Dynamics of forest fires in the Russian Far East

• Published in: Сибирский лесной журнал
• Main Author: A. G. Matveeva
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English; Russian
• Published: Russian Academy of Sciences, Siberian Branch Publishing House 2021
• Subjects: number of fires; fire areas; specific burning rate; forest fire situation; fire damage; loss of wood on the root; control zones; Forestry; SD1-669.5; Sakha; Yakutia
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.15372/SJFS20210603; https://doaj.org/article/f2701756e7d34419b5f1df3fdd741c3d

The problem of forest fires in the Far East has always been very acute. The forest fund of the Far Eastern Federal District (Far Eastern Federal District) as a whole is characterized by a high fire hazard and burnability due to the predominance of coniferous species and the complex composition of stands, the presence of various ecosystems and communities, including harems and meadow phytocenoses, as well as a number of geomorphological and climatic features. High classes of natural fire danger cause a greater probability of fires compared to the rest of the Russian Federation. At the same time, the most significant reserves of wood, which is one of the most valuable components of the Far Eastern export, are concentrated here. The article analyzes the dynamics of the area and number of forest fires, as well as the loss of wood on the root for the period from 2009 to 2020 in the Russian Far East, summarizes the reasons for the aggravation of the forest fire situation in recent years and provides general recommendations for reducing its intensity. The results of the study show significant fluctuations in the area and number of forest fires in different periods with an increase in 2016–2020. The average annual area of forest fires in the Far Eastern Federal District is about 2.5 million hectares per year. Over a 12-year period, the annual loss of wood stock is 10.5 million m3. The most affected regions are the Republics of Sakha (Yakutia) and of Buryatia, the Amur Oblast. The causes of fires, both in 1973–2004, and now mainly remain anthropogenic factors. In the zone of cedar-broad-leaved forests, 93 % of forest fires are caused by humans. The solution to the problem of forest burning is not simple and unambiguous and combines a whole set of measures necessary for adoption at the federal and regional levels.