Scientific publications

This paper provides the concept of the Program “Environmental and socio-economic prospects of forest degradation and the ways of prevention” which was developed by the group of leading researchers from the institutions of Federal agency of research organizations and coordinated by the Scientific Council on Forest, Russian Academy of Sciences. Research priorities in forest science are discussed as the basis of sustainable forest management. Upon the Program implementation there are the new methods and technologies of monitoring, estimates of health and changes forests under human and environmental factors, estimates of biodiversity, evaluations of the ecosystem functions and services, development of the techniques and practice in forestry to conserve, to protect and to make multi-purpose sustainability, to support forest regeneration, improving the productivity of forests, to provide environmental and socioeconomical basis of sustainable forest management, to make improvements to the forest legislation, education and training of the forest specialists and occupational guidance for schoolchildren. Processes under the eight subprograms are discussed. The full version of the Program concept is under improvement following the submissions made during the discussion of the Program at the conference “Scientific basis of sustainable forest management” held October 21-23, 2014. Two new programs were initiated, as follows: “Study, conservation and sustainable management of forest genetic resources of Russia”, “The effects of forest health on human health”.