Current problems of spruce stands regeneration in the Volga Federal District

Spruce stands comprise one-fourth of the total forested area in the Volga Federal District. Amid contemporary global transformations and the economic activity not consistently grounded in scientific principles, there is a reduction in the forest cover and in their ecological and resource potential. The challenges of reproducing spruce stands in the Volga Federal District can only be addressed by leveraging the extensive knowledge of past foresters alongside contemporary advancements. The research aims to identify the most efficient methods for regenerating spruce stands in the Volga Federal District, enhancing production and biological resilience of the plantations while minimising economic expenditures. The data collected are derived from the analysis of research literature, the state forest register, and our own research findings obtained at stationary experimental plots established in the Educational-experimental and Pektubayevsky forestry enterprise of the Republic of Mari El. At each location, an evaluation of the condition, size structure, and production of the stands was conducted using conventional forest inventory methods. The obtained digital data has undergone statistical analysis. The key problems have been identified, and ideal strategies for the regeneration of spruce stands in the Volga Federal District have been delineated, categorised by natural and economic zones: southern taiga, coniferous-deciduous forests, steppe, and forest-steppe. In each instance, it is essential to optimise the methods and strategies of reforestation. In order to properly maintain the spruce stands in the Volga Federal District, the following factors are crucial: a zonal strategy that considers forest conditions and the composition of the forest stand; the advancement of plantation forestry on former agricultural lands, focusing on obtaining paper wood, bioenergy, and carbon initiatives; enhancement of planting density and standards of planting material in alignment with regional characteristics.

1. Andreev A.E. Budovich M.V. Spruce trees of Russia: their diversity and distribution. Proceedings of St. Petersburg Scientific Research Institute of Forestry, 2023, no. 3, pp. 14-28. DOI: 10.21178/2079-6080.2023.3.14. (In Russ.)

2. The condition of plantation-type spruce forest crops after logging. Science in modern conditions: collection of articles. Yoshkar-Ola, 2007, pp. 6-9. (In Russ.)

3. Demakov Iu.P. The structure and patterns of forest development in the Republic of Mari El. Yoshkar-Ola: VSUT, 2018. 432 p. (In Russ.)

4. Demakov Iu.P., Krasnov V.G. Changes in the structure and resource potential of Chuvash forests over the period from 1942 to 2014. Bulletin of Volga State University of Technology. Series: Forest. Ecology. Nature Management, 2018, no. 1 (37), pp. 19- 32. DOI: 10.15350/2306-2827.2018.1.19. (In Russ.)

5. Demakov Iu.P., Romanov E.M., Krasnov V.G., Nureeva T.V. The experience of artificial forest reforestation in the Middle Volga region and the strategy for improvement. Bulletin of Volga State University of Technology. Series: Forest. Ecology. Nature Management, 2021, no. 1, pp. 23-46. DOI: 10.25686/2306-2827.2021.1.23. (In Russ.)

6. Denisov S.A., Glushkova Iu.P., Tueva L.E. The possibility and prospects of plantation spruce cultivation in the Republic of Mari El. Bulletin of Volga State University of Technology. Series: Forest. Ecology. Nature management, 2008, no. 2. pp. 28-39. (In Russ.)

7. Druzhinin F.N. To the application of complex logging. BHEI. Russian forestry journal, 2014, no. 3(339), pp. 17-23. (In Russ.)

8. Eastern European forests: history in the recent and modern period. Book 1 / ed. by O.V. Smirnova. Moscow: Science, 2004. 479 p. (In Russ.)

9. Eremin N.V. Accelerated reforestation and reforestation (on the example of restoring spruce forests). Yoshkar-Ola: VSUT, 2013. 164 p. (In Russ.)

10. Gazizullin A.H. Growth and productivity of spruce crops in the forest-steppe of the Middle Volga region. Forestry science, 1990, no. 3, pp. 11-16. (In Russ.)

11. Glushkova Iu.P., Denisov S.A. Recommendations on the territorial location of spruce plantations for growing balance sheets in the Republic of Mari El. YoshkarOla: MarSTU, 2011. 44 p. (In Russ.)

12. Gorichev Iu.P. On the botanical and geographical differentiation of Eastern European broadleaf-dark coniferous forests. Proceedings of Samara Research Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2014, vol. 16, no. 1-3, pp. 858-860. (In Russ.)

13. Grachev V.A., Zalesov A.S., Pomaznyuk V.A. Forestry efficiency of interlaced gradual logging in derived birch forests of the Urals. Bulletin of Altai State Agrarian University, 2008, no. 10(48), pp. 28-32. (In Russ.)

14. Kazimirov N.I. Spruce forests of Karelia. Leningrad: Science, 1971. 140 p. (In Russ.)

15. Martynov A.N. The density of coniferous crops and its significance. Overview of the Central Research Institute of Forestry. Moscow: Central Research Institute of Forestry, 1974. 59 p. (In Russ.)

16. Mayorov S.A. The influence of the initial density of spruce crops on the further growth of plantings. Forestry, 1968, no. 5, pp. 26-29. (In Russ.)

17. Maslov A.D. Bark beetle-typographer and drying of spruce forests. Moscow: VNIILM, 2010. 138 p. (In Russ.)

18. Morozov G.F. Essays on forest culture. 2nd ed. Moscow: Goslesbumizdat, 1950. 234 p. (In Russ.)

19. Pchelin V.I. Spruce and aspen forests of the Middle Volga region (natural features, biodiversity and growth). Yoshkar-Ola: MarSTU, 2000. 220 p. (In Russ.)

20. Plantation forestry / ed. by I.V. Shutov. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, 2007. 366 p. (In Russ.)

21. Popov P.P. Patterns of regional differentiation of European and Siberian spruce populations. Novosibirsk: Science, 2014. 216 p. (In Russ.)

22. Predeina I.V., Bashegurov K.A., Belov L.A., Zalesov S.V., Iteshina N.M. Interlaced gradual logging as a way to transform soft-leaved derivatives into indigenous conifers. Siberian Forest Journal, 2024, no. 6, pp. 59–67. DOI: 10.15372/SJFS20240608. (In Russ.)

23. Razin G.S. Growth models of stands of spruce crops of different densities. Forestry, 1988, no. 2, pp. 41-47. (In Russ.)

24. Rodin A.R. Rodin S.A. Establishing forest energy plantations. Bulletin of MSUF – Forest Bulletin, 2008, no. 1, pp. 178–182. (In Russ.)

25. Rogozin M.V., Razin G.S. Development of stands. Models, laws, hypotheses: monograph [Electronic resource]. Perm: Perm State National Research University, 2015. 1 CD-ROM. (In Russ.)

26. Romanov E.M., Eremin N.V., Mukhortov D.I., Nureyeva T.V. Forest crops. Accelerated reforestation. Yoshkar-Ola: MarSTU, 2007. 287 p. (In Russ.)

27. Romanov E.M., Samosudov A.E., Nureeva T.V., Bekmansurov M.V. Differentiated application of planting material in the establishment of forest crops. Bulletin of Volga State University of Technology. Series: Forest. Ecology. Nature Management, 2023, no. 2(58), pp. 6–29. DOI: 10.25686/2306-2827.2023.2.6. (In Russ.)

28. Rysin L.P., Savelyeva L.I. Spruce forests of Russia. Moscow: Science, 2002. 335 p. (In Russ.)

29. Salikov N.Ia., Ashmetkov V.M. Completeness as a standard of the regime of formation of stands. Forestry, 1985, no. 10, pp. 52-54. (In Russ.)

30. Shtukin S.S. Reforestation of deforestation of shrinking spruce forests. Proceedings of BSTU. Series 1: Forestry, Nature Management and Processing of Renewable Resources, 2018, no. 2(210), pp. 116-120. (In Russ.)

31. Shtukin S.S., Volovich P.I. The standard of the Republic of Belarus – a new level of development of plantation forestry. Proceedings of BSTU. Series 1: Forestry, Nature Management and Processing of Renewable Resources, 2018, no. 1(204), pp. 13–19. (In Russ.)

32. Singatullin I.K., Musin H.G., Mukhametshina A.R., Petrova G.A. Analysis of the condition of spruce forest crops in the Republic of Tatarstan. Izvestia SanktPeterburgskoj Lesotehniceskoj Akademii, 2020, iss. 231, pp. 41-55. DOI: 10.21266/2079-4304.2020.231.41-55. (In Russ.)

33. Storozhenko V.G. The state and infestation of wood-destroying fungi in the indigenous spruce forests of the northern taiga subzone. Proceedings of the Karelian Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2013, no. 6, pp. 153-158. (In Russ.)

34. Storozhenko V.G. Natural regeneration in the indigenous spruce forests of the European taiga of Russia. Siberian Forest Journal, 2017, no. 3, pp. 87–92. DOI: 10.15372/SJFS20170309. (In Russ.)

35. Storozhenko V.G. Sanitary condition of the indigenous spruce forests of the taiga of European Russia. Forest Bulletin, 2023, vol. 27, no. 1, pp. 17-25. DOI: 10.18698/2542-1468-2023-1-17-25. (In Russ.)

36. Styazhkin V.P. Age dynamics of optimal density and maximum productivity of spruce stands. Forestry, 2005, no. 4, pp. 40-43. (In Russ.)

37. Terinov N.N., Mekhrentsev A.V., Polukhin A.V. Restoration of indigenous dark coniferous species after cutting down derivatives of soft-leaved plantations in the Urals. Bulletin of MSUF – Forest Bulletin, 2011, no. 5, pp. 22-27. (In Russ.)

38. Terinov N.N., Andreeva E.M., Zalesov S.V., Luganskiy N.A., Magasumova A.G. Restoration of spruce forests: theory, domestic experience and solution methods. BHEI. Russian forestry journal, 2020, no. 3(375), pp. 9-23. DOI: 10.37482/0536-1036-2020-3-9-23. (In Russ.)

39. Uspensky E.I., Denisov S.A., Kalinin K.K., Loskutov S.P. Natural regeneration under the forest canopy in the Middle Volga region. BHEI. Russian forestry journal, 2002, no. 4, pp. 46-54. (In Russ.)

40. Vedernikov E.A. Consequences of long-term gradual logging in the spruce stand. Bulletin of Bashkir State Agrarian University, 2017, no. 4(44), pp. 97-101. DOI: 10.31563/1684-7628-2017-44-4-97-101. (In Russ.)

41. Volodkin A.A., Volodkina O.A. The experience of growing Norway spruce in the forest-steppe zone of the Middle Volga region. Regional problems of sustainable development of the agro-industrial complex in the context of digital transformation: proceedings of All-Russ. sci.-pract. conf. Penza, 2023, pp. 378-381. (In Russ.)