International technical assistance project: «Baltic Landscape in change – innovative approaches towards

sustainable forested landscapes»

Work Package 6 (WP6):Work Package 6 (WP6):

““Basin approach to the catchment area management Basin approach to the catchment area management of the River Neman”of the River Neman”

RUE “Belgosles” - Partner 3 of the Project “Baltic Landscape”

Project Coordinator – Mikhail Kuzmenkov

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• Introduction

• General description of the River Neman basin

• Project activities

• Main results

• Main approaches

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CONTENTS

In the Development program of the Baltic Sea region, approved by the European Commission on December 21, 2007 for the period 2007-2013 forest is regarded as the most important natural resource, increasing of the contribution to economy and ecology of the region, including preservation of water resources.

Forest and water are closely linked and form major natural infrastructures.

Basin approach to the catchment area management of the River Neman can be realized on the basis of research of the state, utilization and potential of forests.

3INTRODUCTION

The area of Belarusian part of the catchment makes 4564 thousand ha (including the catchments of the River Viliya) or 22% of the territory of the country.

Within the boundaries of the basin on the territory of Belarus there live 1.8 million people with population density 42 pers./km2. Rural population makes 33%.

water availability per capita Within the boundaries of the basin – 4.8 thousand m3/year.

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River Neman is a transboundary river with total length 914 km, including 431 km on the territory of Belarus.

The River Neman basin is situated on the territory of 4 states – Belarus (37% of area), Lithuania, Poland and Russia.

The area of forest per capita makes 0.87 ha.

Nearby 15 thousand employees are working in forest sector or 2% of engaged in economy.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

Creation of the information base on forests and forestry of the basin

Analysis and assessment of the state and utilization of forests in the basin

Analysis and assessment activities forest hydroamelioration

Analysis and assessment of the beaver vital activity in the basin

Elaboration of main approaches to the improvement of forest regulation and forestry activity on the basin principles.

5PROJECT ACTIVITIES

Information base on forests and forest resources of the basin was created. It includes:

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Determination of boundaries and of the forest fund area of the basin.

Distribution of forest fund by administrative regions of the basin and legal entities occupied with forestry.

Distribution of forest fund by land types.

Assessment of forest using different quantity and quality indicators, including water protection forests.

Subject digital maps of different purpose (administrative units, state forestry institutions, forest stands, hydrography, forest hydroamelioration facilities, ecological risks of forest land draining).

MAIN RESULTS

60% of forest area make forests with ecological priorities, including 17% - forests on specially protected territories.

Old-growth forests are represented only on 5% of the area, of coniferous species – on 3.7%.

Monocultures were created on 28% of forest area of the basin .

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The area of forests in the River Neman basin is 1642 thousand ha. They make 20.4% of forests in Belarus.

Forest coverage of the basin is 37,9%, forest coverage of the main confluents of the River Neman varies between 15 and 42%.

Forest coverage is lower than optimal (estimated) rate on 7 catchments.

MAIN RESULTS

Forest regeneration should be carried out on 36 thousand ha of forest area. including: in forests of water protection zones – 7.9 thousand ha (22%).

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MAIN RESULTS

Forest productivity makes 213 m3/ha, it is lower than potential by 20%.

The replacement of indigenous forest formations by secondary with lower value was detected: of pine on 2%, of oak – on 4% of the area.

The harvesting of mature wood is mostly carried out using clear-cutting method (70%), including forests of water protection zones.

increasing of the forest coverage of catchments of several confluents of the River Neman optimization of forest area distribution by purpose taking into account economic and environmental interests (50:50)

reduction of the share of clear-cuttings rising of the status of forests of water protection zones by elimination of carrying out of clear-cutting there optimization of species composition of forests in the basin realization of forest regeneration activities on detected unforested lands detection in the process of land-management of lands for creation of new forests on lands, inefficiently used in other economy branches, to increase the forest coverage of catchments

MAIN APPROACHES9

TO INCREASING OF FOREST POTENTIAL:

River runoff to the r. Neman in the period from 1950 to 2012 decreased by 0.33 km3 (-5,3%), however the decrease of the runoff has been observed also before the mass draining period (till 1960).

MAIN RESULTS Hydroamelioration

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The area of drained lands in the River Neman basin (including River Viliya) – 566 thousand ha (12.4% of the territory of the basin and 16.6% of drained lands in general in the country).

In forestry of the basin 52.6 thousand ha were drained or 3.3% of drained lands in the basin and 2.8% of the area of forest fund of the basin.

During draining there were straightened and deepened riverbeds of 508 small rivers and other water courses with the total length >1000 km, seasonal redistribution of river runoff occured.

The area of forests with hydroamelioration systems in the basin, which are registered in forestry makes 24.3 thousand ha or 46% of the area of drained lands. The rest was amortized and put out of operation .

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Drying up of streams, small rivers, sources, lowering of the water level in wells is the most common in the areas of underground water intake, less common – on the areas of agricultural amelioration and insignificant under forest hydroamelioration.

Soil degradation takes place mainly on drained agricultural lands. Water and wind erosion is widespread on the area of ca 100 thousand ha. In the forest fund the area of affected lands makes 0.8 thousand ha.

Forestry efficiency of draining was not reached in 84% of drained forests.

MAIN RESULTS Hydroamelioration

Beaver population in the river Neman is nearby 12 thousand of individuals or by a factor of 2,5 above the optimal.

Beavers underflooded 1.1 thousand ha of stands in the basin which are drying.

MAIN RESULTS 12

Registered forest hydroamelioration systems require reconstruction activities, as well as removal of silt and shrubs on drainage canals on the length of 550 km (54%).

In the forest fund 380 thousand ha of overwetted lands are in the natural state, including 63.6 thousand ha of open bogs. These are mainly small parcels with area till 10 ha (89%).

On hydroamelioration network inhabited with beavers there are observed re-waterlogging, decrease in productivity of stands, their degradation.

MAIN APPROACHES TO PROBLEM SOLVING:13

specification of boundaries and territories , where operating condition of amelioration systems should be provided, with elaboration of respective plans of activities;

organization of monitoring of the state of drained forest lands where amelioration activities were stopped;

draining of bogs and other overwetted lands in natural state for forestry purposes is unreasonable ;

improvement of beaver registration methods and specification of acceptable population in different stations in interconnection with changing environmental conditions ;

elaboration and carrying out of activities on stopping of beaver habitation on hydroamelioration network which is in operation condition.

IMPLEMENTATION METHODS14

Making amendments to normative documents regarding the issue of attribution of forests to purpose.

Making amendments to the Forest felling rules taking into account forest coverage of catchments.

Realization of the main approaches through forest regulation projects which are the basis for forestry activities.

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