Unit 2 Forests

2.1. Read the texts with the help of a dictionary. A. Forests of Russia

In relation to the rest of the world, Russia possesses more than one fifth of the world’s forested area. Coniferous volume accounts for 80 per cent of the total. The most widespread genus is larch. Next follow pine, spruce, birch, fir, aspen, oak and beech.

Geographically, our forest resources have an extremely disproportional distribution as to population and conversion facilities. The main softwood reserves are concentrated in the Urals, Siberia, Far East, in Northern European regions of Arkhangelsk and Vologda and in the Komi and Karelian Autonomous Republics.

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Figure 2.1 Taiga

he taiga (figure 2.1) occupies two-fifths of European Russia and extends across the Urals to cover much of Siberia. Much of the taiga also has permafrost. This vast zone is made up of coniferous trees, but birch, poplar, aspen, willow and other deciduous trees add to the diversity of the forest in some places. The taiga contains the world’s largest coniferous forest, representing about one-third of the world’s softwood timber. There are various species of pine in taiga. Larch, a deciduous conifer, becomes dominant throughout the mountains of eastern Siberia. Some regions, however, have stands of trees that are made exclusively of birch. Throughout the taiga zone, trees are generally small and widely spaced. A mixed forest, containing both conifers and broad-leaved deciduous trees, occupies the central portion of the Great European Plain between Saint Petersburg and the Ukrainian border. The principal broad-leaved species are oak, beech, maple and hornbeam.

Russian forests have changed considerably because of reformation of the land use system and depleting felling over the last three centuries. From 1700-1900, about 70 million ha were deforested in European Russia; the forest area shrank from 19% to 10%. Over the past 40 years, afforested lands have increased by 79.9 million ha. This revival is owing to forests’ great capacity for self-renewal, to significant reduction of fires during this period, and to vast plantations of trees (e.g., 18.3 million ha of forest plantations were registered as of 1 January 2000). At the same time, forest quality worsened considerably, mainly in the regions of intensive logging, when the most productive standing trees of valuable coniferous species were felled.

B. Britain’s forests

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Figure 2.2 Ancient forest in Carnwall

n prehistoric times, Britain was well-covered with trees (figure 2.2.). But as the population changed and grew, as agriculture developed and the need for timber increased, the forest areas gradually disappeared. The grazing of cattle and sheep prevented much natural regeneration of trees. By 1905, after centuries of woodland clearance, Britain had less than 5% tree-cover. This area has now doubled, although two-thirds of our present woodland is coniferous and mainly evergreen. Britain is still one of the least wooded countries in Europe. Today only 6% of the total area remains wooded. Oak, elm, ash and beech are the commonest trees in England, while Scotland has much pine and birch.

But in spite of the two wars the Forestry Commission has now planted 1.5 million acres of trees in the 500 forests of the country. The annual programme in recent years has been 100 million new trees planted each year. Of these, 90 per cent are conifer trees because they are quick growing. The softwood they provide represents practically 90 per cent of timber needs of Britain. The Forestry Commission, with their scientific and financial resources, advises and assists private landowners who have between them 2.5 million acres of woodland.

There is a number of forest schools which train the men who look after Britain’s forests. A number of universities have specialist courses which provide a steady flow of men who will occupy various positions both in state and private woodlands.