directly or indirectly related to the forest industry. We present the main results.

HOW URGENT IS THE PROBLEM AND WHAT IS THE DYNAMICS OF THE SITUATION?

The interviewed experts confirmed: the problem really exists, and it is extremely topical. The majority of respondents in both regions note that the problem has existed for a long time - it originated in perestroika times after the start of the privatization process.

Respondents' opinions about whether the scale of this phenomenon is growing or not differed. Most of of respondents from Karelia still tend to believe that illegal logging has occurred relatively less frequently in recent years, especially when compared with the 1990s, although they emphasize that it is difficult to give accurate estimates of the dynamics. In the Kirov region, assessments differ: some experts insist that the scale of the phenomenon has only been growing in recent years, others refer to official data on a decrease in the scale of illegal logging, as well as gradual results in the fight against poaching logging (in particular, the importance of adopting the Forest Code in 2006), gaining experience in methods of this struggle among law enforcement and foresters. One of the experts from the Kirov region says that in recent years it has been possible to attract and punish more offenders.

Experts cite the following interesting observation: those involved in illegal logging, learned how to get around the law. The scale of the problem is still large and difficult to pinpoint, but the methods used by perpetrators have become more sophisticated.

One interviewee reported on the experience of reducing the problem in one of the districts of the Republic of Karelia due to the fact that most of the area of ​​the district is leased, and the tenants take on the function of protecting the territory, and they perform this function effectively. Tenants control the logging carried out by contractors, preventing illegal logging, as well as the logging process. According to the expert, the absence of large-scale clearings in this area is also confirmed by space images taken as part of monitoring in 2015-2016.

However, the majority of respondents noted that one of the types of illegal logging is not poaching, but actions of official tenants or sub-tenants of plots, who often go beyond the boundaries of their plots, and also use other illegal schemes for cutting and selling forests. Moreover, most experts from the Kirov region believe that it is the official tenants who are behind the most extensive illegal logging (see the HOW IT WORKS? section).

SCOPE OF ILLEGAL FELLING

First of all, the experts assessed how many cubic meters of forest in their region are cut down annually. Most experts could not give exact figures: however, they agree that the recorded cases and the figures voiced at the official level do not cover all illegal logging. In addition, in fact, no one systematically monitors and counts the above-mentioned cases of going beyond the boundaries of the leased plots. According to experts, petty poaching in the vast majority of cases is not taken into account and, moreover, is not generalized.

One of the experts from the Kirov region gave his rough estimates, while suggesting that the real numbers could be even higher. According to his calculations, about 50,000 cubic meters of wood are cut down in the region per year. A representative of the Ministry of Nature Management and Ecology of the Republic of Karelia gives a figure of about 10.8 thousand cubic meters of wood for 2016.

When evaluating the annual financial loss experts also encountered objective difficulties: some stressed that it is necessary to count not only the amount for which the forest was cut down, but also to include unpaid taxes and illegal profits.

Some respondents gave a number of assessments. Thus, a representative of the Ministry of Nature Management and Ecology of the Republic of Karelia estimated the financial damage from illegal logging in the region in 2016 at 80 million rubles. Experts from the Kirov region announced different figures: 70 million rubles, 140 million; one respondent stressed that, taking into account unpaid taxes and illegally obtained profits, this amount could be many times higher.

However, more often the experts limited themselves to general assessments (for example, « million damage» ) and gave examples of specific, recently identified cases illustrating the extent of illegal logging and marketing of timber. Examples:

“Consider, if a violation was revealed in the Uninsky district a month ago, about 4 thousand cubic meters were cut illegally, and there are up to 7 such illegals in the region ...»

“Recently there was a case in Pitkyaranta - the head of the urban settlement lowered 100 wagons of commercial timber to the left” (respondent from Karelia);

“Periodically voiced after some litigation that the damage is calculated in millions in a particular case, and general figures under lock and key. For example, there was information that in December last year, a forest was cut down on the territory of 1 hectare. According to official published data, the damage amounted to more than two million rubles. There are such private histories and data, but the total damage is unknown.” (respondent from the Kirov region);

“There is evidence from noisy processes that damage is in the millions. I can imagine the total amount of damage in the region as a whole... I know that a lot of "black lumberjacks" operate in the Sovetsky district, there are even some legal disputes, but I also know that all this ends in favor of those who have money »

ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE

Experts almost unanimously recognized that illegal logging has an extremely negative impact on the environmental situation, and the problem is wider than a decrease in the amount of wood.

Deforestation inevitably entails a wide range of environmental problems. Due to illegal logging, which is inevitably disorderly and even barbaric, the vegetation and animal world- flora and fauna become poorer, soil erosion occurs, and other undesirable consequences occur. For example, experts from the Kirov region say that due to clearings for last decade there was a rise in groundwater in the Vyatka River, shallowing of small rivers, waterlogging of soils. According to one of the respondents from the region, the situation in Vernekamsky, Luzsky, Nagorsky and Luninsky districts of the region is especially unfavorable in this regard.

A separate problem is the untimely removal of wood, as well as the garbage that remains after cutting down. In the context of illegal logging clutter problem forests are especially acute: lumberjacks everywhere leave part of the cut wood. According to experts, when pirate logging occurs, sawn wood is often selected, and everything else is not disposed of, but simply remains in the forest and litters it. Then it dries up and provokes fires and air pollution. One of the experts from the Kirov region identified a number of districts in which this problem is most serious: Urzhumsky, Uninsky, Nagorsky, Podosinovsky districts.

As a rule, large tenants, who are running schemes for cutting down and selling forests, do not care at all about the restoration of the forest. It is necessary that these processes be in the same chain, and lack of attention to reforestation creates serious long-term risks.

The experts reported that illegal logging is carried out in particular protective areas forests, for example, along water bodies. Thus, experts from Karelia spoke about deforestation in specially protected areas, mentioning, in particular, the Ladoga region. Some experts believe that "black loggers" tend to cut down forests in protected areas, since the quality of wood there may be higher.

It is also reported about felling of valuable tree species. One of the experts from the Kirov region listed the areas of the region where the damage from logging is especially strong valuable forest: Lebyazhsky, Podosinovsky, Luzsky, Afanasevsky, Shabalinsky, Malmyzhsky, Darovsky, Kilmezsky districts. Another respondent spoke about the felling of valuable tree species in the green zone in the Kirovo-Chepetsky district.

Also, according to one of the respondents from Karelia, residents of the region complain about deforestation along the roads, but in this case it is more often about formally legal logging by tenants.

HOW IT WORKS?

First of all, it should be borne in mind that, as already mentioned above, very often one or another role in illegal logging is played by large investors renting large areas forests in the region.

Investment projects imply preferential, favorable conditions for the lease of forest plots. Large investment companies actively use this, they even received an informal nickname « forest lords» . After they lease a large plot, they often sublease the plots at inflated prices, without caring about the control and obligations assumed during the lease. A common option that they use is to hire contractors to cut down the forest, and then sell this forest to them or sell it through them. The contractor is hired under one contract, and then the cut wood is sold to him under another. Large investors themselves, as a rule, remain in the shadows, all negotiations and relations with the forest rangers are built by the subtenant.

For the functioning of the industries created according to the investment project, part of the cut wood is still used for these industries (according to the expert, the subtenant is given a list in advance of what they must deliver to the sites investment enterprises). The rest of the forest is sold to the side.

According to one of the experts from the Kirov region, « only a third[of the large investors who have received plots on lease for investment projects] legally fulfill their obligations, two-thirds resell the forest to black businessmen. They cut them down and sell them through their own channels.” . Another expert gives a more pessimistic assessment, saying that less than 10% of investors fulfill their obligations.

One of the interviewees cited the situation that took place in the Kirov region as an example. A large investor leased large areas of forest for the implementation of a dozen investment projects which involved the creation of wood processing enterprises and the provision of jobs for the inhabitants of the region. However, less than half of the projects were actually implemented. Most of the projects remained "on paper". According to the expert, the main activity of the investor was the sublease of forests at an inflated price, without holding auctions. In fact, the region lost good forest plots, without getting the effect from the implementation of the originally prescribed projects, and the investment company received super profits.

involved in illegal logging and forestries who have formal rights to cut down for their needs and sanitization and often use these rights to cut wood for sale, but they need to additionally organize the export and sale. Also often agricultural enterprises who have forest plots and must use them for their economic needs, instead additionally trade in timber.

It has also been noted above that often tenants move out of the allotted area. For example, one of the experts gave an example when an entrepreneur received an official permit to cut down forests next to the protected zone, but he deliberately outlined the scope of work to the lumberjacks wider than allowed, and part of the forest was cut down in the protected zone.

A respondent from Karelia spoke about another scheme: buying up benefits, allowing you to get wood for construction. Buyers of benefits get the opportunity to cut down one large piece of forest. Beneficiaries, after such a deal, are in fact deprived of the opportunity to build a house or a summer residence.

An expert from Karelia says that in the border area the practice of exporting cut wood abroad on timber trucks at night and that there are special corridors. Often documents for export are issued in this case on joint ventures. Experts also say that cars usually drive in front of the timber truck, checking the path and making sure that they will not meet law enforcement officers.

Finally, for small-scale logging, individual citizens are often hired through informal channels to poach. Experts say that it is they who are most often caught, punished, and it is due to them that the percentage of crimes solved in reporting is increased.

Forestries may also be subject to sanctions, but, according to some interviewees, in this case “Catch those who didn’t share” . According to experts, the most dangerous and practically unpunished chain in practice is connected with large companies.

Part of the cut wood is taken out by round timber, the other part goes to processing at sawmills. Wood processing is carried out on a much smaller scale, preferring to sell round timber. A respondent from the Kirov region reported that the existing wood processing enterprises mainly work with old equipment, in order to upgrade them, huge funds are needed, which only « forest lords» who, in turn, are not interested in such investments as long as they have the opportunity to make large profits in an easier way.

Experts admit that the enterprises created by the “forest lords” as part of the implementation of investment projects on benefits are not capable of generating any comparable profits. Therefore, companies choose illegal logging, tax evasion and export of timber to markets.

Experts give different estimates of the rates of return from legal and illegal logging, most estimate the difference between them at least 2.5–3 times.

The forest comes true to other regions and abroad: for example, experts from the Kirov region talk about deliveries to Tatarstan and large deliveries to China. It is noteworthy that one of the experts notes that in official reports, the volume of wood supplies to China from the region is underestimated, in reality more is exported there. He also mentioned that many Chinese are employed in the region's logging operations.

WHO IS PARTICIPATED IN THE SCHEMES AND WHAT IS THE ROLE OF THE AUTHORITIES?

According to experts, a variety of actors are involved in illegal logging: large companies, local tenants, forestries. are often involved in felling locals, many of whom are unemployed (for example, in Karelia, the unemployment rate according to Rosstat as of January 2017 is significantly higher than in the whole of the Russian Federation, and the highest among the regions of the North-West Federal District in particular - 9%, in the whole of the Russian Federation - 5.4%, as a whole in the NWFD - 4.3%).

Poaching felling on a relatively small scale is a phenomenon of a separate order. Thus, a respondent from the Kirov region spoke about the situation with small-scale poaching in the region. Unemployment is high in the forest areas, many leave the region to work on a rotational basis, while others try to earn money by illegal logging. People unite in small groups, often draw up IP for one person, set up small sawmills and cut down forests by poaching. The expert points out that recent times they began to restore order: for example, on the border with Tatarstan, where the export of round timber in large quantities used to flourish, they established strict control, posts, and poaching cutting down in these places is carried out on a much smaller scale than one or two years ago.

Directly illegal logging is most often engaged in local entrepreneurs. Newcomers are drawn into the schemes through connections with local entrepreneurs; Often visitors are returning locals. On a large scale, fellings are usually carried out by those who have a forestry education or extensive experience in this area. Respondents from Karelia also indicate that entrepreneurs from St. Petersburg actively participate in this activity in their region.

Most experts agree: without the support of the authorities, or at least individual representatives of the authorities more or less large-scale illegal logging operations would be impossible. Experts point out that big business in without fail seeks enlist the support of the authorities. In some cases, representatives of the authorities may act initiators or active participants in the process. In the Kirov region, respondents mentioned that representatives of authorities at the level of the government of the region could be involved in the schemes (it was about former members regional government). However, according to experts, even if the representatives of the authorities are not actively involved in specific schemes, they are at least systematically turn a blind eye to them, the principle of mutual responsibility often works.

In general, the experts refer to concrete experience confirming the connection of illegal logging entrepreneurs with the authorities:

“There was a case in the Urzhum region, when, on a signal local residents the police left, established a major theft of the forest, even transferred to the court, but then everything stopped. It turned out that the locals cut wood for an entrepreneur from another region, and he sold the wood to Tatarstan. The fact of theft and the amount of loss in millions were established, but no one was punished. (respondent from the Kirov region);

“Everyone understands perfectly. in the municipalities there is this felling - what, they don't see it? But there are documents, a call from above: do not touch, do not go there, we all know. And that's all. And the topic is closed (respondent from Karelia);

“There are documents that evade the cutters from punishment. They catch small fry, which sometimes cuts without documents, hoping for a chance " (respondent from the Kirov region);

"Behind last year about two hundred criminal cases were opened, but only in a third of these cases were illegal cutters punished, again among them were not the main organizers, but intermediaries. Is this possible without the support of the authorities? (respondent from the Kirov region).

FIGHT AGAINST ILLEGAL FELLING

The fight against illegal logging has a long history - since the 1990s, the legal framework has been gradually formed, technical methods. Today, even space technologies are used to identify violators - images of the territory from space are taken.

However, experts point out that the fight is mostly point-to-point: law enforcement agencies respond to a specific report of violations received from citizens, conduct a verification raid, and punish violators.

For example, a representative of the Ministry of Natural Resources Management and Ecology of the Republic of Karelia emphasized the importance of the following methods: patrolling the territory by foresters, prompt response to messages from citizens by calling the direct line of forest protection in the region; he, in particular, spoke about the successes in the fight against illegal logging in the Ladoga region. The representative of one of the republic's forestries also focuses on such measures as patrols, constant raids together with the police.

At the same time, as mentioned above, such measures are usually aimed solely at combating small-scale poaching rather than the much larger logging operations involving medium and large entrepreneurs, which are a much more serious problem that requires systemic measures.

If we turn to the statistics on the consideration of cases under Art. 260 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation "Illegal logging of forest plantations" in the court of first instance in Russia as a whole, we will see that, for example, for the period 2011-2014. the number of cases has increased:

But even if the statistics on catching "black loggers" shows an increase in indicators, you need to understand that this is happening mainly due to individual petty violators. According to experts, it is precisely such actions that receive complaints to law enforcement agencies in a straight line, and if they know about the big businessmen of the market, citizens are silent.

Experts from the Kirov region spoke about attempts by the new regional authorities to apply systemic measures to combat illegal logging. According to those interviewed, a course was taken to control the system of distribution of forest resources and to lease land only through an auction. The work of exchange electronic trading floors, according to exchange trading in the timber market, the Kirov region became a leader among the regions of Russia. After the introduction of auctions, the price for cubic meter The volume of timber increased significantly at the auction, which greatly reduced the chances of entrepreneurs for the successful implementation of popular schemes with the resale of timber. There was also an example of the seizure of a plot from an investor-tenant who was engaged in dishonest activities as part of the implementation of an investment project. According to experts, all these steps have been taken in the right direction, but so far they are not enough. In addition, there was a problem of resistance new policy regulation of the issue by local authorities in the regions of the region.

WHAT TO DO?

- The root of the problem is corruption. It is impossible to solve the problem with targeted measures and the capture of petty violators or perpetrators who are at the very bottom of the “hierarchy”. Now the system is actually working to prosecute small poachers while creating favorable conditions for turning various schemes for mass cutting and selling forests by large entrepreneurs.

Moreover, illegal deforestation schemes often directly involve those who are called upon to combat this phenomenon - forestries, law enforcement agencies. Large-scale systemic changes are needed, which cannot be implemented without the political will to different levels authorities.

- Necessaryput under real control the work of large investment companies. Failure to comply with the terms of the contract should entail the deprivation of all benefits received under it. The existing system of encouragement of investment projects in practice serves not the tasks of development, but the plunder of the forest resources of the regions. Now access large companies to the forest is practically unlimited. Consideration should be given to raising timber tariffs for these companies and selling only through auctions.

- In the same time small and medium-sized enterprises need benefits (primarily tax), under which it will be more profitable for them to work legally, and not go into the shadows. Reasonably structured incentives for such enterprises could provide an incentive to stop participating in illegal schemes.

- Authorities at all levels should be interested in establishing independent control over the industry. Everything should be monitored and recorded in open sources: from work on plots to timber sales transactions, and, first of all, the activities of large companies should be taken under control. All information should be as ordered, accessible and transparent as possible.

Involvement in illegal logging a large number people is a consequence of the negative socio-economic situation in the regions, low incomes of the population and - most importantly - high level unemployment. Targeted persecution and punishment of individual violators basically only lead to the fact that people are looking for new ways to circumvent the law and law enforcement agencies. It is necessary to create jobs, develop infrastructure, work to improve the living standards of the population, give the territories the opportunity to develop, stimulate them to make it profitable for them to earn taxes and put things in order. Only such measures, which affect the socio-economic environment as a whole, can radically change the situation with small-scale poaching.

- The Russian economy needs to shift its focus from resource extraction to manufacturing. For the forest industry, this is an extremely important task. So, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 2014 in the structure Russian export lumber and wood products 69% were sawn timber and rough wood products, while wood joinery was only 2%.

Now the flow of timber export from the country has been established, and a significant part of the forest is being cut down barbarously, chaotically and illegally. Thus, the country does not just sell Natural resources abroad - it also receives less of a significant part of the income from these sales, the timber is simply stolen, and with the active participation of the state. The first priority is the fight against illegal logging. However, in strategic terms, an equally important task is the transition from the export of raw materials abroad to the processing of wood within the country. It can be done only by government incentives, since at present there are no conditions on the market under which it would be profitable for entrepreneurs to massively invest in the retraining of enterprises.

NOTES

According to the World's Richest Countries portal.

See G. P. Panichev. Development strategy forest complex for the long term. Forest Bulletin 4/2013.

According to the portal Gcourts, which accumulates data on judgments in RF.

In many regions of Russia, illegal and uncontrolled felling of trees is carried out systematically. According to the estimates of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) annually Russia loses about $1 billion due to illegal logging. In the Arkhangelsk region alone last year, inspectors recorded 359 cases of illegal logging, resulting in losses of 410,500,000 rubles ($12 million). You can find enough detailed information about changes in forestry that have taken place in recent years.

The highest level of illegal logging is observed in the north-west of Russia and the Far East. Increasing timber harvesting restrictions in China have increased demand for Russian timber. So that far eastern forest goes to China, where sawmills and their Western customers are destroying valuable hardwoods, of which we have less and less. The Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA) claims that "80% of valuable timber is cut down illegally in the Far East."

Half of all timber imported from Russia to the EU goes to Finland. Sweden, Germany, Great Britain and Italy are also major timber importers from Russia.

The systematic destruction of forests causes significant damage to wildlife, destroys the ecosystem, displaces animals from their original habitats. Intensive logging, according to WWF, threatens the existence of such animals as capercaillie, white-backed woodpecker, Amur tiger and far eastern leopard. Ash, linden, oak and cedar are disappearing. Also, deforestation is one of the main reasons for the increase in the greenhouse effect.

Despite the scale of the problem, the lack human resources, low salaries of foresters, lack of control directly in the forests and gaps in legislation make it difficult to prevent such criminal acts. Companies, under the guise of cutting down diseased trees, harvest healthy valuable wood. Some land tenants transfer the right to cut wood to other companies that harvest more than the allowed volumes, and the tenants then buy the wood from them along with the surplus. Poachers need to be caught by the hand so that law enforcement can bring them to justice. When the trees are taken away from the place where they were cut down, it is no longer possible to present something to the poachers. The sale of timber has become the main source of income for unscrupulous foresters and officials. In addition, many people go to deforestation due to poverty and unemployment in order to feed their families.

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tree growth rate. Growth chart and latest research Whether there is a global warming climate and is it caused by human activity? Soil erosion. Invisible and destructive

Trees and other vegetation are the key to maintaining the climate on Earth. In recent years, the issue of preserving forests on the planet has become particularly acute. For the number of green spaces and their condition in cities and other settlements monitored by the competent authorities.

Sanitary felling of trees on the site is possible only after agreement with the utility companies.

Sanitary felling

Trees, like other living organisms, are prone to disease, they age, become emergency. Spontaneous collapse of such a tree can lead to accidents and injuries, as well as the collapse of power lines, damage to cars and other property.

Regular felling of trees within the boundaries of settlements is necessary for:

• timely removal of diseased, old or damaged plants that can harm people or property;
• rejuvenation of the garden and arrangement of territories, as new plants will be planted in place of old trees;
• production construction works when erecting new buildings, laying roads or communications.

All these activities must be carried out in accordance with applicable law after approvals.

For industrial purposes, wood is obtained by deforestation. This process should be controlled by the state. Recently, cases of illegal deforestation have become more frequent, in which case no one cares about preserving nature and reducing damage to the forest ecosystem.

As a result, irreparable damage is caused to nature:

• after the destruction of the forest ecosystem, many species of animals and plants disappear;
• a decrease in the varieties of representatives of the flora affects the quality of life of the population of the planet;
• an increase in carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere leads to a greenhouse effect, resulting in global change climate;
• there is a constant washing out of the soil, the destruction of the upper fertile layer, which leads to the formation of deserts;
• high humidity on the soil provokes waterlogging of areas where trees were cut down;
• the destruction of green spaces from the slopes of the mountains leads to the rapid melting of glaciers.

smooth out Negative consequences possible by planting new plants, as well as reducing the consumption of wood and paper products. Recycling paper also allows you to partially solve the problem of cutting down trees.

Deforestation can lead to sad consequences, see the video:

One of the most important sectors of the Russian economy is the logging industry. Russia is one of the largest producers and exporters of wood - the fifth place in the world, the second place in Europe.

According to UN statistics, half of the territory of our country is covered with forests, and the total forest area of ​​Russia (851 million hectares) is one fifth of the forest area of ​​the planet Earth. Two thirds of these forests are suitable for use in the forest industry.

However, despite the huge resource potential, the efficiency of the Russian timber industry is extremely low. According to the representative of the Union of Timber Manufacturers and Exporters of Russia, the Russian timber industry is characterized by a low technical level of production, a technological lag behind world trends, low profitability and unstable financial position of industry enterprises, poorly developed road and industrial infrastructure, and a low level of forestry engineering. Therefore, according to experts, the timber industry in Russia is low-income - the producer's income from one cubic meter of wood is several times less than the average on the international logging market.

A separate serious problem for the Russian timber industry is illegal logging and the subsequent sale of illegally harvested timber (""). According to the World Wildlife Fund of Russia and the World Bank, up to 20% of timber harvested in the Russian Federation is of illegal origin. Then it turns out that the volume of illegal timber products in our country in 2015 amounted to 40-50 million cubic meters. meters of wood, since in total 206 million cubic meters were harvested that year. meters.

- Authorities at all levels should be interested in establishing independent control over the industry(""). Everything should be monitored and recorded in open sources: from work on plots to timber sales transactions, and, first of all, the activities of large companies should be taken under control. All information should be as ordered, accessible and transparent as possible.

The involvement of a large number of people in illegal logging is a consequence of the negative socio-economic situation in the regions, low incomes of the population and, most importantly, high unemployment. Targeted persecution and punishment of individual violators basically only lead to the fact that people are looking for new ways to circumvent the law and law enforcement agencies. It is necessary to create jobs, develop infrastructure, work to improve the living standards of the population, give the territories the opportunity to develop, stimulate them to make it profitable for them to pay taxes and put things in order. Only such measures, affecting the socio-economic environment as a whole, can radically change the situation with small-scale poaching.

- The Russian economy needs to shift its focus from resource extraction to manufacturing. For the forest industry, this is an extremely important task. So, according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in 2014, in the structure of Russian exports of wood and wood products, 69% were sawn timber and raw timber, and wood joinery - only 2% ("").

To sum up, now the flow of timber export from the country has been established, and a significant part of the forest is cut down barbarously, chaotically and illegally. Thus, the country does not just sell natural resources abroad - it also loses a significant part of the income from these sales, the timber is simply stolen. The first priority is to combat illegal logging. However, in the strategic plan, an equally important task is the transition from the export of raw materials abroad to the processing of wood within the country. It can be done only by government incentives, since at present there are no conditions on the market under which it would be profitable for entrepreneurs to massively invest in the retraining of enterprises.

Deforestation is the process of destroying trees, vines or shrubs. Mainly produced for the purpose of obtaining a large number wood, and in some cases - to renew and improve the forest, as well as to increase its productivity. Uncontrolled deforestation is becoming a frequent cause of deforestation, that is, the process of gradually turning the area occupied by the forest into land such as wastelands or pastures. There are several types of deforestation: complete, sanitary, maintenance and general use.

Is it possible to determine real speed deforestation?

This is quite difficult to do. These data are compiled by the United Nations Agricultural and Food Company, which is usually based on official data received from the relevant ministries of the countries. Another organization, the World Bank in Peru, testifies that in Bolivia, eighty percent of harvesting is illegal, and in Colombia - about forty-two. Deforestation in Brazil and the Amazon is happening much faster than scientists thought. The cutting speed is highly dependent on the region. It is now highest in developing countries, which are in tropical zone(Nigeria, Brazilian state Rondonia, Mexico, Philippines, India, Indonesia, Guinea, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, China, Ivory Coast, Laos, Ghana and others).

How does deforestation affect the atmosphere?

Gradual deforestation contributes to the formation of more warm climate. Deforestation, which are located in the tropical zone, is responsible for about twenty percent of greenhouse gases. In the course of their life, plants (trees, shrubs, grass) remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Burning and rotting trees release stored carbon into the atmosphere. To avoid this process, wood must be made into durable products and forests must be replanted.

How does deforestation affect the water cycle?

Trees feed through their roots groundwater. In this case, the water rises to the leaves and evaporates. Deforestation makes this process impossible, resulting in a drier climate. Deforestation, among other things, negatively affects the ability of the soil to retain precipitation, as well as the penetration of moisture deep into the continents.

How does deforestation affect the soil?

Gradual deforestation reduces soil adhesion. This, in turn, can lead to landslides and flooding.

How does deforestation affect wildlife?

Basic negative effect from deforestation is to reduce the diversity of the animal and flora. Wherein most damage applied to tropical forests.

Deforestation problem

Deforestation is an urgent and urgent problem that exists in many countries. Uncontrolled deforestation affects climatic, ecological and socio-economic characteristics, and also significantly reduces the quality of life. Gradual deforestation leads to a decrease in timber stocks and to a decrease in biodiversity. Many scientists believe that the most ominous consequences of deforestation are increased