Ukraine has formed a set of institutional, organizational and management principles of sustainable development in forest management that simultaneously focused on use of natural resources, improve the quality of society life and preserving the environment.
Forest resources are the basis of the forest economics and volume of their use is set to ensure continuity of different forest functions (conservation, protection, sanitation, health, economic function).
As a result of use of forest resources forestry gets its own funds aimed to cover cost for restoration of forests, conducting forest protection and other forest related measures (recently state is not any more support forest management in Ukraine).
Wood is harvested within final fellings, thinning, sanitary and other cuttings.
Limit of timber harvesting within final fellings is provided by allowable cut, which should be approved taking into account the principles of continuity and sustainability of use of forest resources.
Recently allowable cut is determined as 9,6 million m3 and its actual use is up to 90%.
So, the actual volume of forest use is smaller than allowable cut, which ensures environmentally sustainability of forest management.
Comparison of allowed cut and volumes of final fellings in Ukraine (merchantable timber, million m3)
|
Item |
Years |
|
||||||||||
|
2005 |
2007 |
2009 |
2011 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
||
|
Allowable cut |
7,1 |
7,7 |
8 |
8,8 |
9,3 |
9,6 |
9,6 |
9,8 |
9,9 |
10 |
6,8 |
|
|
Harvested within final felling |
6,5 |
7,1 |
6,7 |
8 |
8,2 |
8,4 |
8,4 |
8,5 |
7,5 |
7,1 |
6,3 |
|
|
% from allowable cut |
92 |
92 |
84 |
91 |
88 |
88 |
88 |
87 |
76 |
71 |
92 |
|
The total volume of merchantable timber harvested by State Forest Resources Agency enterprises is around 15,2 million m3. Timber harvested within final felling is 40% of total about of harvested timber.
|
Item |
Years |
||||||||||
|
2005 |
2007 |
2009 |
2011 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
2020 |
|
|
Total volume |
15,2 |
16,9 |
14,2 |
17,5 |
18,3 |
19,3 |
19,6 |
18,9 |
19,7 |
17,9 |
15,2 |
|
including: |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
final felling |
6,5 |
7,1 |
6,7 |
8 |
8,2 |
8,4 |
8,4 |
8,5 |
7,5 |
7,1 |
6,3 |
|
% of total volumes |
43 |
42 |
47 |
46 |
45 |
44 |
43 |
45 |
38 |
40 |
41 |
|
thinning and other cuttings |
8,7 |
9,8 |
7,5 |
9,5 |
10,1 |
10,8 |
11,2 |
10,4 |
12,2 |
10,8 |
8,9 |
|
% of total volumes |
57 |
58 |
53 |
54 |
55 |
56 |
57 |
55 |
62 |
60 |
59 |
Capacity of Ukrainian forests is large and according to expert opinions is not fully used. Use of annual growth is about 60%, while in Europe this figure is 70– 80%. In Ukraine there is harvested annually only 0.9% of growing stock while in Switzerland annual felling is 1.9% of growing stock, in the Czech Republic – 2.4%, Finland – 2.8%, the UK and Belgium – 3 and 3.1% respectively.
Taken into account the increase of the area of mature and over mature stands in Ukraine in the coming years, it can be foreseen increasing of amount of harvested timber.
Annually, thinning is carried out on an area of 403 thousand hectares.