EERO KALKKINEN
EERO KALKKINEN is director of the ECE/FAO Timber Division, Economic Commission for Europe, Geneva.
THE FIRST general impression gained of Siberia is its immensity. A distance equal to crossing Europe in almost any direction takes the traveller from Moscow only to the gates of Siberia, and local air traffic around the main centres of this region normally covers areas larger than any European country.
Once the mountains and hills of the Urals have been passed, the view is that of a continuous green carpet, sometimes crossed by large rivers or speckled with large and small population or industrial centres. Although the population of Siberia has been increasing rapidly since 1945, it is still probably among the least populated areas of the world and it is only occasionally that anything man-made breaks the monotony of the endless forests and hills.
But the traveller landing at a place like Omsk or Irkutsk suddenly finds himself in a completely different world. The rapidly expanding and dynamic cities of Siberia are the very expression of a pioneering philosophy, similar to that which in the last century conquered the west of North America. These cities, many of which were founded by Peter the Great, have traditions of course, but these traditions are rapidly changing to conform with a modern industrial world. The heart of development and progress seems to beat everywhere, in the cities, at the airports, on the trans-Siberian rail-way-which probably carries a traffic unequalled elsewhere in the world-and even in nature itself, which somehow also seems to be conscious of its new role. Today, the very word " Siberia " means development and the Siberians are proud to be Siberians, and willingly show it to outsiders.
The Siberians are, in fact, a favoured and privileged sector of the Soviet population. Wages are higher than elsewhere in the U.S.S.R. Officially granted holiday periods are longer. But as progress is made and living conditions everywhere in Siberia improve, the previously applied hardship allocations may perhaps no longer be justified in the long run, and immigration from other parts of the U.S.S.R. may not have to be subsidized in order to attract more labour to this dynamic and rapidly developing part of the country.
The wealth of the region is fabulous, and only a fraction of it has so far been properly surveyed. Siberia has everything, from rare metals to forests, from oil to agricultural possibilities. In fact, it was discovered relatively recently that agriculture in Siberia could pay off, and that it was possible to produce practically everything produced elsewhere in the world at the same latitudes, despite the rigours of the Siberian winter.
The real extent of the forest resources of Siberia is frequently referred to as an enigma and the question which normally comes to the mind of an outsider is: How large is the forest area, and what actually is its volume? The Asiatic part of the U.S.S.R. has over 500 million hectares of forests; these are practically all in Siberia (western Siberia, eastern Siberia and the far eastern zones), with a total estimated growing stock of over 55 000 million cubic metres, compared with 166 million hectares of forests and an estimated growing stock of 12 000 million cubic metres in the whole of Europe. Of -the forests east of the Urals, over 400 million hectares and some 53 000 million cubic metres of growing stock are considered to be mature and overmature.
These figures give at least some idea of the enormous and unexploited potential of this vast region of the world. The present annual fellings in the whole of Siberia and the far eastern zones of the U.S.S.R. are perhaps about 120 million cubic metres, less than one fifth of the annual growth. Furthermore, natural losses in the mature and overmature forests probably are close to three times -the present removals. Here is found one of the main problems of the development of Siberian forestry: How to catch up with natural losses and establish a more natural balance between the resources, growth and removals ? The ambitious forest industrial projects being undertaken in this part of the world represent, despite their unusual magnitude, only a drop in the immense ocean of opportunities, and it may still take generations to realize the full potential of Siberia's forest wealth.
FIGURE 1. - Preparing for the wood fire some of Lake Baikal's famous omul, a fish similar to salmon.
FIGURE 2. - Using a PSG-Z tractor for the clearance of logging areas after felling.
The author had occasion to travel extensively in the Irkutsk and Bratsk districts, as well as in the Buriat A.S.S.R, and to observe different types of logging and transport operations, as well as the industries of these regions. Among the most impressive features was the generally good condition of the forests visited or flown over. Contrary to what is generally believed to be the case, Siberian forests are sound and have rather large average volumes per hectare (150 to 200 cubic metres and exceptionally up to 500 cubic metres) which at these latitudes and under such climatic conditions must be considered unexpected. The composition of the forests ranges mainly from pine around the Bratsk area to a mixture of pine, larch, aspen, birch and other species in the region south of Lake Baikal.
All these forests are good by current standards, with signs here and there of damage caused by major forest fires. With such an immense territory and despite a highly qualified forest fire control-permanent aerial watch during the summer months-occasional disasters seem to be inevitable. Minor annual forest fires, however, are considered almost a necessity and as potential protection against major disasters because they generally burn the easily inflammable undergrowth and leave the trees undamaged. Natural regeneration, particularly in regard to pine, is very vigorous indeed and in many places visited the clear-cut areas were covered by thick and healthy young stands.
Birch in Siberia is a chapter in itself. It is to be seen everywhere, and the extremely white stems of absolutely straight birches present a curious sight which one can see only in this part of the world. Natural losses among birch, however, are very heavy and a large proportion of young birch is destroyed in the winter by heavy snow and strong winds. Consequently, over large areas there can be seen dense stands of long, straight birch with no crowns, as if they had been shaved by a gigantic clipper.
Another impressive feature is the dynamic road-building programme of the forest enterprises. Main roads, which in many respects almost resemble European highways, are built deep into the forest area to be opened, and secondary roads and logging tracks join them as the work advances. The cost of road building is relatively high, 10-15 000 roubles per kilometre of main road, and about 5 000 roubles per kilometre for the forest roads. These expenses are covered by sales of roundwood to industry and, as an example, it was indicated that the cost price of roundwood is 8 roubles per cubic metre, including the exploitation tax or " stumpage price," administrative costs, road building, etc., while the delivery or sales price was given as 13 roubles per cubic metre.
Logging and transport operations are highly mechanized - the average annual output per worker has risen from 207 cubic metres in 1950 to over 450 cubic metres in 1968-and the basic five-man team consists of a foreman, a feller with his assistant, and a tractor driver with his assistant. The team progresses along the area assigned to it, which borders a logging track. The feller and his assistant are equipped with motor saws and fell the trees in the direction of the logging track. The tractor then collects them, and brings them to the logging track where another team loads them onto large trucks. The operation seems to go very smoothly, with a minimum of time spent on each phase.
The Kliuyevka forest enterprise which was visited operates south of Lake Baikal in the Buriat A.S.S.R. and has an annual production of 120 000 cubic metres of industrial roundwood, with a plan to raise it to 250 000 cubic metres per year. Part of the roundwood is processed by the enterprise into railway sleepers and sawnwood, and part of it is delivered to other wood-using industries. The Buriat A.S.S.R. and Irkutsk district of the R.S.F.S.R. are, in fact, the principal producers of railway sleepers in the U.S.S.R., supplying more than 15 million sleepers annually.
Forest operations in Siberia are often of a quite special nature and take place under conditions which do not exist elsewhere. The climate, particularly in winter, demands much from men and machines. Also terrain conditions in many areas require special -types of equipment and machines. The Irkutsk Institute for Mechanization of Forest Operations, a branch of the main organization in Moscow (TSNIIME), devotes its efforts to the solution of specifically Siberian problems. When the artificial lake of Bratsk was filled with water, for example, much timber still remained floating in the area despite a thorough cleaning of the basin before it was filled. The volume of industrial roundwood left floating was estimated at over 2 million cubic metres and its collection represented a typical special problem. The Irkutsk institute developed a raft, equipped with cross-cutting circular saws and bundling installation, which could cream off most of the floating timber and process it into pulpwood bundles. Another problem is the truck transport of roundwood on swampy lands, which the institute tries to solve through the introduction of extra wide tires. Many other problems are being tackled in a similar way.
When travelling in Siberia there is always the sense of living in an immense melting pot of populations and peoples. The variety of races and types of people at the airports and railway stations and in the cities and towns is extraordinary. The movement of human masses, accompanied by a rhythm of arrivals and departures of every imaginable type of transport, is in itself an impressive demonstration of the dynamism and vitality of Siberia. Air transport has suddenly come to this remote region -faster and in a more impressive way than suburban bus traffic has developed around many European cities and population centres - and the whole area is in the process of waking up from the long sleep of centuries. Aeroplanes are like buses or taxis in the Western world, and it is not uncommon to see passengers board planes with small domestic animals being brought to market, or loaded with the fruits of their gardening or agriculture. The cost of air travel is very low indeed, given the long distances which separate even minor population centres.
As the visitor leaves Siberia the final impression is of a modern wonderland. The area is full of exceptionally beautiful landscapes, and offers vast possibilities for hunting and fishing which elsewhere in the world will perhaps soon be found only in large nature reserves and national parks. And, in the middle of this savage wilderness, large cities and modern industries are growing up and gradually spreading into the untouched virgin lands. It is perhaps with a certain sadness that one observes the gradual disappearance of old cities and population centres with their picturesque typical Siberian Log houses, which are giving way to modern multistorey buildings and vast industrial complexes, but this is but one of the necessities of the " new look " that is invading this immense region. Siberia is gradually awakening from a long sleep and becoming very alive indeed.
FIGURE 3. - A typical forest landscape in Siberia, on the uplands south of Lake Baikal.
