0499-B1
Dr. Robert Ziroyan 1
Decrease in forest territory in Armenia has caused by a complexity of reasons among which the most decisive is anthropogenic. Direct and indirect influences of the humankind have drastically changed the key forest plants that it is now very difficult to regenerate the former natural habitat.
In fact, legislative basis regulating forestry usage and conservation in Armenia is outdated and needs serious reconsideration of many statutes. New Forest Code and Forest Usage and Conservation Conception have to be developed. The Conception shall consider the forest eco-system reservation issues in complex for whole Caucasus Region.
Taking into consideration domination of forest state property, it is suggested: a) to separate forest management and entrepreneurship activities into two independent branches; and b) set forth the agreement based relations between different organizations of forest management
For conservation and rational use of biological and natural diversity in Caucasian eco-region, the most important is radical optimization of economic mechanisms oriented at sustainable use of biological and nature diversity of country in both in situ and ex sity:
The outmost actions shall be the following:
The Caucasus is our general "family" which we are obliged to preserve with mutual efforts through joint approaches, principals, regulations of natural resources for sustainable development of Caucasus region.
With comparison to other countries of Transcaucasus, Armenia has deficient forestland, covering only about 11% of its territory and being also of low quality. Main forest territories lay in the North-East of the Republic (28-30%), it is about 13% in the South and 1-2% in the central area and in the basin of the Lake Sevan. Forest plants are growing at the altitude of 500 - 2,500 meters over the sea level.
The most popular tree species are oak (35%), beech (32%), hornbeam (18%), and the rest 15% is - hornbeam, pine-tree, ash-tree, maple, juniper, birch and others. 98.6% of trees are hardwood species such as oak, breech and hornbeam, and 1.4% are softwood (birch and aspen) and coniferous (pin-tree and juniper).
In more that 50% of all oak forests the number of oak core trees, has had the scarcest rate among main forest-comprising species. Moreover, more than 30% of the forestry needs regeneration. Due to the serious problems, the actual productivity rate is much lower than expected in terms of both capacity and annual growth being 120m³ per 1 ha and 1.29m³ per 1ha respectively. For comparison, the annual growth rate comprises 1.76 m³ in Georgia, and 1.79 m³ in Azerbaijan. Preliminary estimations showed that only through increase in rate of forest density a medium level of forest growth could be increased by 0.60-0.80 m³ per 1ha due to raise in forest density only.
In the past, the Armenian forestry had been covering much more extended area. Decrease in forest territory in Armenia has caused by a complexity of reasons among which the most decisive is anthropogenic. Direct and indirect influences of the humankind has so drastically changed the key forest plants that it is now very difficult to regenerate the former natural habitat. While looking at the historical maps, it can be seen that the forestry zones of Armenia have decreased almost in half for the last 200 years. Indicators of the current forestry structure of the country demonstrate huge damage cased by unjustified tree-cutting process followed by extreme forest depletion. In fact, the tree-cutting process justified by wood industry was many times exceeding the natural forest growth. Because of the same cuttings the forests' species and age structures have got mush affected as well. Thus, cutting down of oak trees lead to shifting of oak forests to hornbeam forests, which later becomes dominated by hornbeam.
Today there are no reforested territories, which could be equal to the size of the natural forest coverings in Armenia. Everywhere the natural forest boarders are decreased and the lower forest zone is being totally deforested. Furthermore, the cultivation works and grazing add more damage to forests. Such kind of forest overexploitation and grazing affected the course of forest natural regeneration. A wide phenomenon is the rare plantings, which have been changed into bushes and shrubbery in some places. General forest density in the country is only 0.52 out of which 65% territory is covered with a density rate of 0.5 and lower. This completely demolished defensive features of the forest. Degradation of forest areas led to intensive soil erosions and reduction of harvest of agricultural crops.
Since 1991 the Armenian forests have been cut down tremendously because of economic and energy crisis. This over-exploitation is still apparent these days. It is more than 10 years that there are almost no reforestation activities as well as pest and disease prevention works leading to general phytopathological conditions of the forest plants. This creates and substantially accelerates undesirable process of changing of one forest species by others. Along with these processes, the percentage of total forest covering demolished extremely due to terrible rate of tree cuttings for decade of 1991-2001.
Taking into consideration the above mentioned, the government with assistance of some international organizations such as UNDP, WFP, World Bank, etc has taken preventive actions for preservation of forestry for the recent 2-3 years. Cutting of trees were strictly prohibited in oak plantation zones, general usage dropped down for about 3 times, annual tree cutting level comprises now only 70,000 m³. Total cuttings were changed for treatment cuttings, being allowed only in planting zones with the density rate is 0.7 and higher.
This data reveals the low growth rate for almost all species. This differentiation of forest efficiency is caused by general devastation of forest growing conditions. Therefore, strengthening of productivity and sustainability is one of the core objectives of today Armenian forestry. According to scientific norms of reforestation for Armenia, the optimum forest covering shall comprise 18-20% of total forest area. Among the forest regeneration and rehabilitation works another actual point is extension of forest areas through not useful agricultural territories.
Along with the stated troubles, forestry was and still is one of the most important and perspective branches of the national economy. Therefore it is vital to provide most considerate treatment, preservation and efficient utilization/usage by the foresters. As the forestry problem is of global concern, these issues are being closely studied by foreign specialists.
Rich experience of forestry public management in market economy accumulated in Canada, USA, Germany and Scandinavian countries could be a great source for designing a new forestry management system in Armenia.
All the above mentioned countries have been substantially adjusting their forestry policies recent years which reflected also in creation of adequate legislative and normative basis at the national levels and which took into consideration the necessity of assessment ecological consequences of forestry management. On the other hand the policy of utmost application of forest resources is being fostered in all those countries as a useful tool of intensive development of regions. Forestry management models in each of those countries have been generated taking into consideration peculiarities of their political and economic systems and development process in general.
In fact, legislative basis regulating forestry usage and conservation in Armenia is outdated and needs serious reconsideration of many statutes. New Forest Code and Forest Usage and Conservation Conception have to be developed. The Conception shall consider the forest eco-system reservation issues in complex for whole Caucasus Region.
Taking into consideration domination of forest state property, it is suggested: a) to separate forest management and entrepreneurship activities into two independent branches; and b) set forth the agreement based relations between different organizations of forest management
Wood could be realized through auctions for cases except for rent. Thus the following key principles for operation of this system are: a) forest exploration shall exceed forest regeneration and b) biological and nature sites shall be preserved and no forest eco-systems shall be upset in future.
Current state bio-diversity in Armenia is warriors. Bio-diversity is increasingly affected by anthropogenic factors, which is reflected in reduction in number of species. No preservation measures are taken even for many plant and animal species registered in Red Book.
For conservation and rational use of biological and natural diversity in Caucasian eco-region, the most important is radical optimization of economic mechanisms oriented at sustainable use of biological and nature diversity of country in both in situ and ex sity:
The outmost actions shall be the following:
In purpose to concentrate scientific-technical resources and coherent interaction of global and regional ecological issues, as well as technological and normative, methodical and programmatic support of forest eco-system, there is a need to form Forestry Monitoring Inter-State Center with involvement of interested parties and being under coordination of Inter-State Ecological Council.
Forestry Monitoring is the necessary information system, which will advocate state interests in forest management, preservation and sustainable use of forest resources.
Organizational system of the Forestry Monitoring is based on the following three levels: global, regional and national (local). In this relations three general methods of forest monitoring is suggested: ecological (based on method of UN), complex (with application of distance methods of observation) and specific (on identified parts, selected through nature approach).
It is expedient to organize step-by-step organization of forest monitoring system. Programs are divided by information aggregation levels and by functions. This information system shall provide effective study of changes in forest conditions, caused by forest use, nature and technological changes, as well as analysis of information to make forecast and information support in forest management in Transcaucasus eco-region.
In conclusion, I would like to emphasize one more time that the Caucasus is our general "family" which we are obliged to preserve with mutual efforts through joint approaches, principals, regulations of natural resources for sustainable development of Caucasus region.
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