At present, in the European mixed forest zone woodlands occupy not more than 35-45 per
cent of the whole territory of Estonia, Kaliningrad region, Belarus, and Central Russia.
In the deciduous forest zone, the coverage is lower; only 13 per cent of the Tula region
is forested. Afforestation took place between the 1950s and 1970s in response to the
migration of the rural population to cities (Mandych, 1989). The area of arable land was
reduced by more than 2 million ha, of hayfields by 4 million, and of pastures by 1
million. However, it was mainly less valuable secondary tree species that developed.
The decline in woodlands and the alteration (most often a simplification) of their
composition have had wide environmental implications, especially with respect to faunal
biodiversity and hydrological regime. To halt degradation of woodlands, forest management
and afforestation programmes have been widely introduced. The measures include removal of
dead and damaged trees, amelioration of forests, establishment and wide use of forest
nurseries, applications of fertilizers, and many others. However, rates of afforestation
in Northern Eurasia remain lower than in Central and northwestern Europe. Further
development and a broader introduction of sustainable management policies, which encourage
growth and entail the maintenance of forests, effective and enforceable legislative
infrastructure, as well as the use of recent innovations (biotechnology) are therefore
much needed.
