What or who is dangerous in the forest. Dangerous animals for humans in the forest

In the past, forests did not experience any noticeable human influence. It was completely insignificant. The forests occupied their original territory for many centuries, remaining practically in the same place. Their areas were not reduced. The forest lived and developed in its own way natural laws. It had the resilience and ability to maintain its existence without any human help. No care was required for him. Old trees, having outlived their usefulness, died; they were replaced by young people. Generations of trees changed, but the forest as a whole remained unchanged. This was how it was in untouched wild nature, when primitive man did not have any great influence on it and did not disturb the natural life of the forest.

Nowadays the situation is completely different. Modern man has become one of the most powerful factors influencing nature, including forests. Its activities are now so large in scale that they are comparable to some geological processes.

Human influence on the forest is not only very strong, but also extremely diverse. In modern conditions, the forest, of course, lives and develops completely differently than in prehistoric times. The pressure of civilization strongly presses on it, disrupting the natural processes of development. The forest is losing its stability. He can no longer maintain his own existence, at least in the form in which he was before. Even indigenous, natural forests in densely populated areas cannot now regenerate on their own, without human help. The reasons for this are understandable. The forest living environment has become too unfavorable (the soil is highly compacted, the atmosphere is polluted, etc.). Many obstacles have appeared to the natural restoration of trees (grazing by livestock, mass proliferation of pests that destroy seeds, etc.). But perhaps the most important thing is that the a complex system connections between the individual components of the forest, the entire forest “mechanism” went wrong. The forest has become unviable. Here's a concrete example.

In one of the countries of Western Europe, such an experiment was carried out. In a densely populated area, a small area of ​​natural old coniferous forest was fenced off. The fence was very secure; neither people nor animals could enter the forest through it. The organizers of the experiment thought that the fenced forest would be well preserved, since no one would disturb it. And what happened several decades later to this section of the forest? The old trees died, and there was no replacement for them. The forest was completely destroyed and died. Left to his own devices, he was unable to maintain his existence.

In this case, it was possible to preserve the coniferous forest of its previous composition only with the help of humans. To do this, it was necessary to plant young coniferous trees in place of the dead old ones. And then, over time, a new forest would grow, similar to the one that was in the beginning. True, the process of forest growth would require human help. After all, any planting requires care. Here you cannot rely entirely on nature. Planted trees may die without care.

What is the situation like after the clear felling of the old coniferous forest? In this case, coniferous trees also do not recover on their own. Human intervention is necessary here, of course, if we want the more valuable forest we need to be restored (for example, pine). It must be said that clearings often become overgrown with trees themselves, but only with low-value trees, not those that are desirable (birch, aspen, etc.). To avoid this, we need some effort, our intervention. The most reliable way to restore a cut down coniferous forest is to plant young trees (seedlings).

There are also frequent cases when no forest appears at all in cleared areas. This happens most often when the clearing area is very large and it happens somewhere in the north of the taiga strip. Under such conditions, the forest often does not recover at all. In its place, thickets of some bushes or a swamp may appear. Until now, we have only talked about forest restoration - both unaffected by logging and cut down. Human help in both cases is absolutely necessary.

Now about something else - about preserving the forest, keeping it in a healthy state. This also requires human help.

We already know how much harm air pollution causes to forests. Sulfur dioxide, or otherwise sulfur dioxide, is especially dangerous. This is the main enemy of the forest. Coniferous forests, especially pine forests, suffer the most from it. Let's now see how we can protect the forest from this harmful effects how to reduce its harmful effects.

The main way to achieve this goal and the most effective is to install special cleaning devices at factories that capture, for example, sulfur dioxide. However, there are considerable difficulties along this path: firstly, the installation of purification devices is very expensive, and secondly, not all of these devices completely capture the harmful gas. Small doses of gas, repeated many times, act like one large one. Therefore, it is possible to completely secure the forest only when all enterprises have cleaning devices. And at the same time of the most perfect design, i.e. those that completely capture harmful substances. We must strive for this. There is simply no other effective way.

Fertilizing forest soil with lime can somewhat reduce the harm from sulfur dioxide. Thanks to this, the mineral nutrition of the trees improves and they become more resilient. This path is possible, but ineffective. Firstly, this measure is purely passive, not affecting the source of pollution at all (the danger is not completely eliminated), and secondly, fertilizing forest soil with lime is very labor-intensive, expensive and, moreover, feasible only in very small areas.

The presence of large numbers of people in it also poses a serious danger to the forest. This form of human influence on the forest is now taking on an increasingly wider scale. But the situation is not hopeless. The harm from visiting people can be reduced. This is entirely within our power. This is exactly what will be discussed in the following story. And first about the disturbance of the forest by visitors.

When many people come to the forest, the top layer of soil, where the bulk of the thin suction roots of plants are located, becomes very compacted. It is in this layer that the roots of all the green inhabitants of the forest, including trees, are concentrated. When the soil is compacted, the roots “suffocate” and lack air. At the same time, many other soil qualities deteriorate. As a result, the tree tops and large branches begin to dry out. Shrubs and grasses suffer greatly and eventually die. For these plants of the lower tiers of the forest, it is not only soil compaction itself that is dangerous. In addition, great harm is caused by the destructive activities of people in the forest - breaking off branches of bushes, damaging the above-ground parts of grasses, and especially their delicate buds on rhizomes, often located near the surface of the soil or at a shallow depth.

Under the influence of human visits to the forest, the forest plant community as a whole also changes significantly. Changes occur in all its layers - tree, shrub, grass-shrub, moss-lichen. But different tiers change to different degrees; they are unequally sensitive to disturbances. Trees suffer the least. They are more resistant to human influence than other forest inhabitants. The shrub layer is more vulnerable. It thins out and may disappear completely. The grass cover usually remains, but species composition plants changes a lot. Typically forest representatives of the flora are replaced by plants that are not typical of forests - meadows and even weeds. The moss-lichen cover almost completely disappears. Ground lichens are especially sensitive to trampling.

How more people comes to the forest to rest, the more the forest plant community changes. It is even possible to distinguish several stages of forest disturbance. There are five such stages: from the first, when the forest is practically undisturbed, to the fifth, when it is disturbed to the greatest extent. In this case, only one tree layer remains of the forest plant community, and all the rest are either destroyed or include plants alien to the forest.

In the case when the forest is not too much disturbed by people visiting it, it is still quite viable. Such a forest can restore its original structure and appearance, return to its original state, if only it is allowed to “rest,” that is, completely rid of all visitors. True, recovery will require a fairly long period of time - five to ten years, or even more.

However, there is such a degree of disturbance that the forest can no longer return to its original state, even if it receives complete “rest.” The forest plant community in this case is so destroyed that it has lost the ability to recover. It is no longer viable. This happens at the fourth and fifth stages of forest disturbance. At the third stage, recovery is still possible, although with great difficulty. Consequently, there is a certain “strength limit” of the forest plant community, a kind of viability limit.

So, people resting in the forest, if there are a lot of them, leads to compaction of the soil and all kinds of mechanical damage to the plants of the lower tiers of the forest. Both are extremely undesirable and dangerous.

Fires, which are often lit by vacationers, also cause great harm to the forest. An unextinguished fire can cause a terrible disaster - a forest fire. But fires in the forest are dangerous in another way. If the flame is near tree trunks, it heats them up greatly. Living tissues located directly under the bark suffer from this. High temperatures can cause their death. And then the whole tree will die. This will happen, of course, not immediately, but after some time. The tree will dry out in a year or two.

It is impossible not to mention the harm that flower pickers cause to the forest. Picking a few flowers is, of course, not a very big problem. But when whole armfuls of flowers are collected, and many people do this, the alarm must be sounded. Mass collection of flowers leads to the rapid disappearance of beautiful flowering plants from the forest. The forest becomes dull, boring, empty. We no longer see the bright colors of forest flowers, their graceful forms, so pleasing to the eye. Flora becomes scarcer, becomes poor, monotonous.

Picking flowers is harmful to plants primarily because it does not allow seeds to form. By picking flowers, we destroy the seeds in their buds. And since there are no seeds, then shoots - new, young plants - will no longer be able to appear in the forest. The old ones will sooner or later outlive their days, die away, and there will be no replacement for them. The plant will disappear from the forest forever. This danger especially threatens those species that reproduce exclusively by seeds. An example would be many beautifully flowering plants from the orchid family (various types of orchis, bifolia, etc.).

How can we reduce the damage that vacationers cause to the forest? How to minimize the negative consequences of human intervention in forest life?

First of all, about trampling. How to ensure the best preservation of the forest if there are many vacationers there? It is very important that the large mass of people who find themselves in the forest is not evenly distributed over the territory. In other words, people should not be allowed to wander throughout the forest and trample the entire territory. This will cause the most harm. It is much better when certain areas are allocated for recreation, where you can put up tents, light fires, play various games (volleyball, badminton, etc.). Even if these areas suffer greatly, they will have to be sacrificed. But this can be done. After all, the share of such areas in total area forests are small. But the rest of the territory will be better preserved and will be much less disturbed. There must be “islands” left in the forest, little touched by humans. And the more there are, the better for forest conservation. Well, what about walking through the forest? It is best to have a permanent network of paths and use them mostly. Then the least harm will be caused to the forest. After all, you don’t have to wander wherever you want. We also need to think about the preservation of the forest. If you try to stick to the paths when moving through the forest, this will the best way out out of position. This will not make our vacation any less attractive, and the forest will be better preserved.

As for fires in the forest, the harm from them can be minimized without much difficulty. It is clear that you cannot leave a fire when there are still smoldering coals in it. This is a potential source of forest fire. You should light a fire not under the forest canopy, but only in a clearing or clearing, away from tree trunks. Then they will not be heated by heat rays and will not suffer. It is best to light a new fire in the place of the old one, so as not to increase the area of ​​burned soil. In general, when a large number of people are relaxing in the forest, permanent areas for making fires should be set aside. These areas must be provided with special signs.

You should also treat shrubs in the forest with care. It is not necessary, for example, to break off thick branches when collecting hazel nuts. Other forest shrubs should not suffer at our hands. No need to break off their branches. Shrubs - very important component forest plant community. Some birds nest in thickets of bushes, which bring great benefits to the forest by destroying harmful insects. A forest devoid of bushes looks dull and empty. He is losing his attractiveness.

The well-known bird cherry, which makes us so happy during the flowering season, also requires careful treatment. Dressed in white lace of fragrant flowers, she is very beautiful at this time. But some overzealous lovers of collecting bouquets barbarously break off its flowering branches. If you pick two or three branches, it’s not a problem. But why collect armfuls, and huge ones at that? We need to think at least a little about the consequences of such an unreasonable attitude towards nature.

I would especially like to say about one more thing - about picking flowers in the forest. We have already discussed why this is harmful. We are talking about something else - how to reduce the harm of this collection. It is impossible, of course, to completely prohibit everyone who finds themselves in the forest from picking at least one flower. This is extreme, it is unrealistic. This measure is not dictated by necessity. It is possible to pick two or three flowers, but more is unacceptable. By the way, the beauty of flowers is especially clearly visible when there are few of them, when there are only two or three branches in the vase. In this case, each plant stands out especially and is visible in all its glory. It is not for nothing that we value ikebana so much - the Japanese art of arranging micro-bouquets. The elegance of their bouquet is created by a very small number of flowers.

However, there may be cases when even a single flower cannot be picked in the forest. Imagine that this is a very rare plant and is found in only one point in a given area. Of course, only a specialist can find out that this is very rare. What about everyone else? Here it is better to “play it safe.” If you come across some plant in the forest with beautiful flowers and only one copy, leave it alone, do not pick it. Suddenly, this is precisely what is very rare. If you want to pick flowers, find enough of them in the forest. But under no circumstances should you tear them too much. Perhaps this too rare plants and even protected ones that are under threat of destruction. Such plants can be included in the all-Union Red Book or its local analogues (some territories have their own Red Books). When in the forest, one must show maximum thrift towards nature and forest plants. If each of us does this, all the beautiful flowers of our forest flora will be preserved and will not disappear. And they will delight us for many years. A forest without flowers is a boring forest. It is entirely within our power to keep it rich, beautiful, and attractive.

And for this, only one thing is needed - a conscious, careful attitude of all of us towards the forest flora. It is important to always remember the main thing - mass collection of beautiful flowers in the forest is absolutely unacceptable. This rule must be strictly followed.

Now about the collection medicinal plants In the woods. This is a good, necessary thing. Our need for raw materials for the preparation of various medicines is still great.

It is gratifying to note that not only adults, but also schoolchildren are actively involved in collecting medicinal plants. Often they work equally with their elders and collect no less than them. This deserves all the praise and approval. The guys are doing a very useful job.

But there is one dark side to collecting medicinal plants. If collected incorrectly and unwisely, you can cause great harm to nature. The fact is that the reserves of medicinal plants in our forests are limited, they are not unlimited. And here we need to think about protecting nature, about caring for our plant wealth. Excessive and unreasonable zeal can lead to harmful consequences. By collecting any plant in the same area and, moreover, for many years in a row, we can completely destroy it.

What is the way out? It is necessary to alternate collection places, i.e. collect in different years in different areas. And do this in moderation so that the plant’s reserves do not become scarce. You can’t pick every last stem. This is completely unacceptable. It is also bad to collect too much, leaving single and often weak specimens of the plant in the forest. Such specimens can quickly die, unable to withstand competition from neighboring, stronger plants. Competition in the forest, as we already know, is intense.

So, the procurement of medicinal raw materials in the forest must be done wisely, carefully, without causing damage to nature. You should follow certain rules, and not collect plants at random, whatever is more convenient. And one more important point. Before venturing into the forest, you should seek advice from a qualified local botanist or local historian. It is possible that the plant you want to collect is rare in the area and cannot be destroyed. Counseling can be helpful in other ways as well. A local worker who knows his region well can indicate where it is best to collect this or that medicinal plant, so as to cause the least harm to nature.

And yet nature is very vulnerable. No matter how carefully we collect plants, it does not remain completely without a trace. Some plant species, even with careful collection, may disappear completely over time. They recover too slowly naturally. Fewer new specimens appear from seeds than old ones are picked. The plant's reserves are gradually depleted. That is why people are now increasingly resorting to artificial cultivation of medicinal plants in garden beds. This is done, for example, with all known ginseng. Some other plants are also grown in garden beds. In the future there will be more and more such plants. This way of obtaining raw materials is good because it does not cause any harm to nature and does not deplete natural resources.

I would like to say one more thing. Schoolchildren can provide great assistance in growing medicinal plants in garden beds. This work is not difficult, the guys can do it quite well. Of course, you should not do it yourself, but under the guidance of adults, with the consultation of specialists. Then you will be able to avoid mistakes. Things will go as they should and will bring the proper benefits.

We have not talked about all forms of human impact on the forest. They are very diverse.

We should also mention grazing in the forest. This form of influence is very widespread. Grazing causes known harm to the forest. Cattle are grazed over a large area, and in the future it will increase even more. The challenge is how to minimize the negative consequences of grazing.

Why is grazing in the forest dangerous? First of all, the soil is greatly compacted. It is also dangerous for animals to gnaw on forest shrubs and especially undergrowth of tree species. Heavy grazing disrupts the natural state of the soil surface, leading to the appearance of hollows and gullies, and these are the beginnings of future ravines that pose a great danger.

So what can be done to reduce the harm of grazing? It is important, first of all, not to exceed the permissible norms in relation to pasture load, i.e. the number of animals per hectare of forest area. Such norms exist, and they must be strictly observed. They are different for forests of different species composition: in coniferous forests the grazing load should be less than in deciduous forests. Deciduous forests are more resilient and suffer less from grazing.

If the established standards are strictly followed, the forest will suffer little. It is important not to forget that grazing livestock is only possible in forests of sufficiently old age, where the trees are large and tall. Grazing standards apply specifically to such forests. Here, as a rule, there is quite a lot of grass in the summer, and the animals feed mainly on this food, almost leaving the bushes and undergrowth of trees untouched.

The situation is completely different in clear-cut areas, where the future forest is being formed, and the trees are still very small, smaller than a person’s height. In such a young forest, grazing is absolutely unacceptable. Here, when grazing, animals gnaw heavily on tiny trees, causing them severe damage. Such mutilated plants die en masse. They cannot form a healthy mature forest. We must do everything in our power to ensure that the forest recovers after cutting. It is important to remember one more thing. Grazing causes the least harm to the forest in summer time when there is a lot of grass under the trees. It is during this period that it is best to graze livestock in the forest. In spring, grazing is extremely undesirable. At this time, the grass cover has not yet fully developed, there is little grass and animals feed mainly on shoots of bushes and undergrowth. In addition, spring grazing is very harmful to the soil. After the snow melts, it is waterlogged and is especially susceptible to compaction. As for autumn grazing, it is not recommended either. By autumn, there is little grass in the forest, and the above-ground shoots of many plants dry out. The same situation arises as in the spring.

What other care does the forest require from us in the modern era? What do you need to worry about to keep it in good condition? What threatens him and how to avert the threat?

One of the dangers that threatens forests is the attack of a large mass of leaf-eating insects. This happens in some years when pests appear in large numbers. Caterpillar attacks are especially dangerous for forests. gypsy moth, oak budworm, pine silkworm. Myriads of caterpillars, destroying foliage, “bare” all the trees in a row over a very large area, leaving only bare branches in the crowns. The forest looks dead, dried out, devastated. Sometimes such a forest stretches far around, to the very horizon, as far as the eye can see. The attack of hordes of pests often leads to the death of the forest and massive drying out of trees. Sometimes, however, the trees remain alive and are subsequently covered with new foliage. But even in this case, the forest suffers greatly. The fact is that gnawing leaves by insects greatly weakens trees, and they are poorly resistant to fungal diseases and various other adversities. Their vitality decreases sharply. What is not dangerous for healthy, normal trees can be disastrous for weakened trees affected by pests.

In short, in any case, gnawing on leaves has a negative effect.

How to fight this evil? How to prevent pest attacks? There are various prevention and control measures. We will tell you about them now. But first I would like to draw attention to one circumstance. Hordes of harmful caterpillars do not appear out of nowhere, they do not appear “out of thin air.” There are always pests in the forest, they are there all the time. But in normal years their numbers are insignificant and they do not cause much harm. Only in some special years do insects suddenly give a sharp “outbreak” in numbers and appear in huge numbers. And then this is a terrible danger for the forest.

When the caterpillars appear in large numbers and begin to eat the foliage of the trees, it is very difficult to fight them. There is only one way of control - treating the forest with substances that kill insects (they are called insecticides). But this method has its downsides. Other living creatures in the forest may die, and among them are the natural enemies of pests.

It is much better to try to prevent the invasion of pests than to fight them when they have already appeared in large numbers.

Prevention measures may vary. The gypsy moth is fought, for example, as follows. In the fall, the egg clutches of this harmful butterfly are destroyed by treating them with special substances.

Dense clusters of gypsy moth testicles are easily accessible for destruction; they are located in the lower part of tree trunks, close to the ground.

The most preferable, however, is the biological method of pest control. And here we have to remember, first of all, our feathered forest orderlies. Many forest birds destroy caterpillars and, moreover, in huge numbers. It is clear that the more birds there are in the forest, the better it will be for the “health” of the forest and the worse it will be for insect pests.

And it is entirely within our power to increase the number of useful birds in the forest. And here schoolchildren can be of great help. It is important, first of all, to create as much space as possible for birds in the forest. more apartments- houses where they could raise their chicks. Dwellings should be varied in size, diameter of the entrance hole, etc. After all, there are many species of insectivorous birds and they vary greatly in size. The houses, naturally, should be hung in the forest, attaching them to tree trunks. When constructing houses and placing them in the forest, it is advisable to consult an experienced zoologist. In this case, you will be able to completely avoid all kinds of mistakes. Experience shows that hanging houses significantly increases the size of the bird population. And consequently, there are more forest defenders.

Another measure serves the same purpose - feeding birds during the extremely difficult winter time for them. And school-aged children can be of great help here. It is not at all difficult to build simple feeders and hang them near your house if it is located next to a forest. The most important thing is to put food there not occasionally, but systematically, every day. Birds quickly get used to their “dining room” and always expect to find something suitable for food there. You can’t let them down by forgetting to put in the next portion of food. It is especially important to refill feeders regularly during extreme cold weather. During severe frosts, birds are in dire need of feeding: after all, at this time of year, a lot of them die from lack of food. And we can save them. The more feeders are hung, the more birds will overwinter, the more reliable the forest will be protected from harmful insects. By helping the birds, we also benefit the forest.

Not only birds require our protection, but also six-legged forest “orderlies” - ants. They also perform extremely useful work, destroying many harmful insects. The more ants in the forest, the better for the forest. It is necessary to protect ant dwellings in every possible way. Where there is a need, it is necessary to specially fence anthills, protecting them from damage.

A terrible disaster for a forest is a crown or general fire. In such a fire, the entire forest burns out. Trees, shrubs, grasses, mosses, and lichens burn. The fire does not spare representatives of the fauna - animals, birds, insects, etc. In a word, all living things that are above the ground that are accessible to fire perish. Often a huge area, measured in hundreds and thousands of hectares, is devastated.

Almost exclusively coniferous forests suffer from fires; they are very flammable. Deciduous trees rarely catch fire and are less susceptible to fire. Therefore, when people talk about forest fires, they usually mean coniferous forests. It is these forests that sometimes burn out over huge areas, leaving behind vast burnt areas.

It is difficult to imagine how much damage the national economy suffers from forest fires. After all, a colossal amount of wood, a valuable, irreplaceable material, perishes from fire. We try to use this material as economically as possible. Many people, including schoolchildren, collect and hand over waste paper so that less wood is spent on making paper, so that less forests are cut down for this purpose. A fire can ruin all our efforts to save wood. This is a truly terrible disaster, a real catastrophe on a large scale.

That is why one of our primary concerns about the forest is concern for preventing fires. It is about prevention, because once a fire has broken out and taken on a wide scale, it is extremely difficult to fight it. It is almost impossible to curb the raging fiery element. It is better to extinguish the fire at the very beginning, when only small pockets of fire have appeared. And the best thing is to prevent it altogether, to warn it.

How are forest fires prevented? One of the most important measures is strict adherence to fire safety rules by all those who are in the forest. These rules are simple and known to everyone. You cannot throw an unextinguished cigarette on the ground, leave a fire that is not completely extinguished, etc. In short, you must handle fire with extreme caution. Particular care is needed in dry weather, when flammable material in the forest is very dry and can easily ignite. This situation often occurs in the middle and end of summer, when it is hot for a long time and there has been no rain for a long time. This is extremely dangerous period for the forest. The slightest carelessness - and the matter can end in big trouble. During such periods, it is better not to make any fires in the forest at all, not to use fire. And it is highly desirable that there be as few people as possible in the forest.

It is clear to everyone that it is immeasurably easier to prevent a fire than to extinguish it. Therefore, it is not surprising that extreme, especially harsh measures are sometimes necessary to prevent fires. Thus, sometimes for a certain period the entry of cars with vacationers into the forest is completely prohibited. This is done, for example, in some suburban pine forests in the summer, in hot, dry weather. Such a harsh ban, however, is completely justified. The fire danger is too great to take any chances.

In addition to crown fires, when the entire forest burns, there are other types of fires - ground fires. In this case, the fire in the forest goes, so to speak, “from the bottom”: only the dry litter on the surface of the soil burns. But such a fire also poses a danger. Fire can easily spread from the ground to trees. And then the flames will completely engulf all tiers of the forest.

It is, of course, easier to fight a ground fire than a top fire. For this purpose, so-called firebreaks up to a meter or more wide are specially plowed in the forest. They are most often laid along clearings in the forest, along the edges of the forest area. These strips of bare soil are replenished from time to time. Litter should not accumulate on their surface - a very flammable material. If a ground fire occurs in a forest where there are protective strips, it will not be able to spread over a large area. As soon as the “creeping” fire reaches the firebreak, it will immediately stop and will not go further.

A special fire-fighting forest service plays a major role in preventing and fighting forest fires. It is equipped special equipment To effectively extinguish the fire, it has helicopters and airplanes at its disposal. Fire service workers conduct continuous and careful monitoring of forests over a very large area. At the slightest sign of danger, the necessary measures are quickly taken. Thanks to this, in most cases it is possible to save the forest. The role of such a service is especially great in remote taiga areas, where the population is small and fire extinguishing is extremely difficult. This is the case with us regarding the protection of forests from fires.

Now let’s get acquainted with how forest felling is carried out and how forest is restored in the cleared area. Here, too, it is necessary to take care of the forest both during the cutting process and during subsequent restoration. In other words, we need a master's approach to business, a careful attitude towards the people's property.

First - about felling. The word "cutting" is old, it appeared at a time when trees were actually cut down with an ax. Now they don't do that anymore. Trees are cut down, but, of course, not manually, but using various mechanisms (chainsaw, etc.). Powerful equipment allows you to cut down many hectares of forest in a matter of hours. However, the old word “cutting” remains, and everyone still uses it. We will do the same.

There are several types of logging. The main, most common one is the final felling. In this case, they pursue only one goal - obtaining wood. Moreover, the trees must be fully mature, large enough, and meeting certain standards. Foresters call such a forest ripe. The age of maturity for our coniferous trees, for example, is 100-120 years. It is at this age that final felling is carried out. As a result, trunks of the required length and thickness are obtained. In reality it most often looks like this. In a forest area, an area for cutting mature wood is designated in advance. It usually has a rectangular shape. The allocation of such an area is called by foresters the allocation of a cutting area. The felling itself is carried out somewhat later, usually in winter, when the snow cover is sufficiently deep. Loggers come to the cutting site and have the necessary equipment at their disposal. With its help, they cut down all the trees in a row, leaving nothing behind. The territory is completely “naked” of the forest. This type of final felling is the most common. It has a special name - clear cutting.

After the trees have fallen to the ground, their branches are cut off and the trunks are taken away. Sometimes the branches are not cut off, but the trees are taken out along with the crowns. In both cases, this is called a special word - skidding. Whole trees or trunks cleared of branches are most often dragged along the surface of the earth for some distance, and then loaded onto transport.

After clear cutting of mature forest, a vast “bare” area remains. And if the forest was coniferous, then young coniferous trees - self-seeding and undergrowth - almost never appear in this area in large numbers. There are either none of them in the felled areas, or there are so few of them that they cannot be the basis of the future forest. They will not subsequently be able to form a tree stand of normal density. Coniferous forest clearings are usually overgrown with birch or aspen. And this is an undesirable phenomenon.

And here a difficult problem arises - how to restore coniferous forest after clearing, because it is much more valuable than birch or aspen forest, it is most desirable in forestry. It should be noted that it is coniferous forests that provide the bulk of wood for various economic needs. This wood, and in very large quantities, is needed primarily by the pulp and paper industry; it is used to build houses, railway sleepers and much more. The use of hardwood (birch, aspen) is much more limited. It is much less valuable, suitable only for some purposes. And the national economy does not need so much of it.

So, after cutting down a coniferous forest, it is highly desirable to restore the forest stand to its previous composition. It is important to prevent the natural process of replacing coniferous forest with deciduous forest, to prevent birch, aspen and other pioneer trees from taking over the territory.

How to do this? The only reliable way in this case is the so-called artificial reforestation, that is, sowing tree seeds or planting seedlings. You can't rely on nature in this matter. Only man can restore the coniferous forest again. And for this you need to make a lot of effort and spend a lot of money. Artificial reforestation is a very labor-intensive and quite expensive task.

First, a little about sowing. For sowing, first of all, you need seeds of coniferous trees and, moreover, in large quantities. After all, it is often necessary to sow a very large area. Sometimes it is so large that sowing is done from airplanes (so-called aerial sowing). You can imagine how many seeds are required for this.

So, the first task is to prepare the seeds. There are certain technologies, rules and regulations in this matter. Mature but not yet opened cones are collected from coniferous trees, and then they are dried. After drying, the scales of the cones move apart and the seeds spill out. The processing of cones is done on a large scale, in large quantities, in special dryers.

Harvesting cones is not difficult. Even school-aged children can do it. By getting involved in this matter, schoolchildren will provide great assistance to forestry workers and, ultimately, to the entire country. Of course, in order to help well, you must first learn and master the techniques of work. In a word, before getting down to business, you need to seek advice from specialists.

Restoring a coniferous forest by cutting down seeds is less effective than planting ready-made small trees. Why is this so? There are several reasons for this. The main thing is that this method is not completely reliable, it does not always give good results. There are many obstacles on the way from sowing a seed to the emergence of a young, viable tree. They often cannot be overcome. The sown seed may die even before germination (it may be destroyed by some representatives of the fauna). Many young plants die at the very beginning of their lives due to unfavorable conditions environment (for example, from drying out of the top layer of soil). Competition from neighboring, larger herbaceous plants is also very dangerous for tiny seedlings. Competitively strong grasses choke out tree seedlings and can cause their death. In short, only a certain proportion of the sown seeds subsequently produce young trees. And there may be too few of them to form a good dense forest in the future. So seeding is not the most reliable way to restore the forest.

The landing is more secure. There is a much greater chance of success here. The forester plants ready-made plants, specially grown in the nursery, i.e. seedlings. In this case, there is no longer a risk of mass death of seeds or young shoots. Seedlings are plants that are incomparably “stronger” and more viable. They are quite large and not as vulnerable as seeds and small weak shoots.

However, landing also has its disadvantages. It requires a lot of labor and money, much more than sowing. After all, you need not only collect seeds and sow them in a nursery. It is necessary to properly care for the emerging young plants for two to three years. Only then will good seedlings grow. And then you need to transplant them to a clearing, where special preparation of the soil for planting has been carried out in advance. In short, there is a lot of hassle.

But the matter is by no means limited to this. When planting is done, young trees also cannot be left to their own devices. They require careful care. First of all, it is necessary to protect them from being drowned out by weeds and the undergrowth of pioneer trees. And this work is very labor-intensive. And it needs to be repeated more than once. Planting care is carried out for 5-10 years, or even more. Only then can you be completely confident in the success of your business. Planted trees, if left unattended, usually die.

Can schoolchildren somehow help foresters when planting forests? Of course they can. Help is especially desirable when growing seedlings in the nursery and caring for the trees after they are transplanted to be cut down. And here the guys can bring great benefits to forestry.

So, in order to grow a coniferous forest from clearing, a lot of human effort is required, and, in addition, a lot of real care for the forest. You need to grow a forest with knowledge of the matter, with a great interest in success. And finally, with great love for plants, for nature.

But let's continue the story about the types of forest felling. In addition to final fellings, most often clearcuts, which have already been discussed, there are others.

First of all, we must mention the so-called thinning. For many it will seem strange that the purpose of these fellings is not to obtain wood. The main thing here is different - to improve the forest itself, its growth conditions, remove undesirable tree species, remove bad, low-quality trees (for example, with a crooked trunk, forked, etc.).

Thinning is carried out throughout the life of the forest, starting from a very young age and almost until the age of maturity. In a young forest, this is something like weeding: unwanted tree species, a kind of forest “weeds,” are cut down. For example, in young growth where birch and oak trees grow together, the birch tree is removed, which drowns out the oak. In other words, they leave only the required tree species and form a certain species composition of the forest.

At a more mature age of the forest, when only one necessary species remains, bad trees that produce low-quality wood are cut down, some weak, poorly growing trees are removed that prevent stronger ones from growing, etc. In a word, here “weeding” is carried out already according to another principle. But the ultimate goal of all these events is the same - obtaining forest best quality, i.e. from the desired tree species and with trunks that have good technical characteristics.

The goals of different fellings are different: in some cases, exclusively to obtain wood, in others, to improve the forest itself as a supplier of timber, sometimes to take care of the “health” of the forest, to remove diseased trees that pose a danger to their neighbors.

So, the forest requires a lot of care and attention from humans. He needs to take care of himself. Forestry workers take on the bulk of the forest care. But you and I can also help preserve the forest in many ways.

When going into the forest to pick mushrooms, or going on a long hike with tents, remember that, first of all, you are going to someone else’s house, the inhabitants of which are wild animals. It could be a harmless squirrel, a peace-loving elk, or a female bear with cubs, who, upon seeing a person, will certainly decide that you pose a threat to her.

Most cases of human bites by wild animals are caused by people themselves. We get too close to them, we are curious, we want to photograph, touch, feed, we neglect safety measures when communicating with animals.

Quite recently, a video from the Arkhangelsk region appeared on the Internet. Five builders were filming the cubs and having fun. A minute later, an angry bear came out of the forest and rushed at the people. Three construction workers died on the spot.

Another case of a bear attack occurred with a reindeer herder. He was taken to hospital in critical condition. He himself names the reason for the attack - he ran, which provoked the aggression.
Recently, cases of wolves appearing near large cities, and in places where they are not accustomed, have become more frequent. So, in October last year, residents of Crimea observed packs of wolves in the vicinity of Simferopol. It is known that wolves have never lived in Crimea. Most likely, they crossed from the Rostov region in winter along the frozen Sea of ​​Azov in search of food. In the spring of this year, in several villages of Crimea, a “mad” wolf began to appear in courtyards and rush at animals and people. At the same time, experts note that wolves rarely attack groups of people, mainly individuals. In the Kirov region, a case was recently recorded of a wolf attack on a young girl who decided to cross a field alone in the evening. Unfortunately, the incident ended tragically.

Going to the forest

If you follow safety rules and are careful and observant, meeting forest dwellers can be quite safe. When going into the forest, you need to take the necessary standard kit: a folding knife, a charged phone, matches, a bottle of water, pepper spray.
It is better to go into the forest in a group of two or three people. If you are going to stay in the forest overnight, then be sure to decide who will be on duty and make sure that the fire does not go out. As a rule, at night any wild animal will be afraid of fire and will not come close to the camp site. Along the perimeter of the tent city, you can mark the territory with your own urine or string a rope with something that jingles, for example, tie bottles or cans. To avoid attracting animals with odors, it is better to put leftover food in a tight bag.
Let's look in more detail at which forest animals most residents of our country can encounter, and how to behave so that the animals do not show aggression.

Bear

Bears are extremely rare in the forests of the European part of our country due to their extermination. The largest populations live in the Leningrad and Novgorod regions, Bashkiria, Siberia, Far East. As a rule, they do not hunt humans, unlike wolves. In summer, bears are mainly provided with plant and animal food, so they do not pose a danger to humans. The exception is the period from May to June - the time of active breeding of bears. In winter, these animals hibernate for 3-6 months.

Bear attacks on people usually happen for two reasons.
1. First - if you accidentally woke up the bear after hibernation. During this period, he will be especially hungry and aggressive.
2. Second possible reason bear attacks - mother bear meeting with cubs on your way.
That's why The best way protection from a bear is to try not to meet it.

How to prevent meeting a bear in the forest?

It is important to be cautious and careful in the forest, especially if the forest is in the habitat of bears. It is better to avoid a dense overgrown forest, as it reduces the likelihood of seeing an animal from afar and having time to get away from it. Most often, encounters with bears occur in places where there are a lot of berries, or along the banks of the river.
As a rule, in places where food is collected, bears do not behave aggressively, but, on the contrary, when they smell or hear a person, they will move away from him. Therefore, in order to avoid meeting a bear, be loud, talk, step on cracking branches, sing in the forest, whistle.
Particular attention should be paid to bear trails. If you see a bear's footprint in the snow in the spring, this may be evidence of its awakening from hibernation. You need to go around this place and go in the direction opposite to the direction the animal is moving.

Proper disposal of garbage, especially food waste, is also the key to safe coexistence between humans and bears. By creating spontaneous landfills in the forest, directly next to a village or in the fields, we thereby attract wild animals closer to humans and create a lack of fear in them. Bears should not form associations between food and humans. For the same reason, if you stay overnight in the forest, try to hide the leftover food as best as possible, put it in a tent, and wrap it in several bags.

If you unexpectedly meet a bear

If you notice a bear in the forest near you, you need to move away to a safe distance as quietly as possible without panic.
If the bear notices you, but does not run, you need to try to drive him away by shouting or shooting into the air. False flares and a flare gun, which are sold in fishing stores, are suitable as deterrents. You can also spray pepper spray so that its pungent smell will scare away the bear, or set fire to the clothes you take off.
Don't quickly run away from a bear. It is necessary to slowly, turning to face him, move away. You can only run when you are so far away that the bear disappears from your field of vision.
There are situations in which you can see a bear cub in the forest. You should not try to touch it or take a photo, as the bear is most likely somewhere nearby.

If the bear is at a distance of 5-7 meters from you, then most likely this will be followed by an attack. It is important to note that before the attack the bear may not give any external signs aggression. The video above is evidence of this. Conversely, if a bear stands on its hind legs, this may not mean that it wants to attack. Therefore, admiring bears in the forest leads to tragic consequences.

What to do if you are attacked by a bear

The most the best remedy when the bear notices you, this is to distract him. If there is a mountain or hill somewhere nearby, this will help you gain a few minutes in the fight with the bear. The fact is that due to its massive weight, it will be difficult for him to see you on a hill.
If you have a basket of berries or a backpack in your hands, then you need to put it in front of you. Many stories indicate that in such cases people were saved by pretending to be dead. It is best to lie on the ground in the fetal position, while protecting your head with your hands. You can use a wearing backpack as a shield.
Even if you feel that the bear has already lost interest in you, but is nearby, you should not move or get up.
If the bear does attack, then you need to try to inflict strong blows with a knife, for example, in the eye, nose. You can throw any objects that you have at the bear, while trying to hit its sensitive muzzle. It's good if you have pepper spray with you, which you can spray directly into the bear's eyes. At the same time, try not to look the bear in the eye. There is always a chance to survive in a fight with an animal, but in the case of a bear it is small, since it is very strong and fast.

Since bears are very good at climbing trees, especially young ones, do not try to hide from him in a tree. Big bears, they can knock down a tree, and then you will have even less chance of survival. If you have already climbed a tree from a bear, then the only thing that can save you is to hold on to thin, high branches that will not give the bear the opportunity to hang.

Bears swim very well, so it is unlikely to be possible to hide from it in the water.

Wolves

There are six subspecies of wolves in Russia. In the European part of the Russian Federation, you can most often find the gray wolf from fairy tales - the Central Russian wolf.
In the south of Russia, in the steppes and in the Lower Volga region, the steppe wolf lives.
The lifestyle of a wolf differs in many ways from that of a bear. Wolves, as a rule, move in packs of 5-11 wolves and track their prey for a long time. Often you may not even notice that wolves are hunting you. One huntsman described how he was walking along an abandoned road in the forest. After 20 minutes, he decided to return back along the same road and noticed even traces of wolves on it. The tracks were laid literally a meter or two from his own. So he realized that he had almost become prey to the hunting wolves.
In summer, the flock may temporarily split into smaller ones. However, it is unlikely to meet them in the forest during the day. They live in very dense spruce forests, thickets of reeds, overgrown ravines and swamps, where people often cannot pass.
In winter, from January-February, wolves begin the so-called rut, that is, the wedding period, the most dangerous in terms of the aggressiveness of wolves. In winter, wolves hunt even during the day.
And yet, recently cases of wolf attacks on people in central Russia are extremely rare. Over the past 50 years, only eight fatal wolf attacks on humans have been recorded. Statistics indicate that wolves attack most often in Belarus, with Kirov and Irkutsk regions, the Republic of Karelia and Ukraine in second place. Wolves will hunt people only in the absence of food or if they have bitten people before. Such cases were recorded in the period after World War II, when many people were killed in the forests. After this, the wolves began to attack residents of nearby villages and towns more intensely. Wolves suffering from rabies are also often attacked. Most of these incidents occur in spring and autumn.

Signs of a rabid wolf
1. Mad wolves often run alone, run out onto public roads, and enter villages and towns.
2. A sick wolf, as a rule, has dripping saliva, a tucked tail, a lowered head, and cloudy eyes.

How to behave when meeting a wolf

Wolves most often attack single tourists in the forest, as well as women and children. Cases of wolf attacks on men are extremely rare.
If you see a wolf from afar, it is best to move away unnoticed. You cannot look the wolf in the eyes and turn your back to it. If a wolf presses his ears back and crouches down, this is a sure sign that he is preparing to jump. In such a situation, it is best to climb a tree or throw any available food to the wolf to distract it. Do not be afraid that you will sit on the tree for a long time; as a rule, after a few hours the wolves leave the intended victim.
People who meet wolves in the forest note that if the wolf is already very close, then you need to visually increase your size. Wolves do not attack those who are larger and stronger than them. This can be done, for example, by picking up a log and twisting it in different directions. It is important to roar like a wolf.
If an attack cannot be avoided, then the best position remains the fetal position. It will allow you to cover your face and neck, which are typical wolf bite areas. However, you should not pretend to be dead, as in the case of a bear. The wolf is a very intellectually highly developed creature. If he senses that you are afraid of him, it will immediately make you defenseless.
Pepper spray or a knife will also work to disarm an attacking wolf. If this is not at hand, then any sharp stick will do. The most sensitive thing about a wolf is its head and nose. If you fight off a wolf and it runs into the forest, it will probably attack you again. In this case, we advise you to light a fire or strong smoke (throw leaves into the fire). Wolves are very afraid of smoke. If you are bitten by a wolf, you need to go to the hospital as soon as possible to avoid contracting rabies.

If a wolf attacks a person, it will be effective to hide in a deep body of water. In such a situation, the wolf will have less chance of attacking, since it will not reach the bottom with its paws, and you have a chance to swim far away.

Boars

Wild boars inhabit almost all the forests of our country and Europe. Especially many wild boars live in fruit and oak forests. Therefore, you can find traces of this animal quite often. However, wild pigs go out to feed in the forest only at night, because they are very alert and can hear a person five hundred meters away. Having noticed a person, as a rule, the boar will hide itself. However, if you accidentally come across a female boar with small cubs (April-May), then the wild boar may show aggression. If you encounter such animals, it is better to move away from them as soon as possible. If a wild boar attacks, then the best remedy is to climb a tree. Boars cannot look up, so in a tree they will lose sight of you and quickly move away.

Elk

Elk is a fairly large wild animal, its weight can reach 600 kg. They live in almost all forests Central Russia and Europe. In the summer, moose go into the forest only at night; during the daytime, they escape the heat in overgrown ponds. In normal times, moose are peaceful animals, but on the contrary, they are shy animals that do not show aggression. According to Ivan Yutkin, head of a moose biological station in the Moscow region, people are often themselves to blame for an elk attack on them. Many people, seeing a moose in the forest, try to approach it, touch it, and feed it. This cannot be done, as the animal will begin to defend itself and beat with its hooves.
The only time when moose themselves can attack a person is during the rutting period from August to October. If you meet an aggressive male or female with cubs in the forest, then such animals can be very dangerous. If at the same time the elk is excited, his ears are pressed to his neck, and his head is lowered, this means that he is preparing to attack. There is no point in hiding from moose in the water, because these animals swim very well.
There are several tips from foresters on how to scare away an approaching moose. Since the elk has poor eyesight, you can simply hide behind a tree trunk, so he will lose sight of the person. And also, as discussed above, any animal is afraid of an object that is larger than itself. One journalist told the story of how he scared an aggressive moose by opening a large raincoat in front of him. To scare off an elk, lighting a fire or setting fire to removed clothing is also a suitable option. Almost all animals are afraid of fire and smoke.

______________________

Despite the danger of wild animals in the forest, recently they have increasingly begun to talk about the disappearance of some species. Thus, over the past few years, the number of large predators around the world, whose role in the food chain irreplaceable. Predators often destroy sick animals, thereby preventing the spread of infectious diseases within the species. In countries where large predators have been completely exterminated, the problems are different. For example, in the forests of Lithuania, due to the lack of large animals, the population of roe deer has increased sharply. As a result, natural food reserves were depleted, and some of the animals simply died. Today you can often see that wild animals are freely sold on the Internet, they are kept in city apartments and houses, and you can take pictures with them. By exterminating wild animals or taking them into captivity, first of all, the biological balance within the forest is disrupted, which can certainly lead to a global environmental disaster in the future.

Grade

A forest is a complex ecosystem that unites plants, animals, fungi, microorganisms and... drinking water, .

Thousands of years ago, almost the entire Earth was covered with forests. They extended to North America, occupied a significant share of Western Europe. Vast areas of Africa, South America and Asia were dense forests. But with the growth in the number of people and their active development of land for economic needs, the process of deforestation and mass deforestation began.

What are the benefits of forests?

People use forests for many purposes: food, medicine, raw materials for the paper industry.

Wood, pine needles and tree bark serve as raw materials for many branches of the chemical industry. About half of the extracted wood is used for fuel needs, and a third is used for construction.

A quarter of all medicines used are obtained from tropical forest plants. Thanks to photosynthesis, forests give us oxygen to breathe while absorbing carbon dioxide.

Trees protect the air from toxic gases, soot and other pollutants and noise. Phytoncides produced by most coniferous plants destroy pathogens.

Forests are habitats for many animals - they are real storehouses of biological diversity. They participate in creating a favorable microclimate for agricultural plants.

Forest areas protect the soil from erosion processes, preventing surface runoff of precipitation. The forest is like a sponge, which first accumulates and then releases water to streams and rivers, regulates the flow of water from the mountains to the plains, and prevents floods.

The deepest river in the world is the Amazon, and the forests included in its basin are considered the lungs of the Earth.

Damage from deforestation

Despite the fact that forests are a renewable resource, the rate of their deforestation is too high - they simply cannot keep up with us.

Millions of hectares of deciduous and coniferous forests are destroyed every year. Tropical forests, home to more than 50% of Earth's species, once covered 14% of the planet but now cover only 6%.

India's forest area has shrunk from 22% to 10% over the last half century. The coniferous forests of the central regions of Russia, forest tracts in the Far East and Siberia are being destroyed, and swamps appear in the place of deforestation. Valuable pine and cedar forests are being cut down.

The disappearance of forests is... Deforestation of the planet leads to sharp temperature changes, changes in the amount of precipitation and wind speeds.

Burning forests causes carbon monoxide pollution in the air, releasing more than it absorbs. Also, deforestation releases carbon into the air that accumulates in the soil under the trees. This contributes about a quarter to the process of creating the greenhouse effect on Earth.

Many areas left without forest as a result of deforestation or fires become deserts, since the loss of trees leads to the fact that the thin fertile layer of soil is easily washed away by precipitation.

Desertification causes a huge number of environmental refugees - ethnic groups for whom the forest was the main or only source of subsistence. Many inhabitants of forest areas disappear along with their homes.

Plants of irreplaceable species used to obtain medicines, as well as many biological resources valuable to humanity, are being destroyed. More than a million biological species living in tropical forests is endangered.

Soil erosion that develops after cutting down leads to floods, since nothing can stop the flow of water. Floods are caused by level disturbances groundwater, since the roots of the trees that feed on them die.

For example, as a result of extensive deforestation at the foot of the Himalayas, Bangladesh began to suffer from large floods every four years.

Previously, floods occurred no more than twice every hundred years. For example, diamond mining in Yakutia became possible only after cutting down and flooding a significant amount of forest.

Why and how are forests cut down?

Forests are cut down for mining, timber, clearing areas for pastures, and for agricultural land.

And as the cheapest raw material, it is used in almost all other products. And this kills rainforests, and deprives many animals of their homes.

Forests are divided into three groups:

1. Forest areas prohibited from logging, playing, are nature reserves.
2. Forests of limited exploitation, located in densely populated areas, are subject to strict control over their timely restoration.
3. The so-called production forests. They are cut down completely and then reseeded.

There are several types of logging in forestry:

Main cabin- This is the harvesting of the so-called mature forest for timber. They can be selective, gradual and continuous. When clear-cutting, all trees are destroyed, with the exception of the seed plants. With gradual cutting, the cutting process is carried out in several steps. With the selective type, only individual trees are removed according to a certain principle, and the overall area remains covered with forest.

Plant care cutting. This type involves cutting down plants that are not practical to leave. They destroy plants of poorer quality, while simultaneously thinning and clearing the forest, improving its lighting and providing nutrients to the remaining more valuable trees. This makes it possible to increase forest productivity, its water-regulating properties and aesthetic qualities. Wood from such fellings is used as technological raw material.

Comprehensive. These are reorganization fellings, reforestation and reconstructive fellings. They are carried out in cases where the forest has lost its beneficial properties in order to restore them, a negative impact on the environment with this type of logging is excluded. Felling has a beneficial effect on brightening the area and eliminates root competition for more valuable tree species.

Sanitary. Such cutting is carried out to improve the health of the forest and increase its biological resistance. This type includes landscape cuttings carried out to create forest park landscapes, and cuttings to create fire breaks.

The most powerful intervention is carried out clear cuttings. Negative consequences has the effect of cutting down trees when more of them are destroyed than grow in a year, which causes depletion forest resources. In turn, undercutting can cause forest aging and disease of old trees.

Deforestation can be carried out without harm to the environment if the principle of continuous forest management, based on a balance of deforestation and reforestation, is observed. The selective logging method has the least environmental damage.

It is preferable to cut down forests in winter, when snow cover protects the soil and young trees from damage.

How to eliminate this damage?

In order to stop the process of forest destruction, norms for the wise use of forest resources should be developed. It is necessary to adhere to the following directions:

1. conservation of forest landscapes and its biological diversity;
2. maintaining uniform forest management without depleting forest resources;
3. training the population in the skills of caring for the forest;
4. strengthening control at the state level over the conservation and use of forest resources;
5. creation of forest accounting and monitoring systems;
6. improvement of forest legislation,

Replanting trees often does not cover the damage caused by cutting down. IN South America, South Africa and Southeast Asia, forest areas continue to decline inexorably.

In order to reduce damage from logging, it is necessary:

• Increase areas for planting new forests
• Expand existing protected areas and forest reserves and create new ones.
• Implement effective measures to prevent forest fires. Carry out measures, including preventive ones, to combat diseases and pests.

• Conduct selection of tree species that are resistant to environmental stress.
• Protect forests from mining activities.
• Fight against poachers. Use effective and least harmful logging techniques.

• Minimize wood waste and develop ways to use it.
• Introduce methods of secondary wood processing.
• Encourage ecotourism.

What can anyone do to save the forest?

1. use paper products rationally and economically; buy recycled products, including paper. (It is marked with the recycled sign)
2. green the area around your home
3. replace trees cut down for firewood with new seedlings
4. draw public attention to the problem of forest destruction.

Man cannot exist outside of nature, he is part of it. And at the same time, it is difficult to imagine our civilization without the products that the forest provides.

In addition to the material component, there is also a spiritual relationship between the forest and man. Under the influence of the forest, the culture and customs of many ethnic groups are formed, and it also serves as a source of existence for them.

Forest is one of the cheapest sources natural resources, but every minute 20 hectares of forest areas are destroyed. And humanity should already think about replenishing these natural resources, learn to competently manage forest management and the wonderful ability of forests to renew themselves.

Good afternoon friends. Hunters and fishermen, photographers wildlife, mushroom and berry pickers, tourists, etc. Although, most likely, this article is not for you, but for those who are little familiar with the forest. For those who have spent their entire life in a stinking city, going to the forest for the first time and not knowing what to expect from it. For those who are familiar with the forest, but use it more as a consumer, without studying it and the inhabitants of the forest. For those who see the forest as a center of evil and danger.

Well, it's good to babble! Go!

The desire to write such an article and in this form arose a long time ago. I'm tired of answering numerous stupid questions from all kinds of ignorant and little-knowledgeable people about the dangers of the forest. Every time I talk about my trips to the forest, and even overnight, and alone (are you an asshole after all?), I hear the same thing. Therefore, I will try to give here the most common misconceptions regarding the forest, and I will try to clearly explain what seems to be understandable things and refute some misconceptions.

Let's make a disclaimer right away - everything I write here applies to adults and healthy people. Much written here does not apply to the elderly and children - these are people with disabilities and health. But in general, this is more related to the issue of survival in the forest. Also, please note that I am writing here about central Russia - not about the jungle or the remote Siberian taiga (although much of what will be written here applies to it too). Let's continue our conversation about the dangers of the forest.

As a rule, only the last spectacled people who know little about it are afraid of the forest. If you know, even in theory, about the main dangers of the forest and how to deal with them, then the fear will go away by itself.

So why is the forest dangerous and should you be afraid of the forest at all?

1) Predators (bears, wolves, lynxes, etc.).

As a rule, those sucker newbies who find themselves in the forest for the first time are awestruck by stories about bears and wolves eating people. Just tell him such a tale - and now he’s already nervous, doesn’t go far from you, looks around. After such a tale, this dry man would never agree to spend the night in this forest alone. After all, this is certain death! As soon as dusk falls, hungry wolf eyes are already looking at you from under the tree, and somewhere behind the mane a bear who has been fasting for several days is growling. What should we do? Perhaps we should climb a tree in the forest, these smart guys will say again. Yeah, come on, come on, you’re our Tarzan, climb in! How long have you been climbing trees? Check yours at the same time physical training. And also try sleeping there until the morning, sitting on a tree (only Katniss from The Hunger Games sleeps so confidently and well in trees). And then you will tell ignorant people like you how many predators roam the forest at night.

Okay, we were joking and that's enough. And now about the predators. No!!! There are predators in our forests that will just attack a person. I ask you to remember one thing - a healthy animal is always afraid (often panicky) of a person. A bear, as a rule, eats immediately and never attacks a person. If you don’t believe me, try looking for official statistics in the magazines “UFO”, “Miracles and Adventures”, on REN-TV, ministries of ecology or hunting management departments. Such cases, as a rule, are extremely rare and only a few occur over the course of several years. Those exceptions, when a bear still eats people alive together with a guan and attacks a person, as a rule come down to: the animal is mortally wounded while hunting, the she-bear protects the cubs, the clubfoot itself is put in a position where its life is in danger. In the other 99.9% of cases, the bear either leaves unnoticed or simply warns with a growl or its actions. If you know about this, then you will protect yourself from being eaten by a bear and being attacked.

It's the same with wolves. Wolf until useru panic!!!(please remember) is afraid of a person! A healthy wolf will never attack a person! Rare exceptions are an animal with rabies or a mortally wounded animal, or a wolf driven mad by hunger in winter. And even in winter, a wildly hungry wolf will not attack a person, if only in a pack, and if only against a weak person (a child, an old man, a sick person). Do you think I’m healing you here? Don’t believe me? Remember the ending of the Soviet movie “Sannikov Land”. Still don't believe me? Read the official (I repeat - official!!!) statistics in the magazines “UFO”, “Miracles and Adventures”, and on REN-TV official sources. How many people have been eaten by wolves in your area over the past ten years? Ah, not one hundred and fifty people! But rumors persist in villages and newspapers about eaten girls or teachers (I think I heard this story when I was five years old). It’s always better to trust a neighbor than some stranger Ivan Ivanovich from the authorities at the Ministry of Ecology. If you are still stubborn like a sheep and don’t believe it and stand your ground until the last, my advice to you is that it’s better not to go into the forest at all. They will definitely eat you there!

2) Overnight in the forest. (Are you tired of living?)

I hear this statement very often. “It’s scary as hell to spend the night in the forest, it’s very dangerous to shit yourself, it’s better not to. As a rule, if you ask a person: “Why,” he will answer meaningfully “ Well, you never know, anything can happen". No specifics. Friends, open the news summary for the past 24 hours - “stuff” happens every day in the city - people are killed, girls are raped, children disappear, people are crushed by cars, people burn, are maimed, injured, etc. In the forest, there is no “anything” that can happen to you in the city. I’m not healing, I’m telling you honestly - spending the night in the forest is many times safer than in the city. I would even say - completely safe! If you’re not fucking afraid of the forest, stay safe overnight, nothing will happen to you. Main enemy a person spending the night in the forest is a bear, his mother is cold. So the main thing here is to dress warmly. That's all. And you can safely send such people who talk such nonsense about spending the night in the forest to hell and put them in their place. But nothing is remembered so much for a lifetime as spending the night alone in the forest, for example, around .

3) You can get lost in the forest and die.

Yes, it’s probably really possible. It already looks a little like the truth. But at the beginning of the article we made a disclaimer. As a rule, people who get lost and die in the forest are old people and children, as we have already said, people with disabilities and health. It very rarely happens that healthy and strong people get lost and die in the forest. Rarely! Although they get lost quite often. After all, only the last loshara can get lost in three pines, even those who are on first terms with the forest. But here in central Russia, as a rule, the forest does not stretch as far in any one direction as, for example, in the Siberian taiga. Even if you rush like a saiga and walk at a speed of 3-4 km/hour, in 2-3 days you will reach some populated area. And this is through a continuous forest, without coordinating their actions. And in our forests there are always paths, forest roads, etc. Another thing is that here problems such as thirst, hunger and cold come to the fore. But, again, I don’t believe that an adult and healthy strong person cannot cope with these problems in one or two nights in the forest. In spring, summer and autumn you can find berries and water in the forest, and you can escape the cold by at least moving around. But in general, about... In the meantime, let's continue to talk about why the forest is dangerous.

4) Snakes, ticks and other creeping and flying things.

First about snakes. Let's remember that in the central part of Russia there is only one species poisonous snakes- common viper. All other snakes are non-venomous. copperhead not poisonous, remember, we’re already tired of repeating this to stubborn sheep, even if there’s a stake on your head, so be it!!! The legless spindle lizard is often mistaken for the poisonous copperhead. It happens that snakes are confused with a viper. The only thing to be afraid of is the viper. But! Let's remember the important things! Snake never!!! does not attack first, does not bite just like that. Why? It's simple. The viper needs venom for hunting, and the accumulation of a new portion of venom after a bite takes a long time and takes a lot of energy from the snake. Therefore, the snake does not want to squander it left and right. Now let's remember the second important point. The venom of a viper that knocks down a bull weighing half a ton is not fatal! You can easily look at the statistics and see that the number of deaths from viper bites is negligible. But you shouldn’t piss on a bare wire and tempt fate. Who knows, maybe you are allergic to a snake bite? There is no need to tease the snake - it is better to wet it immediately and let it crawl away calmly. In general, the common viper is listed in the Red Book in many areas, and do not be complete assholes, barbarians and monsters. If the animal doesn’t bother you, don’t bother it either! If you go into the forest to pick mushrooms, berries, hunt for cuddles and sex, or go for a walk, just put on some rubber boots and that’s it! This will solve all your problems.

Now about ticks. Yes, we've got a lot of this nasty stuff lately, from wherever the fuck it comes from. Contrary to popular belief, there are not many ticks in a continuous forest. And really - what should they do there? And they are more often found on paths, forest edges, field and country roads, parks - in a word, where there are more people and animals. Another story - ticks fly and jump, yeah, Spider-Man, jump on people from trees. To begin with, at least read about them on Wikipedia and look at photos of ticks, so as not to look like a complete stupid asshole. Firstly, ticks belong to the class of arachnids (spiders don’t have wings, right?). Secondly, why would a tick spend so much energy and climb a tree in order to jump on top of a person and, he missed, a horse with varying degrees of success. It is easier for a tick to sit near the path, waiting for prey. When you pass by, it clings to your clothes and looks for a way out onto your skin. Everything is simple here - it is better to use thick clothing or treat clothes with poop repellent before going into the forest. It's a good idea to check yourself often if you know there are a lot of ticks in the area. If you do “catch” a tick, cut it out immediately with the meat, carefully remove it and submit it for testing for syphilis, borreliosis or encephalitis. And although the likelihood of infection is very low, it is better to play it safe and sleep well. Better yet, get vaccinated in advance and be calm.

By the way, about insects. Do not disturb wasp or bee hives. If you find one, it’s better to run headlong and avoid it. It’s calmer for both you and the insects. And no one bothers them, and you will not be lucky enough to take the sting out of your ass and be bitten.

5) Other hazards.

How else can a forest be dangerous? What do people who usually warn about the many dangers of the forest include here? I don’t even know what can be included in a meaningful phrase “ But you never know...". As a rule, these are simply inventions of illiterate and ignorant people. Let us not be like those who fear the forest like fire and invent all sorts of nonsense about it. Better yet, let's talk about the real dangers that can warn a person in the forest.

The main enemies of man in the forest are cold, hunger and dehydration. Therefore, we remember a simple thing - even if you go for an ordinary walk, do not be lazy to take with you a backpack filled with all sorts of crap, matches/lighter and something filling (bread, lard, a chocolate bar). Don't forget about booze and water. I don't think a box of matches or a bar of chocolate will take up much space - they can fit in your pocket. But if you accidentally get lost, you can make a fire at night and keep warm, and you can treat a bear to eat with a bar of chocolate for several days. You can also get caught in the forest during a thunderstorm or hurricane. Don’t be scared - it’s better to wait out a thunderstorm or hurricane by climbing the tallest tree in the forest and lying down on the ground (not under old and tall trees) so that it doesn’t fall on you. When walking through the forest, it is better to avoid encountering windbreaks, rubble and chapygi with a bear, so as not to get injured. If you suddenly find yourself in a forest fire, you should leave as quickly as possible in the direction of the wind, taking advantage of all sorts of natural barriers to fire - hills, rivers, lakes, etc. When walking through swamps, you should remember that you can be eaten by a dashing one-eyed creature or a merman; we do not have quicksand or swamps. But there are peat bogs where you can fall through. Therefore, it is not recommended to cross the ford; it is better to fly over peat bogs. Moss swamps (in the final stage of their development) can usually be crossed by fording, bypassing the wettest areas and the “wet” areas. You should also be more careful near rivers or at the borders of forests and fields - where there are thickets of nettles or hogweed, so as not to get burned by these plants. Well, you shouldn’t eat anything in the forest, eat unfamiliar plants and berries, so as not to get poisoned.

By the way, if you are traveling to an unfamiliar forest, be sure to install yourself at least a simple navigator (I wrote about navigators and), or buy yourself at least a cheap UAZ compass. After all, everyone has a smartphone, it’s worth installing a basic program and just breaking it in and not being afraid of getting lost. By the way, a very good thing is a GPS tracker. It remembers a dozen and a half points and shows you the directions back to the last point. You can also print satellite map area - if you get lost and get lost, it may also be useful to you.

Let's sum it up...

Well, that’s all for today, wow, I’m tired of writing, friends! Feel free to go into the forest and don’t listen to those asshole people who tell you all sorts of scary things about the forest! Don't be afraid of the forest. Spend more time outside the city, drink, relax, breathe fresh air and enjoy being one with nature. In the meantime, I decided to launch a new section on my blog. There I will write all sorts of things about the forest - a reminder to those who are lost, I will talk about spending the night and behavior in the forest, about the gifts of the forest and much more. Check out my blog, repost, comment! I wish you health and all the best.

P.S. I offer my deepest apologies if I offended anyone with this article. I had no intention of insulting anyone or making fun of people. I tried to write with humor (well, excuse me, damn it, I’m joking as much as I can) in order to more clearly convey the essence of my thoughts. Let's not be serious. Have a good mood everyone!

We all want to live in comfortable conditions and a safe environment. In addition, it is important for us to preserve our property - a house, a car, garden plants and buildings, etc. Trees often become a serious threat to our safety. The very trees that provide us with comfort - create shade, protect from wind and dust, humidify the air, clean it of harmful impurities, and finally produce the oxygen we need for life.

Kill and maim

The thousand-year history of mankind is inextricably linked with trees; they have not only practical, but also aesthetic value for us, and the situation when trees turn into a threat to our lives, health and property can be called truly paradoxical.

Here are a few excerpts from media reports.

– 07/01/2013 on the street. Academician Vinogradov in Moscow, a 25-year-old student died as a result of a falling tree...

– 06/19/13 in the Krasnoglinsky district of Samara, a tree fell on an elderly woman on a pedestrian sidewalk. The victim died from her injuries...

– 09/05/13 on Varshavskoye Highway in Moscow, a tree fell on a 60-year-old woman, who died as a result...

– In August 2012, a tree branch fell on a 13-year-old girl near her house on the street. Vetlyanskaya. She died from her injuries. The Samara Investigative Committee of the Investigative Committee believes that the cause of the tragedy was the improper performance of professional duties by the head of the repair and maintenance area, since this tree had long been recognized as hazardous and had to be eliminated. Investigators charged the said boss with negligence resulting in death by negligence...

– May 15th on the street. Remizov (Moscow) a tree fell on a child. A 9-year-old boy was hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury and concussion...

– Two children were injured when a tree fell on Leningradsky Prospekt (Moscow), where an old poplar tree fell onto the playground. As a result, a three-year-old boy and girl were hospitalized with back and head bruises...

At first glance, it seems that we are talking about accidents, but in fact, the cause of such tragedies is often criminal negligence. The essence of the problem lies in indifference, sloppiness, ignorance and false economy.

We have to admit that at present many trees growing on municipal lands pose a danger. First of all, this applies to trees affected by rot. It is these trees, falling under the pressure of the wind, that cause damage to the health of people and their property, and often cause death. And in our country, such cases are repeated more and more often. Among dangerous trees a huge number of old poplars.

In Germany, many municipalities have banned the planting of poplars in populated areas.

Poplar problem

The problem with poplars was inherited from our parents. But we have no right to blame them - they acted in accordance with their contemporary knowledge and tasks. It was necessary to build a lot of housing and landscape populated areas in a short time. Poplar grows easily and quickly, but at the same time this species is soft-leaved, with loose wood, and is easily affected by rot. In addition, mature trees have a huge crown with a large mass. The combination of these factors makes poplar a dangerous, fall-prone tree.

Utility services are forced to carry out so-called “crowning” - removing the top part of the tree to lighten the crown. But very often pseudo-professionals get carried away and “crown” not only poplars, but also linden and birch trees. And if lindens at the very least live out their days in the form of “pencil poles,” then birches inevitably die.

In essence, “crowning” is the path to the gradual destruction of a tree. Rot begins to develop at the cut site. It spreads further into the trunk. Therefore, the affected part must be cut off every third year, like sharpening a pencil, which ultimately leads to the destruction of the tree. But if this is not done, an even bigger problem will arise: in place of the rot, a new crown will form, gaining enormous mass.

This barbaric attitude towards trees in our cities makes a huge impression on foreign specialists. Knowing about the problems of poplars, for example, in Germany, many municipalities banned planting this species in populated areas. In our country, they continue to reinvent the wheel and try to grow male poplars that do not spread fluff and are resistant to rot. But in stressful situations (for example, during extreme heat), the poplar is able to degenerate from a male to a female and begins to bear fruit.

In essence, “crowning” is a path to the gradual destruction of a tree.

Rotten

Why do intra-trunk rots develop? Experts know - from various damage to the trunk and branches. Mechanical damage to the pruning site, breaks in large branches, frost holes, etc. are open gates for infection to enter the trunk.

In the vast majority of cases, spores of wood-destroying fungi penetrate into the trunk at a still young age, when the tree is transplanted into new growing conditions. The reason is known - thermal damage to conductive wood tissues due to sudden change solar exposure to the bark. Burns and frostbites occur, and rot begins to develop at the site of the lesion.

Thermal damage

The importance of thermal damage is often underestimated in our country. We don't want to understand the basics. When coming to sunbathe at sea, the first thing a person does is spread sunscreen on his pale body so as not to get sunburned. Allows the skin to get used to the changed intensity of solar radiation. The same protection is required for a tree planted in new conditions. It is necessary to apply radiation protection to the bark to help the tree adapt. And it is very important to know how and with what you can provide protection.

How is it most often done here? We take whitewash and in spring or autumn we smear the tree trunk to a height of 1 m. We smear both young trees and old ones with thick bark. What do we get as a result? Absolutely nothing! A waste of time, effort and money. It has long been proven that thermal damage to conductive wood tissues occurs at peak temperatures, usually in July, and spring frost damage occurs at the end of February - March. The whitewash is washed off after the third rain, and the tree is left without protection. Conventional whitewashing with lime is not only ineffective, but also harmful to wood tissue because it interferes with breathing. And covering the trunk of a young tree by no more than a meter is completely insufficient - the trunk must be protected right up to the crown.

The problems listed above are solved by the innovative tree protection product Arbo-Flex. A single application of this coating to the bark not only provides the plant with many years of reliable and absolutely harmless protection, but also saves money spent on useless annual whitewashing.

Thermal damage to conductive wood tissues occurs at peak temperatures, usually in July, and spring frost damage occurs at the end of February - March.

Dangerous Economy

The danger of thermal damage is that it can usually be detected 7–10 years after transplantation. A problem arises: they invested money in a tree, and then discovered damage in which rot was developing. As a result, a dilemma arises: remove the tree or continue to grow it? After all, a mature tree with rot poses a great danger. If you don’t remove it, the person injured by the fallen tree will sue the municipality. And deleting it means incurring economic damage.

IN developed countries affected trees are removed no matter what. But our municipalities often follow the second path. Thinking about today, they save, but such “saving” can be too expensive. I was not lazy and examined the linden, maple and chestnut trees near my house in the park in Mitino - 60% of the trees have dry sides due to damage from thermal burns. And our children will walk among these potential murderers!

One gets the impression that nowadays many of us live one day at a time: as long as it is good now, and what will happen tomorrow is not of interest. How else can one explain the planting of trees from the forest on city streets, where, due to cramped conditions and solar deficiency, one-sided, irregular crowns are formed? Take a closer look at young trees and you will see multi-stemmed crowns and individual large branches sticking out to the side. In the absence of a system in Russia proper care Such specimens, growing up, turn into a threat to the surrounding space. But, according to people who live by the principle “my house is on the edge - I don’t know anything,” this is not their problem. And the fact that in the future such a situation will create a problem for our children does not interest them.

Inspection of a tree using ARBOTOMA
Examination of wood using a RESISTOGRAPH
Germany. Trees are protected with Arbo-Flex

What to do?

What is the way to solve the problem? How can we protect our yards and streets from dangerous trees?

Firstly, it is urgent to introduce modern technologies and techniques that make it possible to accurately identify emergency trees. And nothing better than instrumental diagnostic methods using resistography and sound tomography has yet been invented. When examining the condition of a tree, the RESISTOGRAPH ® device immediately produces a printout on the spot, on which the expert sees the real situation inside the trunk. Fortunately, RESISTOGRAPHES are now actively purchased by administrations Russian cities and with their help they solve the problem of identifying emergency trees.

Secondly. In the Russian Federation, there is currently no binding single legal act regulating the relationship between people and trees growing on municipal lands. And it is very important to urgently develop and adopt it. Sometimes people object to me, pointing out that many cities have different rules for planting and maintaining green spaces, but they are based on the “Rules for the creation, protection and maintenance of green spaces in the cities of the Russian Federation” approved by the State Committee for Construction back in 1999, which are called recommendation character! They are very outdated. It's been 15 years! There are many misconceptions in them, and many vital issues are not addressed in any way.

In the Russian Federation, there is currently no binding single legal act regulating the relationship between people and trees growing on municipal lands.

Professional care

The level of professional tree care in Russia lags significantly behind the level in European countries. There, this industry has been actively developing since the beginning of the twentieth century. In the process of forming the North American and European markets, professional communities of workers, scientists and specialists, educational government and commercial institutions, research and production companies appeared.

The main thing is that every tree from the moment of planting until it is very old is registered and provided with control and care. A specialist monitors its growth and crown development throughout the tree’s life. Everything is done to ensure that it is safe in old age. And this despite the fact that in Western countries trees from the forest are not planted on the streets. It comes from a tree nursery, with the crown already formed correctly.

In our cities the situation is still completely different. Many scientific advances are not used by municipalities, as a result of which thousands of planted trees continue to be damaged, creating problems for future generations. Ignoring modern knowledge leads to unreasonable monetary costs for the senseless annual whitewashing of trunks with lime, replacement of dead specimens and compensation for damage caused by fallen trees to property and human health.

We must correct this situation and save not only ourselves, but also future generations from problems.