Brief description of the Khabarovsk Kray forest fund

The forest fund of Khabarovsk Kray covers a total area of 58950,5 th.ha out of which forested area makes 43596,6 th.ha or 74,0%.

The forests are distributed in the first, second and third type groups.

Distribution of the Khabarovsk Kray forests in groups for utilisation.

Forest groups	Total area, ha	Relative share of Total area, %	Utilisable area, ha	Relative share of Group area, %
I	7546600	12.8	3922300	52.0
II	171900	0.3	120900	70.3
III	51232000	86.9	18212700	35.5
Total	58950500		22255900	37.8

Out of the total area of forest fund only 22,3 mln ha or 38% can be harvested; the rest (62%) has mainly ecological functions and is an object of non-timber activities (game hunting, collection of medical herbs, mushrooms, berries, etc.).

In spite of the diversity of forest fund and sizable stock of timber, forest utilisation in Khabarovsk Kray is concerned with several difficulties, i.e. mozaic pattern of forests' location, high share of mountainous terrain (around 50% of forests grow on the slopes steeper than 15", presence of permafrost conditions on the vast forested lands.

Specie composition and timber stock of the Khabarovsk Kray forested area

Dominant specie	Area, th.ha	%	mln.m3	%
Spruce	7804.3	17.9	1326.2	27.9
Fir	566.6	1.3	74.3	1.6
Larch	23213.8	53.3	2444.2	51.4
Cedar	559.8	1.3	122.2	2.5
Pine	1042.2	2.4	109.1	2.3
Oak	323.3	0.7	31.6	0.7
Maple, ash, ilm	130.2	0.3	16.6	0.3
Birch	4386.6	10.1	292.7	6.3
Aspen, poplar, willow	951.4	2.2	97.4	2.0
Lime, alder	373.8	0.8	43.9	0.9
Nut-tree, velvet-tree	2.8	0.0	0.2	0.0
Cedar bush	4241.2	9.7	197.2	4.1
Total	43596.0	100.0	4755.6	100.0

Southern zone of the Kray hosts the most valuable cedar-broad leafed forests with multispecie stands and well developed layer of diverse bushes. Central zone which accounts for 60% of all timber harvest makes home for different forest formations: spruce-fir, larch, aspen-birch and on a limited scale cedar-broad leafed. Northern, the least economically accessible zone, abounds in larch and cedar bush.

Age structure of the Khabarovsk Kray forested area

Age groups	Area, th.ha	%
Young stands	6975.5	16
Middle-aged	11335.1	26
Maturing	3923.7	9
Mature and over mature	21362.3	49
Total forested area	43596.6	100

Mature and over mature stands ready for harvest predominate in the forest fund that is beneficial for forest exploitation..

Average age of the Khabarovsk Kray forests is 78 years, though the bulk of mature forests is located in the less accessible northern zone while the most economically developed southern zone holds mainly middle-aged and maturing stands.

Total timber stock of Khabarovsk Kray is estimated as 4755.6 mln.?3 (10% of the total Russian stock to the East of Urals) or 116 ?3/ha, including 4076.0 mln ?3 of the most important for commercial utilisation coniferous and 48.4 mln. ?3 of valuable hardwood deciduous species (oak, maple, ash, ilm, nut-tree, velvet-tree). Average annual increment -51.0 mln. ?3. Annual increment per 1 ha of forested land is 1.3 ?3 . It is much less as compared to other major forested areas of the world.

Total area of protected natural lands (PNL) which play special role in conservation of forest biodiversity is 3123,6 th.ha (5,3% of the total Kray area). They include state national zapovedniks, preserved forest plots, zakazniks, natural monuments. There are 5 state zapovedniks in the Kray hosting main plant species including Djugdjur (860 th.ha), Bureinsky (358 th.ha), Botchinsky (267 th.ha), etc. and 15 state natural zakazniks.

Forest ecosystems are the habitat of 31 plant species and 27 animal types enlisted in the Red Book of Russian Federation.

Khabarovsk Kray forests are periodically damaged by fires, pests, diseases and industrial impact.

Significance of different damage factors in the forests of Khabarovsk Kray

	Factors of forest damage
	Phytopatogenic	Entomopatogenic	Industrial pollution	Climatic	Forest fires	Others
Factor value	xx	xx	x	xx	xxx	x

Climatic factors of forest damage are windfalls, effects of high and low temperature, etc.; others are damage by animals, rodents, etc.

(x) - low factor value, (xx) - medium factor value, (xxx)- high factor value

Fire hazard in Khabarovsk Kray is one of the biggest in Russia: there are 800-1000 forest fires per year on an average. For the last 30 years 31000 fires occurred over the total area of 6,4 mln.ha. The burnt timber stock was estimated as 103 mln.m3. The most devastating forest fire of 1998 affected 1 mln.m3 (direct damage is estimated in several hundred million $US). The most pronounced effect of forest fires is registered in the Central zone that harbors the most productive stands and logging activities.

Another major detrimental factor to the Khabarovsdk Kray forests is massive outbreaks of Siberian silk worm and Gypsy moth. In 1991-1997 they damaged 65 th.ha.

Annual allowable cut in the Kray is 35730,3 mln.m3, including 30220,1 mln.m3 for coniferous, 996,7 for hardwood deciduous and 3987,9 mln.m3 for softwood deciduous. At present the allowable cut is utilised 31%, including 34% for coniferous, 15% for hardwood deciduous and 16% for softwood deciduous. Logging activities are centered in Central and Southern zones where cases of overcutting are becoming more numerous.