Assessment of forest management conditions in the Russian Arctic border regions forests on the factor analysis basis

Abstract

Assessment of forest management conditions in the Russian Arctic border regions forests on the factor analysis basis

Budnik P.V., Bucklagin V.N., Galactionov O.N., Krupko A.M.

Incoming article date: 28.07.2023

The purpose of this study was to assess the forest exploitation conditions of the central forestries of the Republic of Karelia and the Murmansk region. To do this, data were collected for 27 central forestries of the study region, representing 20 variables characterizing indicators of wood resources, natural production conditions and road infrastructure. The assessment of forest exploitation conditions was carried out on the basis of the developed system of indicators, which includes 5 indicators: the value of the exploitation fund; the representativeness of the territory to the natural conditions of growth of deciduous species and the level of allowable cutting area for softwood farming; representativeness of the territory with favorable natural and production conditions in the study region; size of allowable cuts for coniferous economy; and the quality of the road network. The indicators were factors extracted by the method of principal axes in the process of factor analysis. Factors explained 81.4% of the total variance of the 20 variables initially selected. The results of the study showed that two groups of forest areas are distinguished in terms of the average forest reserve: the forest areas of the Murmansk region, which are characterized by a low average reserve, and the forest areas of the Republic of Karelia. Four central forestries located in the southern part of the Republic of Karelia are distinguished by the level of reserves in the forests of deciduous tree species and the level of allowable cut for deciduous farming. The most favorable natural and production conditions are forest areas located in the southern part of the Republic of Karelia.

Keywords: logging, natural and production conditions, factor analysis, Karelia, Murmansk region, timber resources