Being in the forest poses many dangers. The problem of dangerous trees
Those who love to travel and spend time actively in wildlife, especially in the forest, must know that a forest is, first of all, a complex set of relationships that have developed over thousands of years between plants, animals, soil, sunlight and night darkness, air and water. And man has always been a guest in the forest. With the advent of civilization, I moved further and further away from the forest. Especially now, this difference is very noticeable. Many modern residents of megacities, besides nightclubs, expensive handbags, strawberry margaritas and pink smoothies, do not know real life, some (even I have such distant acquaintances) have never been to the forest at all in their lives. And of course, they do not know how to behave in difficult situations, finding themselves, for example, in the forest and encountering dangerous animals or insects. It can be assumed that such situations are very rare, but this does not make it any easier for those who find themselves in them.
From a personal point of view - when traveling to one of the tropical countries, none of the excursion participants expected any emergency situations, the route was “well-worn”, although the jungle was impassable in places, there were trails on all sides within a few kilometers, it seemed impossible to get lost there, No matter where you go, you will reach the road in an hour. But nevertheless, one couple of “urban fashionistas” turned off the main path for a moment and strayed from the excursion group. We looked for them for about two hours... When I saw them after returning, I realized how unprepared people were for such a turn of events. During these two hours they managed to meet a snake, it’s good that they noticed it in time, they were bitten by mosquitoes and stumbled upon a hive of wild bees or wasps, and escaped with only a couple of bites. But wild bees and wasps guarding their hive can attack people and animals, even if there is no allergy to their bites; several dozen bites can cause shock and even death.
Man is a guest in the forest, and from the point of view of forest and wild animals, he is an uninvited and uninvited guest, often completely unaware of the rules of behavior. This is where accidents, emergencies, injuries, and fears arise. Also legends and
myths associated with both exaggeration and understatement of the danger that the forest conceals.
Any wild animals living in the forest can pose a danger to humans. The types of dangerous animals are very diverse and their behavior is different when meeting a person, but several general patterns can be noted:
Wild animals, especially birds and mammals, are significantly better than man adapted to life in the forest. They have more advanced sensory organs and are almost always the first to notice a person by smell and sound. Its smell is a strong danger signal for a wild animal.
The popular opinion about the timidity of animals, especially large predators, should not be exaggerated too much. For some of them, such as bears and tigers, a very common behavior trait is curiosity, which can sometimes turn into unprovoked aggression. In most cases, they want to avoid “communication” with a person and, having sensed and heard you, they move away, but this does not mean that they are afraid of you. It is wild animals that are in the forest on their territory, so they regard the appearance of a person as a violation of the border with all the ensuing consequences. Yes, a predator can leave when it hears you, but only if it is not hungry and does not protect its territory and young animals. But that's exceptional dangerous predator, a connecting rod bear, the sounds of a human voice can, on the contrary, attract.
In the animal world, unlike human society, the concepts of “alien,” “unknown,” and “dangerous” often coincide, so you should not count on a friendly attitude from forest inhabitants.
Wild animals, to a greater extent than people, try to avoid danger: mobile animals go as far as possible from humans, sedentary animals use various ways passive or active protection and camouflage. Forest animals
good masters of camouflage, they know how to use all kinds of shelters.
The behavior of many wild animals (especially large ungulates and carnivores) changes significantly during certain periods of their life cycle (reproduction, migration, etc.). Animals become much more aggressive, and the danger for
person increases sharply. For example, during the breeding season, a shy elk becomes not so shy, but aggressive, and it is better not to stand in its way.
Any, even widespread species of wild animals prefer certain habitats, and here the likelihood of a chance encounter with dangerous animals of this species is higher. In order not to become a victim of a deadly animal, and even an ordinary fox that bites you can become such a victim (foxes can carry rabies), you need to remember two rules. It is necessary to have an understanding of the habits of animals and birds, as well as to be attentive and careful when moving through the forest.
Emergencies in the forest associated with dangerous animals can be divided into two groups: active attack - when a dangerous animal, without obvious reason for a person, begins to actively attack and accidents that occur as a result of careless or illiterate handling of an animal, which in a normal situation treats the person quite neutrally.
Dangerous animals of Russia and neighboring countries
In the main settlement zone of Russia, Belarus, and Ukraine, situations of the first type (active attack by an animal) are most often associated with large predatory and ungulate animals, bear, wolf, elk, wild boar, deer, and cats. Unprovoked attacks are quite rare. According to statistics, for example, a tiger attacks people for no reason in about 4% of all cases. Usually the animal attacks: for the purpose of self-defense, during a hunt, when caught near prey, when a person carelessly invades its territory, during the mating season (the so-called rut; animals are especially aggressive during this period), protecting offspring, when persistently pursuing a wounded animal or simply during a chance meeting with a person, during sudden close contact.
According to many experts, the most unpredictable large forest predator in behavior is Brown bear. Most sudden encounters with this animal end in its rapid flight. However, cases
unprovoked attacks on humans in the European part of Russia are observed almost every year. Suddenly, mushroom and berry pickers and tourists, as a rule, “look out for the bear.” Sometimes the bear shows aggression and may even chase a person, but then quickly stops the pursuit and runs away.
However, much more serious incidents are also known, when the beast literally besieged a hunting lodge for several days, not letting people out. There are often cases of aggression from a bear disturbed in its winter den. However, this can be easily avoided by knowing the favorite bear spots in a given forest and staying away from them.
A meeting with a wolf poses a serious danger for an unprepared person, although this predator will almost always prefer to hide than to attack. IN last years experts note that people encounter wolves in the forest zone more often than
earlier. Fans of forest walks, and especially long routes, should be careful.
Perhaps the most serious danger is a sudden meeting with a wolf or fox that has rabies. Here an attack is almost guaranteed, and it is almost impossible to avoid it. A sick animal can be recognized by its angry eyes, aggressive behavior, immediate, literally on the move, attack. The beast sometimes seems to sputter with saliva; There is often foam in the corners of the mouth. These animals are dangerous even when they are already dying and, snarling, cannot move. Under no circumstances should you approach them, they may bite, and then you will have to undergo long-term treatment.
Animals with rabies are not found everywhere, and before going into the forest it would be useful to obtain information from the SES about outbreaks of the disease. In case of a bite, you should immediately consult a doctor, because only correct and, most importantly, timely treatment started and carried out guarantees a complete recovery.
Wild ungulates common to European forests, elk, wild boar, deer, roe deer, are much more timid and cautious than predators, and, as a rule, move away from humans. However, during the mating season, these animals are characterized by increased excitability and aggressiveness and can pose a significant danger.
How to avoid encounters with wild dangerous animals?
The best way to avoid encounters with dangerous animals is to avoid visiting their habitats. This does not mean that you should be afraid of the wolf and not go into the forest. By choosing a travel destination in advance, you can learn about dangerous places densely populated by predators and avoid going there. If you do go on a hiking trip, be extremely careful and careful, especially at night. The presence of predators or dangerous ungulates can be indicated by a variety of signs: footprints on the soil, trampled grass and undergrowth, stripped bark on trees, droppings from feeding areas, and sometimes remains of prey.
Wolves, being the first to sense a person, make specific sounds (snorting, howling, loud barking), warning other members of the pack, and especially the young.
During the rut or feeding, wild boars behave so noisily that it is quite easy to notice and hear them.
You should avoid animal trails, difficult to pass, overgrown with bushes and littered forest areas, and windbreaks. In such places there is a high probability of encountering an animal, and it is also extremely inconvenient to retreat here. Going to the forest
Be sure to tell us where you are going to go and when you expect to return, because in addition to predators, you can simply get lost in the forest.
What to do if you encounter a dangerous animal in the forest?
First of all - don't panic! The animal senses when a person is afraid of it, your fear will only spur aggression, that is, the animal’s instinct to attack a weaker enemy may be triggered. None sudden movements and piercing screams - at least at the first moment, until you are sure that you can really scare, and not attract, the animal in this way. However, sometimes the scream actually frightens the animal and even causes it to flee. But this is an extreme case and it is very unlikely that this will work with a bear.
We all want to live in comfortable conditions and a safe environment. In addition, it is important for us to preserve our property - a house, a car, garden plants and buildings, etc. Trees often become a serious threat to our safety. The very trees that provide us with comfort - create shade, protect from wind and dust, humidify the air, clean it of harmful impurities, and finally produce the oxygen we need for life.
Kill and maim
The thousand-year history of mankind is inextricably linked with trees; they have not only practical, but also aesthetic value for us, and the situation when trees turn into a threat to our lives, health and property can be called truly paradoxical.
Here are a few excerpts from media reports.
– 07/01/2013 on the street. Academician Vinogradov in Moscow, a 25-year-old student died as a result of a falling tree...
– 06/19/13 in the Krasnoglinsky district of Samara, a tree fell on an elderly woman on a pedestrian sidewalk. The victim died from her injuries...
– 09/05/13 on Varshavskoye Highway in Moscow, a tree fell on a 60-year-old woman, who died as a result...
– In August 2012, a tree branch fell on a 13-year-old girl near her house on the street. Vetlyanskaya. She died from her injuries. The Samara Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee believes that the cause of the tragedy was the improper performance of professional duties by the head of the repair and maintenance area, since this tree It had long been recognized as an emergency and had to be eliminated. Investigators charged the said boss with negligence resulting in death by negligence...
– May 15 on the street. Remizov (Moscow) a tree fell on a child. A 9-year-old boy was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and concussion...
– Two children were injured when a tree fell on Leningradsky Prospekt (Moscow), where an old poplar tree fell onto the playground. As a result, a three-year-old boy and girl were hospitalized with back and head bruises...
At first glance, it seems that we are talking about accidents, but in fact, the cause of such tragedies is often criminal negligence. The essence of the problem lies in indifference, sloppiness, ignorance and false economy.
We have to admit that at present many trees growing on municipal lands pose a danger. First of all, this applies to trees affected by rot. It is these trees, falling under the pressure of the wind, that cause damage to the health of people and their property, and often cause death. And in our country, such cases are repeated more and more often. Among dangerous trees a huge number of old poplars.
In Germany, many municipalities have banned the planting of poplars in populated areas.
Poplar problem
The problem with poplars was inherited from our parents. But we have no right to blame them - they acted in accordance with their contemporary knowledge and tasks. It was necessary to build a lot of housing and short time green up populated areas. Poplar grows easily and quickly, but at the same time this species is soft-leaved, with loose wood, and is easily affected by rot. In addition, mature trees have a huge crown with a large mass. The combination of these factors makes poplar a dangerous, fall-prone tree.
Utility services are forced to carry out so-called “crowning” - removing the top part of the tree to lighten the crown. But very often pseudo-professionals get carried away and “crown” not only poplars, but also linden and birch trees. And if lindens at the very least live out their days in the form of “pencil poles,” then birches inevitably die.
In essence, “crowning” is the path to the gradual destruction of a tree. Rot begins to develop at the cut site. It spreads further into the trunk. Therefore, the affected part must be cut off every third year, like sharpening a pencil, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the tree. But if this is not done, an even bigger problem will arise: in place of the rot, a new crown will form, gaining enormous mass.
This barbaric attitude towards trees in our cities makes a huge impression on foreign specialists. Knowing about the problems of poplars, for example, in Germany, many municipalities banned planting this species in populated areas. In our country, they continue to reinvent the wheel and try to grow male poplars that do not spread fluff and are resistant to rot. But in stressful situations (for example, during extreme heat), the poplar is able to degenerate from a male to a female and begins to bear fruit.
In essence, “crowning” is a path to the gradual destruction of a tree.
Rotten
Why do intra-trunk rots develop? Experts know - from various damage to the trunk and branches. Mechanical damage to the pruning site, breaks in large branches, frost holes, etc. are open gates for infection to enter the trunk.
In the vast majority of cases, spores of wood-destroying fungi penetrate into the trunk at a still young age, when the tree is transplanted into new growing conditions. The reason is known - thermal damage to the conductive tissues of the tree due to a sharp change in solar exposure on the bark. Burns and frostbites occur, and rot begins to develop at the site of the lesion.
Thermal damage
The importance of thermal damage is often underestimated in our country. We don't want to understand the basics. When coming to sunbathe by the sea, the first thing a person does is oil his pale body sunscreen so as not to get burned. Allows the skin to get used to the changed intensity of solar radiation. The same protection is required for a tree planted in new conditions. It is necessary to apply radiation protection to the bark to help the tree adapt. And it is very important to know how and with what you can provide protection.
How is it most often done here? We take whitewash and in spring or autumn we smear the tree trunk to a height of 1 m. We smear both young trees and old ones with thick bark. What do we get as a result? Absolutely nothing! A waste of time, effort and money. It has long been proven that thermal damage to conductive wood tissues occurs at peak temperatures, usually in July, and spring frost damage occurs at the end of February - March. The whitewash is washed off after the third rain, and the tree is left without protection. Conventional whitewashing with lime is not only ineffective, but also harmful to wood tissue because it interferes with breathing. And cover the trunk young tree no more than a meter is completely insufficient - the trunk must be protected up to the crown.
The problems listed above are solved by the innovative tree protection product Arbo-Flex. A single application of this coating on the bark not only provides the plant with many years of reliable and absolutely harmless protection, but also allows you to save cash, spent on annual useless whitewashing.
Thermal damage to conductive wood tissues occurs at peak temperatures, usually in July, and spring frost damage occurs at the end of February - March.
Dangerous Economy
The danger of thermal damage is that it can usually be detected 7–10 years after transplantation. A problem arises: they invested money in a tree, and then discovered damage in which rot was developing. As a result, a dilemma arises: remove the tree or continue to grow it? After all, a mature tree with rot poses a great danger. If you don’t remove it, the person injured by the fallen tree will sue the municipality. And deleting it means incurring economic damage.
In developed countries, affected trees are removed no matter what. But our municipalities often follow the second path. Thinking about today, they save, but such “saving” can be too expensive. I was not lazy and examined the linden, maple and chestnut trees near my house in the park in Mitino - 60% of the trees have dry sides due to damage from thermal burns. And our children will walk among these potential murderers!
One gets the impression that nowadays many of us live one day at a time: as long as it is good now, and what will happen tomorrow is not of interest. How else can one explain the planting of trees from the forest on city streets, where, due to cramped conditions and solar deficiency, one-sided, irregular crowns are formed? Take a closer look at young trees and you will see multi-stemmed crowns and individual large branches sticking out to the side. In the absence of a system in Russia proper care Such specimens, growing up, turn into a threat to the surrounding space. But, according to people who live by the principle “my house is on the edge - I don’t know anything,” this is not their problem. And the fact that in the future such a situation will create a problem for our children does not interest them.
Inspection of a tree using ARBOTOMA 
Examination of wood using a RESISTOGRAPH 
Germany. Trees are protected with Arbo-Flex
What to do?
What is the way to solve the problem? How can we protect our yards and streets from dangerous trees?
Firstly, it is urgent to implement modern technologies and techniques that allow you to accurately identify emergency trees. And nothing better than instrumental diagnostic methods using resistography and sound tomography has yet been invented. When examining the condition of a tree, the RESISTOGRAPH ® device immediately produces a printout on the spot, on which the expert sees the real situation inside the trunk. Fortunately, RESISTOGRAPHES are now being actively purchased by the administrations of Russian cities and with their help they are solving the problem of identifying emergency trees.
Secondly. IN Russian Federation Currently, there is no binding single legal act regulating the relationship between people and trees growing on municipal lands. And it is very important to urgently develop and adopt it. Sometimes people object to me, pointing out that many cities have different rules for planting and maintaining green spaces, but they are based on the “Rules for the creation, protection and maintenance of green spaces in the cities of the Russian Federation” approved by the State Committee for Construction back in 1999, which are called recommendation character! They are very outdated. It's been 15 years! There are many misconceptions in them, and many vital issues are not addressed in any way.
In the Russian Federation, there is currently no binding single legal act regulating the relationship between people and trees growing on municipal lands.
Professional care
The level of professional tree care in Russia lags significantly behind the level in European countries. There, this industry has been actively developing since the beginning of the twentieth century. In the process of forming the North American and European markets, professional communities of workers, scientists and specialists, educational government and commercial institutions, research and production companies appeared.
The main thing is that every tree from the moment of planting until it is very old is registered and provided with control and care. A specialist monitors its growth and crown development throughout the tree’s life. Everything is done to ensure that it is safe in old age. And this despite the fact that in Western countries Trees from the forest are not planted on the streets. It comes from a tree nursery, with the crown already formed correctly.
In our cities the situation is still completely different. Many scientific achievements municipalities are not used, as a result of which thousands of planted trees continue to be damaged, creating problems for future generations. Ignoring modern knowledge leads to unreasonable monetary costs for the senseless annual whitewashing of trunks with lime, replacement of dead specimens and compensation for damage caused by fallen trees to property and human health.
We must correct this situation and save not only ourselves, but also future generations from problems.
seems possible. When entering the forest at 8 o'clock the sun was shining straight into your eyes. The railway track remains behind you, perpendicular to your direction of movement. While picking mushrooms, you didn’t notice that the clouds had covered the sun. A light rain began to fall and it became colder. You will try to navigate using signs of local objects. Which? Indicate at least 5 signs of local objects by which you can determine the sides of the horizon. Please explain in more detail.
Answer: (answer option):
Determining the sides of the horizon based on the characteristics of local objects is based on the position of these objects in relation to the sun:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Task 2. Based on knowledge in the field environment and dangers Everyday life, determine the actions that must be followed to avoid a tick bite.
Answer:
Task 3. A group of tourists moves along the route. Suddenly, the weather conditions deteriorated sharply, heavy rain began, the wind rose, and the terrain was difficult to pass. The group leader managed to report the approximate location of the group by mobile phone. Determine what decision the leader must make and what the group’s action algorithm is in this situation.
For the second part of the question, you must indicate at least 4 positions (algorithm of group actions).
Answer:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Task 4.
All travel equipment is divided into three types: personal, group and special. Determine what type of equipment it is: compass, bicycles, clothes, sleeping bag, maps, dishes, backpack, ropes, cooking utensils, shoes, axes, diagrams, boats, tent, life jackets, washing supplies. Enter it in the table.
Personal equipment Group equipment Special equipment
1 task.
1. We were moving to the east, with the west behind us.
2. The anthill on the south side is flatter.
3. Moss covers the stones on the north side.
4. Tree branches are wider and denser on the southern side (by the way, beyond the Arctic Circle, where I also observed this now).
5. Mushrooms appear on the north side of trees.
6. In summer, the soil near the trees is wetter from the north.
Task 2.
1. Cover open areas of the body.
2. Use sprays and ointments against ticks.
3. Avoid tick habitats.
4. Avoid dense thickets and thickets.
3 task.
1. Set up tents, light a fire, change the group into dry clothes or simply take off wet clothes.
2. The parking lot should be located near an open area so that it is easy to see signs of people from the air.
3. Post identification signs (red material).
4. Leave guards so that if a search group is discovered, report to the leader.
4 task.
Personal: bicycle, clothes, sleeping bag, shoes, backpack, washing supplies, dishes.
Group: axes, dishes, ropes, tent, cooking utensils.
Special: compass, maps, diagrams, life jackets.
Answer
Grade
A forest is a complex ecosystem that unites plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms and the state of drinking water.
Thousands of years ago, almost the entire Earth was covered with forests. They extended to North America, occupied a significant share of Western Europe. Vast areas of Africa, South America and Asia were dense forests. But with the increase in the number of people and their active development of lands for economic needs, the process of deforestation and mass felling forests
What are the benefits of forests?
People use forests for many purposes: food, medicine, raw materials for the paper industry.
Wood, pine needles and tree bark serve as raw materials for many branches of the chemical industry. About half of the extracted wood is used for fuel needs, and a third is used for construction.
A quarter of all medicines used are obtained from tropical forest plants. Thanks to photosynthesis, forests give us oxygen to breathe while absorbing carbon dioxide.
Trees protect the air from toxic gases, soot and other pollutants and noise. Phytoncides produced by most coniferous plants, destroy pathogenic microorganisms.
Forests are habitats for many animals - they are real storehouses of biological diversity. They participate in creating a favorable microclimate for agricultural plants.
Forest areas protect the soil from erosion processes, preventing surface runoff of precipitation. The forest is like a sponge, which first accumulates and then releases water to streams and rivers, regulates the flow of water from the mountains to the plains, and prevents floods.
The deepest river in the world is the Amazon, and the forests included in its basin are considered the lungs of the Earth.
Damage from deforestation
Despite the fact that forests are a renewable resource, the rate of their deforestation is too high - they simply cannot keep up with us.
Millions of hectares of deciduous and coniferous forests. Tropical forests, home to more than 50% of Earth's species, once covered 14% of the planet but now cover only 6%.
India's forest area has shrunk from 22% to 10% over the last half century. The coniferous forests of the central regions of Russia, forest tracts in Far East and in Siberia, and swamps appear at the site of clearings. Valuable pine and cedar forests are being cut down.
The disappearance of forests is... Deforestation of the planet leads to sharp temperature changes, changes in the amount of precipitation and wind speeds.
Burning forests causes carbon monoxide pollution in the air, releasing more than it absorbs. Also, deforestation releases carbon into the air that accumulates in the soil under the trees. This contributes about a quarter to the process of creating the greenhouse effect on Earth.
Many areas left without forest as a result of deforestation or fires become deserts, since the loss of trees leads to the fact that the thin fertile layer of soil is easily washed away by precipitation.
Desertification causes a huge number of environmental refugees - ethnic groups for whom the forest was the main or only source of subsistence. Many inhabitants of forest areas disappear along with their homes.
Plants of irreplaceable species used to obtain medicines, as well as many biological resources valuable to humanity, are being destroyed. More than a million species living in tropical forests are at risk of extinction.
Soil erosion that develops after cutting down leads to floods, since nothing can stop the flow of water. Floods are caused by disruption of the groundwater level, as the roots of trees that feed on them die.
For example, as a result of extensive deforestation at the foot of the Himalayas, Bangladesh began to suffer from large floods every four years.
Previously, floods occurred no more than twice every hundred years. For example, diamond mining in Yakutia became possible only after cutting down and flooding a significant amount of forest.
Why and how are forests cut down?
Forests are cut down for mining, timber, clearing areas for pastures, and for agricultural land.
And as the cheapest raw material, it is used in almost all other products. And this kills rainforests, and deprives many animals of their homes.
Forests are divided into three groups:
- Forest areas prohibited from logging, playing, are nature reserves.
- Forests of limited exploitation, located in densely populated areas, are subject to strict control over their timely restoration.
- The so-called production forests. They are cut down completely and then reseeded.
There are several types of logging in forestry:
Main cabin- This is the harvesting of the so-called mature forest for timber. They can be selective, gradual and continuous. When clear-cutting, all trees are destroyed, with the exception of the seed plants. With gradual cutting, the cutting process is carried out in several steps. With the selective type, only individual trees are removed according to a certain principle, and the overall area remains covered with forest.
Plant care cutting. This type involves cutting down plants that are not practical to leave. They destroy plants of poorer quality, while simultaneously thinning and clearing the forest, improving its lighting and supply nutrients the remaining more valuable trees. This makes it possible to increase forest productivity, its water-regulating properties and aesthetic qualities. Wood from such fellings is used as technological raw material.
Complex. These are reorganization fellings, reforestation and reconstructive fellings. They are carried out in cases where the forest has lost its beneficial properties in order to restore them; a negative impact on the environment with this type of logging is excluded. Felling has a beneficial effect on brightening the area and eliminates root competition for more valuable tree species.
Sanitary. Such cutting is carried out to improve the health of the forest and increase its biological resistance. This type includes landscape cuttings carried out to create forest park landscapes, and cuttings to create fire breaks.
The most powerful intervention is carried out clear cuttings. Negative consequences cutting down trees occurs when more trees are destroyed than grow in a year, which causes depletion of forest resources. In turn, undercutting can cause forest aging and disease of old trees.
Deforestation can be carried out without harm to the environment if the principle of continuous forest management, based on a balance of deforestation and reforestation, is observed. The selective logging method has the least environmental damage.
It is preferable to cut down forests in winter, when snow cover protects the soil and young trees from damage.
How to eliminate this damage?
In order to stop the process of forest destruction, norms for the wise use of forest resources should be developed. It is necessary to adhere to the following directions:
- conservation of forest landscapes and its biological diversity;
- maintaining uniform forest management without depleting forest resources;
- training the population in the skills of caring for the forest;
- strengthening control at the state level over the conservation and use of forest resources;
- creation of forest accounting and monitoring systems;
- improvement of forest legislation,
Replanting trees often does not cover the damage caused by cutting down. IN South America, South Africa and Southeast Asia, forest areas continue to decline inexorably.
In order to reduce damage from logging, it is necessary:
- Increase areas for planting new forests
- Expand existing protected areas and forest reserves and create new ones.
- Implement effective measures to prevent forest fires. Carry out measures, including preventive ones, to combat diseases and pests.
- Conduct selection of tree species that are resistant to environmental stress.
- Protect forests from mining activities.
- Fight against poachers. Use effective and least harmful logging techniques.
- Minimize wood waste, develop ways of using them.
- Introduce methods of secondary wood processing.
- Encourage ecotourism.
What can anyone do to save the forest?
- use paper products rationally and economically; buy recycled products, including paper. (It is marked with the recycled sign)
- green the area around your home
- replace trees cut down for firewood with new seedlings
- draw public attention to the problem of forest destruction.
Man cannot exist outside of nature, he is part of it. And at the same time, it is difficult to imagine our civilization without the products that the forest provides.
In addition to the material component, there is also a spiritual relationship between the forest and man. Under the influence of the forest, the culture and customs of many ethnic groups are formed, and it also serves as a source of existence for them.
Forest is one of the cheapest sources of natural resources, but every minute 20 hectares of forest areas are destroyed. And humanity should already think about replenishing these natural resources, learn to competently manage forest management and the wonderful ability of forests to renew themselves.
In the past, forests did not experience any noticeable human influence. It was completely insignificant. The forests occupied their original territory for many centuries, remaining practically in the same place. Their areas were not reduced. The forest lived and developed in its own way natural laws. It had the resilience and ability to maintain its existence without any human help. No care was required for him. Old trees, having outlived their usefulness, died; they were replaced by young people. Generations of trees changed, but the forest as a whole remained unchanged. This was how it was in untouched wild nature, when primitive man did not have any great influence on it and did not disturb the natural life of the forest.
Nowadays the situation is completely different. Modern man has become one of the most powerful factors influencing nature, including forests. Its activities are now so large in scale that they are comparable to some geological processes.
Human influence on the forest is not only very strong, but also extremely diverse. IN modern conditions the forest, of course, lives and develops completely differently than in prehistoric times. The pressure of civilization strongly presses on it, disrupting the natural processes of development. The forest is losing its stability. He can no longer maintain his own existence, at least in the form in which he was before. Even indigenous, natural forests in densely populated areas cannot now regenerate on their own, without human help. The reasons for this are understandable. The forest living environment has become too unfavorable (the soil is highly compacted, the atmosphere is polluted, etc.). Many obstacles have appeared to the natural restoration of trees (grazing by livestock, mass proliferation of pests that destroy seeds, etc.). But, perhaps, the most important thing is that the complex system of connections between the individual components of the forest has been radically disrupted, and the entire forest “mechanism” has gone wrong. The forest has become unviable. Here's a concrete example.
In one of the countries of Western Europe, such an experiment was carried out. In a densely populated area, a small area of natural old coniferous forest was fenced off. The fence was very secure; neither people nor animals could enter the forest through it. The organizers of the experiment thought that the fenced forest would be well preserved, since no one would disturb it. And what happened several decades later to this section of the forest? The old trees died, and there was no replacement for them. The forest was completely destroyed and died. Left to his own devices, he was unable to maintain his existence.
In this case, it was possible to preserve the coniferous forest of its previous composition only with the help of humans. To do this, it was necessary to plant young coniferous trees in place of the dead old ones. And then over time it would grow new forest, similar to the one at the beginning. True, the process of forest growth would require human help. After all, any planting requires care. Here you cannot rely entirely on nature. Planted trees may die without care.
What is the situation like after the clear felling of the old coniferous forest? In this case, coniferous trees also do not recover on their own. Human intervention is necessary here, of course, if we want the more valuable forest we need to be restored (for example, pine). It must be said that clearings often become overgrown with trees of their own accord, but only with low-value trees, not those that are desirable (birch, aspen, etc.). To avoid this, we need some effort, our intervention. The most reliable way to restore a cut down coniferous forest is to plant young trees (seedlings).
There are also frequent cases when no forest appears at all in cleared areas. This happens most often when the clearing area is very large and it happens somewhere in the north of the taiga strip. Under such conditions, the forest often does not recover at all. In its place, thickets of some bushes or a swamp may appear. Until now, we have only talked about forest restoration - both unaffected by logging and cut down. Human help in both cases is absolutely necessary.
Now about something else - about preserving the forest, keeping it in a healthy state. This also requires human help.
We already know how much harm air pollution causes to forests. Sulfur dioxide, or otherwise sulfur dioxide, is especially dangerous. This is the main enemy of the forest. Coniferous forests, especially pine forests, suffer the most from it. Let's now see how we can protect the forest from this harmful influence, how we can reduce its harmful consequences.
The main way to achieve this goal and the most effective is to install special cleaning devices at factories that capture, for example, sulfur dioxide. However, there are considerable difficulties along this path: firstly, the installation of purification devices is very expensive, and secondly, not all of these devices completely capture the harmful gas. Small doses of gas, repeated many times, act like one large one. Therefore, it is possible to completely secure the forest only when all enterprises have cleaning devices. And at the same time, the most advanced design, i.e. those that completely capture harmful substances. We must strive for this. There is simply no other effective way.
Fertilizing forest soil with lime can somewhat reduce the harm from sulfur dioxide. Thanks to this, the mineral nutrition of the trees improves and they become more resilient. This path is possible, but ineffective. Firstly, this measure is purely passive, not affecting the source of pollution at all (the danger is not completely eliminated), and secondly, fertilizing forest soil with lime is very labor-intensive, expensive and, moreover, feasible only in very small areas.
The presence of large numbers of people in it also poses a serious danger to the forest. This form of human influence on the forest is now taking on an increasingly wider scale. But the situation is not hopeless. The harm from visiting people can be reduced. This is entirely within our power. This is exactly what will be discussed in the following story. And first about the disturbance of the forest by visitors.
When many people come to the forest, the top layer of soil, where the bulk of the thin suction roots of plants are located, becomes very compacted. It is in this layer that the roots of all the green inhabitants of the forest, including trees, are concentrated. When the soil is compacted, the roots “suffocate” and lack air. At the same time, many other soil qualities deteriorate. As a result, the tree tops and large branches begin to dry out. Shrubs and grasses suffer greatly and eventually die. For these plants of the lower tiers of the forest, it is not only soil compaction itself that is dangerous. In addition, great harm is caused by the destructive activities of people in the forest - breaking off branches of bushes, damaging the above-ground parts of grasses, and especially their delicate buds on rhizomes, often located near the surface of the soil or at a shallow depth.
Under the influence of human visits to the forest, the forest plant community as a whole also changes significantly. Changes occur in all its layers - tree, shrub, grass-shrub, moss-lichen. But different tiers change to different degrees; they are unequally sensitive to disturbances. Trees suffer the least. They are more resistant to human influence than other forest inhabitants. The shrub layer is more vulnerable. It thins out and may disappear completely. The grass cover usually remains, but the species composition of plants varies greatly. Typically forest representatives of the flora are replaced by plants that are not typical of forests - meadows and even weeds. The moss-lichen cover almost completely disappears. Ground lichens are especially sensitive to trampling.
The more people come to the forest for recreation, the more the forest plant community changes. It is even possible to distinguish several stages of forest disturbance. There are five such stages: from the first, when the forest is practically undisturbed, to the fifth, when it is disturbed to the greatest extent. In this case, only one tree layer remains of the forest plant community, and all the rest are either destroyed or include plants alien to the forest.
In the case when the forest is not too much disturbed by people visiting it, it is still quite viable. Such a forest can restore its original structure and appearance, return to its original state, if only it is allowed to “rest,” that is, completely rid of all visitors. True, recovery will require a fairly long period of time - five to ten years, or even more.
However, there is such a degree of disturbance that the forest can no longer return to its original state, even if it receives complete “rest.” The forest plant community in this case is so destroyed that it has lost the ability to recover. It is no longer viable. This happens at the fourth and fifth stages of forest disturbance. At the third stage, recovery is still possible, although with great difficulty. Consequently, there is a certain “strength limit” of the forest plant community, a kind of viability limit.
So, people resting in the forest, if there are a lot of them, leads to compaction of the soil and all kinds of mechanical damage to the plants of the lower tiers of the forest. Both are extremely undesirable and dangerous.
Fires, which are often lit by vacationers, also cause great harm to the forest. An unextinguished fire can cause a terrible disaster - a forest fire. But fires in the forest are dangerous in another way. If the flame is near tree trunks, it heats them up greatly. Living tissues located directly under the bark suffer from this. Heat may cause their death. And then the whole tree will die. This will happen, of course, not immediately, but after some time. The tree will dry out in a year or two.
It is impossible not to mention the harm that flower pickers cause to the forest. Picking a few flowers is, of course, not a very big problem. But when whole armfuls of flowers are collected, and many people do this, the alarm must be sounded. Mass collection of flowers leads to the rapid disappearance of beautiful flowering plants from the forest. The forest becomes dull, boring, empty. We don't see anymore bright colors forest flowers, their graceful forms, so pleasing to the eye. Flora becomes scarcer, becomes poor, monotonous.
Picking flowers is harmful to plants primarily because it does not allow seeds to form. By picking flowers, we destroy the seeds in their buds. And since there are no seeds, then shoots - new, young plants - will no longer be able to appear in the forest. The old ones will sooner or later outlive their days, die away, and there will be no replacement for them. The plant will disappear from the forest forever. This danger especially threatens those species that reproduce exclusively by seeds. An example would be many beautifully flowering plants from the orchid family ( different kinds orchis, Lyubka bifolia, etc.).
How can we reduce the damage that vacationers cause to the forest? How to minimize the negative consequences of human intervention in forest life?
First of all, about trampling. How to ensure the best preservation of the forest if there are many vacationers there? It is very important that the large mass of people who find themselves in the forest is not evenly distributed over the territory. In other words, people should not be allowed to wander throughout the forest and trample the entire territory. This will cause the most harm. It is much better when certain areas are allocated for recreation, where you can put up tents, light fires, play various games (volleyball, badminton, etc.). Even if these areas suffer greatly, they will have to be sacrificed. But this can be done. After all, the share of such areas in total area forests are small. But the rest of the territory will be better preserved and will be much less disturbed. There must be “islands” left in the forest, little touched by humans. And the more there are, the better for forest conservation. Well, what about walking through the forest? It is best to have a permanent network of paths and use them mostly. Then the least harm will be caused to the forest. After all, you don’t have to wander wherever you want. We also need to think about the preservation of the forest. If you try to stick to the paths when moving through the forest, this will be the best way out. This will not make our vacation any less attractive, and the forest will be better preserved.
As for fires in the forest, the harm from them can be minimized without much difficulty. It is clear that you cannot leave a fire when there are still smoldering coals in it. This is a potential source of forest fire. You should light a fire not under the forest canopy, but only in a clearing or clearing, away from tree trunks. Then they will not be heated by heat rays and will not suffer. It is best to light a new fire in the place of the old one, so as not to increase the area of burned soil. In general, when a large number of people are relaxing in the forest, permanent areas should be set aside for making fires. These areas must be provided with special signs.
You should also treat shrubs in the forest with care. It is not necessary, for example, to break off thick branches when collecting hazel nuts. Other forest shrubs should not suffer at our hands. No need to break off their branches. Shrubs are a very important part of the forest plant community. Some birds nest in thickets of bushes, which bring great benefits to the forest by destroying harmful insects. A forest devoid of bushes looks dull and empty. He is losing his attractiveness.
The well-known bird cherry, which makes us so happy during the flowering season, also requires careful treatment. Dressed in white lace of fragrant flowers, she is very beautiful at this time. But some overzealous lovers of collecting bouquets barbarously break off its flowering branches. If you pick two or three branches, it’s not a problem. But why collect armfuls, and huge ones at that? We need to think at least a little about the consequences of such an unreasonable attitude towards nature.
I would especially like to say one more thing - about collecting flowers in the forest. We have already discussed why this is harmful. We are talking about something else - how to reduce the harm of this collection. It is impossible, of course, to completely prohibit everyone who finds themselves in the forest from picking at least one flower. This is extreme, it is unrealistic. This measure is not dictated by necessity. It is possible to pick two or three flowers, but more is unacceptable. By the way, the beauty of flowers is especially clearly visible when there are few of them, when there are only two or three branches in the vase. In this case, each plant stands out especially and is visible in all its glory. It is not for nothing that we value ikebana so much - the Japanese art of arranging micro-bouquets. The elegance of their bouquet is created by a very small number of flowers.
However, there may be cases when even a single flower cannot be picked in the forest. Imagine that this is a very rare plant and is found in only one point in a given area. Of course, only a specialist can find out that this is very rare. What about everyone else? Here it is better to “play it safe.” If you come across some plant in the forest with beautiful flowers and in one copy, leave it alone, do not tear it. Suddenly, this is precisely what is very rare. If you want to pick flowers, find enough of them in the forest. But under no circumstances should you tear them too much. Perhaps this too rare plants and even protected ones that are under threat of destruction. Such plants can be included in the all-Union Red Book or its local analogues (some territories have their own Red Books). When in the forest, one must show maximum thrift towards nature and forest plants. If each of us does this, all the beautiful flowers of our forest flora will be preserved and will not disappear. And they will delight us for many years. A forest without flowers is a boring forest. It is entirely within our power to keep it rich, beautiful, and attractive.
And for this, only one thing is needed - a conscious, careful attitude of all of us towards the forest flora. It is important to always remember the main thing - mass collection of beautiful flowers in the forest is absolutely unacceptable. This rule must be strictly followed.
Now about collecting medicinal plants in the forest. This is a good, necessary thing. Our need for raw materials for the preparation of various medicines is still great.
It is gratifying to note that not only adults, but also schoolchildren are actively involved in collecting medicinal plants. Often they work equally with their elders and collect no less than them. This deserves all the praise and approval. The guys are doing a very useful job.
But there is one dark side to collecting medicinal plants. If collected incorrectly and unwisely, you can cause great harm to nature. The fact is that the reserves of medicinal plants in our forests are limited, they are not unlimited. And here we need to think about protecting nature, about caring for our plant wealth. Excessive and unreasonable zeal can lead to harmful consequences. By collecting any plant in the same area and, moreover, for many years in a row, we can completely destroy it.
What is the way out? It is necessary to alternate collection places, i.e. collect in different years in different areas. And do this in moderation so that the plant’s reserves do not become scarce. You can’t pick every last stem. This is completely unacceptable. It is also bad to collect too much, leaving single and often weak specimens of the plant in the forest. Such specimens can quickly die, unable to withstand competition from neighboring, stronger plants. Competition in the forest, as we already know, is intense.
So, the procurement of medicinal raw materials in the forest must be done wisely, carefully, without causing damage to nature. You should follow certain rules, and not collect plants at random, whatever is more convenient. And one more important point. Before venturing into the forest, you should seek advice from a qualified local botanist or local historian. It is possible that the plant you want to collect is rare in the area and cannot be destroyed. Counseling can be helpful in other ways as well. A local worker who knows his region well can indicate where it is best to collect this or that medicinal plant, so as to cause the least harm to nature.
And yet nature is very vulnerable. No matter how carefully we collect plants, it does not remain completely without a trace. Some plant species, even with careful collection, may disappear completely over time. They recover too slowly naturally. Fewer new specimens appear from seeds than old ones are picked. The plant's reserves are gradually depleted. That is why people are now increasingly resorting to artificial cultivation of medicinal plants in garden beds. This is done, for example, with all known ginseng. Some other plants are also grown in garden beds. In the future there will be more and more such plants. This way of obtaining raw materials is good because it does not cause any harm to nature and does not deplete natural resources.
I would like to say one more thing. Schoolchildren can provide great assistance in growing medicinal plants in garden beds. This work is not difficult, the guys can do it quite well. Of course, you should not do it yourself, but under the guidance of adults, with the consultation of specialists. Then you will be able to avoid mistakes. Things will go as they should and will bring the proper benefits.
We have not talked about all forms of human impact on the forest. They are very diverse.
We should also mention grazing in the forest. This form of influence is very widespread. Grazing damages the forest known harm. Cattle are grazed over a large area, and in the future it will increase even more. The challenge is how to minimize the negative consequences of grazing.
Why is grazing in the forest dangerous? First of all, the soil is greatly compacted. It is also dangerous for animals to gnaw on forest shrubs and especially undergrowth of tree species. Heavy grazing disrupts the natural state of the soil surface, leading to the appearance of hollows and gullies, and these are the beginnings of future ravines that pose a great danger.
So what can be done to reduce the harm of grazing? It is important, first of all, not to exceed the permissible norms in relation to pasture load, i.e. the number of animals per hectare of forest area. Such norms exist, and they must be strictly observed. They are different for forests of different species composition: in coniferous forests the grazing load should be less than in deciduous forests. Deciduous forests are more resilient and suffer less from grazing.
If the established standards are strictly followed, the forest will suffer little. It is important not to forget that grazing livestock is only possible in forests of sufficiently old age, where the trees are large and tall. Grazing standards apply specifically to such forests. Here, as a rule, there is quite a lot of grass in the summer, and the animals feed mainly on this food, almost leaving the bushes and undergrowth of trees untouched.
The situation is completely different in clear-cut areas, where the future forest is being formed, and the trees are still very small, smaller than a person’s height. In such a young forest, grazing is absolutely unacceptable. Here, when grazing, animals gnaw heavily on tiny trees, causing them severe damage. Such mutilated plants die en masse. They cannot form a healthy mature forest. We must do everything in our power to ensure that the forest recovers after cutting. It is important to remember one more thing. Grazing causes the least harm to the forest in summer time when there is a lot of grass under the trees. It is during this period that it is best to graze livestock in the forest. In spring, grazing is extremely undesirable. At this time, the grass cover has not yet fully developed, there is little grass and animals feed mainly on shoots of bushes and undergrowth. In addition, spring grazing is very harmful to the soil. After the snow melts, it is waterlogged and is especially susceptible to compaction. As for autumn grazing, it is not recommended either. By autumn, there is little grass in the forest, and the above-ground shoots of many plants dry out. The same situation arises as in the spring.
What other care does the forest require from us in the modern era? What do you need to worry about to keep it in good condition? What threatens him and how to avert the threat?
One of the dangers that threatens forests is the attack of a large mass of leaf-eating insects. This happens in some years when pests appear in large numbers. Especially dangerous for the forest is the attack of the caterpillars of the gypsy moth, oak budworm, and pine silkworm. Myriads of caterpillars, destroying foliage, “bare” all the trees in a row over a very large area, leaving only bare branches in the crowns. The forest looks dead, dried out, devastated. Sometimes such a forest stretches far around, to the very horizon, as far as the eye can see. The attack of hordes of pests often leads to the death of the forest and massive drying out of trees. Sometimes, however, the trees remain alive and are subsequently covered with new foliage. But even in this case, the forest suffers greatly. The fact is that gnawing leaves by insects greatly weakens trees, and they are poorly resistant to fungal diseases and various other adversities. Their vitality decreases sharply. What is not dangerous for healthy, normal trees can be disastrous for weakened trees affected by pests.
In short, in any case, gnawing on leaves has a negative effect.
How to fight this evil? How to prevent pest attacks? There are various prevention and control measures. We will tell you about them now. But first I would like to draw attention to one circumstance. Hordes of harmful caterpillars do not appear out of nowhere, they do not appear “out of thin air.” There are always pests in the forest, they are there all the time. But in normal years their numbers are insignificant and they do not cause much harm. Only in some special years do insects suddenly give a sharp “outbreak” in numbers and appear in huge numbers. And then this is a terrible danger for the forest.
When the caterpillars appear in large numbers and begin to eat the foliage of the trees, it is very difficult to fight them. There is only one way of control - treating the forest with substances that kill insects (they are called insecticides). But this method has its downsides. Other living beings in the forest may die, and among them - natural enemies pests.
It is much better to try to prevent the invasion of pests than to fight them when they have already appeared in large numbers.
Prevention measures may vary. The gypsy moth is fought, for example, as follows. In the fall, the egg clutches of this harmful butterfly are destroyed by treating them with special substances.
Dense clusters of gypsy moth testicles are easily accessible for destruction; they are located in the lower part of tree trunks, close to the ground.
The most preferable, however, is the biological method of pest control. And here we have to remember, first of all, our feathered forest orderlies. Many forest birds destroy caterpillars and, moreover, in huge numbers. It is clear that the more birds there are in the forest, the better it will be for the “health” of the forest and the worse it will be for insect pests.
And it is entirely within our power to increase the number of useful birds in the forest. And here schoolchildren can be of great help. It is important, first of all, to create as many apartments as possible for birds in the forest - houses where they could raise their chicks. Dwellings should be varied in size, diameter of the entrance hole, etc. After all, there are many species of insectivorous birds and they vary greatly in size. The houses, naturally, should be hung in the forest, attaching them to tree trunks. When constructing houses and placing them in the forest, it is advisable to consult an experienced zoologist. In this case, you will be able to completely avoid all kinds of mistakes. Experience shows that hanging houses significantly increases the size of the bird population. And consequently, there are more forest defenders.
Another measure serves the same purpose - feeding birds during extremely difficult times for them. winter time. And this is where the guys can help a lot. school age. It is not at all difficult to build simple feeders and hang them near your house if it is located next to a forest. The most important thing is to put food there not occasionally, but systematically, every day. Birds quickly get used to their “dining room” and always expect to find something suitable for food there. You can’t let them down by forgetting to put in the next portion of food. It is especially important to refill feeders regularly during extreme cold weather. During severe frosts, birds are in dire need of feeding: after all, at this time of year, a lot of them die from lack of food. And we can save them. The more feeders are hung, the more birds will overwinter, the more reliable the forest will be protected from harmful insects. By helping the birds, we also benefit the forest.
Not only birds require our protection, but also six-legged forest “orderlies” - ants. They also perform extremely useful work, destroying many harmful insects. The more ants in the forest, the better for the forest. It is necessary to protect ant dwellings in every possible way. Where there is a need, it is necessary to specially fence anthills, protecting them from damage.
A terrible disaster for a forest is a crown or general fire. In such a fire, the entire forest burns out. Trees, shrubs, grasses, mosses, and lichens burn. The fire does not spare representatives of the fauna - animals, birds, insects, etc. In a word, all living things that are above the ground that are accessible to fire perish. Often a huge area, measured in hundreds and thousands of hectares, is devastated.
Almost exclusively coniferous forests suffer from fires; they are very flammable. Deciduous trees rarely catch fire and are less susceptible to fire. Therefore, when people talk about forest fires, they usually mean coniferous forests. It is these forests that sometimes burn out over huge areas, leaving behind vast burnt areas.
It is difficult to imagine how much damage the national economy suffers from forest fires. After all, a colossal amount of wood, a valuable, irreplaceable material, perishes from fire. We try to use this material as economically as possible. Many people, including schoolchildren, collect and hand over waste paper so that less wood is spent on making paper, so that less forests are cut down for this purpose. A fire can ruin all our efforts to save wood. This is a truly terrible disaster, a real catastrophe on a large scale.
That is why one of our primary concerns about the forest is concern for preventing fires. It is about prevention, because once a fire has broken out and taken on a wide scale, it is extremely difficult to fight it. It is almost impossible to curb the raging fiery element. It is better to extinguish the fire at the very beginning, when only small pockets of fire have appeared. And the best thing is to prevent it altogether, to warn it.
How are forest fires prevented? One of the most important measures is strict adherence to fire safety rules by all those who are in the forest. These rules are simple and known to everyone. You cannot throw an unextinguished cigarette on the ground, leave a fire that is not completely extinguished, etc. In short, you must handle fire with extreme caution. Particular care is needed in dry weather, when flammable material in the forest is very dry and can easily ignite. This situation often occurs in the middle and end of summer, when it is hot for a long time and there has been no rain for a long time. This is an extremely dangerous period for the forest. The slightest carelessness - and the matter can end in big trouble. During such periods, it is better not to make any fires in the forest at all, not to use fire. And it is highly desirable that there be as few people as possible in the forest.
It is clear to everyone that it is immeasurably easier to prevent a fire than to extinguish it. Therefore, it is not surprising that extreme, especially harsh measures are sometimes necessary to prevent fires. Thus, sometimes for a certain period the entry of cars with vacationers into the forest is completely prohibited. This is done, for example, in some suburban pine forests in the summer, in hot, dry weather. Such a harsh ban, however, is completely justified. The fire danger is too great to take any chances.
In addition to crown fires, when the entire forest burns, there are other types of fires - ground fires. In this case, the fire in the forest goes, so to speak, “from the bottom”: only the dry litter on the surface of the soil burns. But such a fire also poses a danger. Fire can easily spread from the ground to trees. And then the flames will completely engulf all tiers of the forest.
It is, of course, easier to fight a ground fire than a top fire. For this purpose, so-called firebreaks up to a meter or more wide are specially plowed in the forest. They are most often laid along clearings in the forest, along the edges of the forest area. These strips of bare soil are replenished from time to time. Litter should not accumulate on their surface - a very flammable material. If a ground fire occurs in a forest where there are protective strips, it will not be able to spread over a large area. As soon as the “creeping” fire reaches the firebreak, it will immediately stop and will not go further.
A special fire-fighting forest service plays a major role in preventing and fighting forest fires. It is equipped with special equipment to effectively extinguish fire, and has helicopters and airplanes at its disposal. Fire service workers conduct continuous and careful monitoring of forest areas at very large territory. At the slightest sign danger, the necessary measures are quickly taken. Thanks to this, in most cases it is possible to save the forest. The role of such a service is especially great in remote taiga areas, where the population is small and fire extinguishing is extremely difficult. This is the case with us regarding the protection of forests from fires.
Now let’s get acquainted with how forest felling is carried out and how forest is restored in the cleared area. Here, too, it is necessary to take care of the forest both during the cutting process and during subsequent restoration. In other words, we need a master's approach to business, a careful attitude towards the people's property.
First - about felling. The word "cutting" is old, it appeared at a time when trees were actually cut down with an ax. Now they don't do that anymore. Trees are cut down, but, of course, not manually, but using various mechanisms (chainsaw, etc.). Powerful equipment allows you to cut down many hectares of forest in a matter of hours. However, the old word “cutting” remains, and everyone still uses it. We will do the same.
There are several types of logging. The main, most common one is the final felling. In this case, they pursue only one goal - obtaining wood. Moreover, the trees must be fully mature, large enough, and meeting certain standards. Foresters call such a forest ripe. The age of maturity for our coniferous trees, for example, is 100-120 years. It is at this age that final felling is carried out. As a result, trunks of the required length and thickness are obtained. In reality it most often looks like this. In a forest area, an area for cutting mature wood is designated in advance. It usually has a rectangular shape. The allocation of such an area is called by foresters the allocation of a cutting area. The felling itself is carried out somewhat later, usually in winter, when the snow cover is sufficiently deep. Loggers come to the cutting site and have the necessary equipment at their disposal. With its help, they cut down all the trees in a row, leaving nothing behind. The territory is completely “naked” of the forest. This type of final felling is the most common. It has a special name - clear cutting.
After the trees have fallen to the ground, their branches are cut off and the trunks are taken away. Sometimes the branches are not cut off, but the trees are taken out along with the crowns. In both cases, this is called a special word - skidding. Whole trees or trunks cleared of branches are most often dragged along the surface of the earth for some distance, and then loaded onto transport.
After clear cutting of mature forest, a vast “bare” area remains. And if the forest was coniferous, then young coniferous trees - self-seeding and undergrowth - almost never appear in this area in large numbers. There are either none of them in the felled areas, or there are so few of them that they cannot be the basis of the future forest. They will not subsequently be able to form a tree stand of normal density. Coniferous forest clearings are usually overgrown with birch or aspen. And this is an undesirable phenomenon.
And here a difficult problem arises - how to restore coniferous forest after clearing, because it is much more valuable than birch or aspen forest, it is most desirable in forestry. It should be noted that it is coniferous forests that provide the bulk of wood for various economic needs. This wood, moreover, is very large quantities, is needed primarily by the pulp and paper industry; it is used to build houses, railway sleepers and much more. The use of hardwood (birch, aspen) is much more limited. It is much less valuable, suitable only for some purposes. And you need it for National economy not so much.
So, after cutting down a coniferous forest, it is highly desirable to restore the forest stand to its previous composition. It is important to prevent natural process replacing coniferous forest with deciduous forest, preventing the territory from being taken over by birch, aspen and other pioneer trees.
How to do this? The only reliable way in this case is the so-called artificial reforestation, that is, sowing tree seeds or planting seedlings. You can't rely on nature in this matter. Only man can restore the coniferous forest again. And for this you need to make a lot of effort and spend a lot of money. Artificial reforestation is a very labor-intensive and quite expensive task.
First, a little about sowing. For sowing, first of all, you need seeds of coniferous trees and, moreover, in large quantities. After all, it is often necessary to sow a very large area. Sometimes it is so large that sowing is done from airplanes (so-called aerial sowing). You can imagine how many seeds are required for this.
So, the first task is to prepare the seeds. There are certain technologies, rules and regulations in this matter. Mature but not yet opened cones are collected from coniferous trees, and then they are dried. After drying, the scales of the cones move apart and the seeds spill out. The processing of cones is done on a large scale, in large quantities, in special dryers.
Harvesting cones is not difficult. Even school-aged children can do it. By getting involved in this matter, schoolchildren will provide great assistance to forestry workers and, ultimately, to the entire country. Of course, in order to help well, you must first learn and master the techniques of work. In a word, before getting down to business, you need to seek advice from specialists.
Restoring a coniferous forest by cutting down seeds is less effective than planting ready-made small trees. Why is this so? There are several reasons for this. The main thing is that this method is not completely reliable, it does not always give good results. There are many obstacles on the way from sowing a seed to the emergence of a young, viable tree. They often cannot be overcome. The sown seed may die even before germination (it may be destroyed by some representatives of the fauna). Many young plants die at the very beginning of their lives due to unfavorable conditions environment (for example, from drying out of the top layer of soil). Competition from neighboring, larger ones is also very dangerous for tiny seedlings. herbaceous plants. Competitively strong grasses choke out tree seedlings and can cause their death. In short, only a certain proportion of the sown seeds subsequently produce young trees. And there may be too few of them to form a good dense forest in the future. So seeding is not the most reliable way to restore the forest.
The landing is more secure. There is a much greater chance of success here. The forester plants ready-made plants, specially grown in the nursery, i.e. seedlings. In this case, there is no longer a risk of mass death of seeds or young shoots. Seedlings are plants that are incomparably “stronger” and more viable. They are quite large and not as vulnerable as seeds and small weak shoots.
However, landing also has its disadvantages. It requires a lot of labor and money, much more than sowing. After all, you need not only collect seeds and sow them in a nursery. It is necessary to properly care for the emerging young plants for two to three years. Only then will good seedlings grow. And then you need to transplant them to a clearing, where special preparation of the soil for planting has been carried out in advance. In short, there is a lot of hassle.
But the matter is by no means limited to this. When planting is done, young trees also cannot be left to their own devices. They require careful care. First of all, it is necessary to protect them from being drowned out by weeds and the undergrowth of pioneer trees. And this work is very labor-intensive. And it needs to be repeated more than once. Planting care is carried out for 5-10 years, or even more. Only then can you be completely confident in the success of your business. Planted trees, if left unattended, usually die.
Can schoolchildren somehow help foresters when planting forests? Of course they can. Help is especially desirable when growing seedlings in the nursery and caring for the trees after they are transplanted to be cut down. And here the guys can bring great benefits to forestry.
So, in order to grow a coniferous forest from clearing, a lot of human effort is required, and, in addition, a lot of real care for the forest. You need to grow a forest with knowledge of the matter, with a great interest in success. And finally, with great love for plants, for nature.
But let's continue the story about the types of forest felling. In addition to final fellings, most often clearcuts, which have already been discussed, there are others.
First of all, we must mention the so-called thinning. For many it will seem strange that the purpose of these fellings is not to obtain wood. The main thing here is different - to improve the forest itself, its growth conditions, remove undesirable tree species, remove bad, low-quality trees (for example, with a crooked trunk, forked, etc.).
Thinning is carried out throughout the life of the forest, starting from a very young age and almost until the age of maturity. IN young forest this is something like weeding: unwanted tree species, a kind of forest “weeds,” are cut down. For example, in young growth where birch and oak trees grow together, the birch tree is removed, which drowns out the oak. In other words, they leave only the required tree species and form a certain species composition of the forest.
At a more mature age of the forest, when only one necessary species remains, bad trees that produce low-quality wood are cut down, some weak, poorly growing trees are removed that prevent stronger ones from growing, etc. In a word, here “weeding” is carried out already according to another principle. But the ultimate goal of all these events is the same - obtaining forest best quality, i.e. from the required tree species and with trunks that have good technical characteristics.
The goals of different fellings are different: in some cases, exclusively to obtain wood, in others, to improve the forest itself as a supplier of timber, sometimes to take care of the “health” of the forest, to remove diseased trees that pose a danger to their neighbors.
So, the forest requires a lot of care and attention from humans. He needs to take care of himself. Forestry workers take on the bulk of the forest care. But you and I can also help preserve the forest in many ways.
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