Assessment of Biological and Environmental Factors Influence on Fire Hazard in Pine Forests: A Case Study in Central Forest-Steppe of the East European Plain

Vasiliy Slavskiy (), Daria Litovchenko, Sergey Matveev, Sergey Sheshnitsan and Maxim V. Larionov
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Vasiliy Slavskiy: Faculty of Forestry, Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies Named after G.F. Morozov, 8 Timiryazev Street, 394087 Voronezh, Russia
Daria Litovchenko: Faculty of Forestry, Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies Named after G.F. Morozov, 8 Timiryazev Street, 394087 Voronezh, Russia
Sergey Matveev: Faculty of Forestry, Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies Named after G.F. Morozov, 8 Timiryazev Street, 394087 Voronezh, Russia
Sergey Sheshnitsan: Faculty of Forestry, Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies Named after G.F. Morozov, 8 Timiryazev Street, 394087 Voronezh, Russia
Maxim V. Larionov: Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Protection, Russian State Social University (RSSU), 4 Wilhelm Peak Street, Building 1, 129226 Moscow, Russia

Land, 2022, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-15

Abstract: Vast forest areas are spreaded in Russia and perform environment-forming, nature-protective and climate-regulating functions, including carbon sequestration. At the same time, increasing of destructive forest fires scale in recent decades has led to depletion of forest resources. To combat forest fires, it is necessary to develop preventive measures to reduce the number and severity of forest fires and establish reliable evaluation criteria for fire hazard assessment in forestry. However, indices of fire hazard assessment that exist in Russia are not always allowed to determine the degree of fire hazard reliably. The studies were performed in pine forests on the territory of the Central Forest-Steppe. The key forestry factors influencing the fire hazard situation in pine stands are identified: the presence and amount of combustible materials, the state of the stand, as well as the age structure of tree stand. According to burning indices, the highest fire hazard was common for young and middle-aged pine stands, while for ripening, mature and old-growth forests, fire hazard increasing was not observed. A set of parameters that characterize soil moisture and ground cover peculiarities have also a significant impact. Forest growth conditions were shown to be an important indicator for assessment of fire hazard class. Identified factors that have a key impact on the fire hazard in forests will make it possible to improve methodological approach for monitoring and preservation of forests.

Keywords: biological and environmental factors; forestry; tree age; forest fires; taxation; burning; forest growth conditions; pine stands; loss of landscape-ecological balance; conservation of forest resources; Central Forest-Steppe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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