Regulatory and information support for evaluation of biological productivity of Ukrainian forests and climate change

Abstract

Stabilization and preservation of the planet's climate system today is
regarded as one of the most important global political-economic,
environmental and social problems of mankind. Rising concentration of
carbon dioxide in the planet's atmosphere due to anthropogenic impact is
the main reason leading to global climate change. Due to the above
mentioned, social demands on forests are changing their biosphere role
and function of natural sink of greenhouse gases becomes top priority.
It is known that one of the most essential components of biological
productivity of forests is their live biomass. Absorption, long-term
sequestration of carbon and generation of oxygen are secured by its
components. System research of its parametric structure and development
of regulatory and reference information for assessment of aboveground
live biomass components of trees and stands of the main forest-forming
tree species in Ukraine began over twenty-five years ago at the
department of forest mensuration and forest inventory of National
University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine, involving
staff from other research institutions. Today, regulatory and reference
materials for evaluation of parametric structure of live biomass are
developed for trees of the following major forest-forming tree species
of Ukraine: Scots pine of natural and artificial origin, Crimean pine,
Norway spruce, silver fir, pedunculate oak, European beech, hornbeam,
ash, common birch, aspen and black alder (P.I. Lakyda et al., 2011). An
ongoing process on development of similar regulatory and reference
materials for forest stands of the abovementioned forest-forming tree
species of Ukraine is secured by scientists of departments of forest
management, and forest mensuration and forest inventory. The total
experimental research base is 609 temporary sample plots, where 4880
model trees were processed, including 3195 model trees with estimates of
live biomass components. Laboratory studies conducted on 1743 research
sections of tree stems, 809 samples of crown branches, 2560 model tree
greenery branches, 346 batches of needles and 534 batches of leaves.
These materials have high scientific and practical value, forming a
basis for quantitative evaluation of biological productivity of forests
in Ukraine, which are of great importance for mitigation of climate
change. They also can be used as a data source for development of
systems of models of various purposes, which find their application in
Ukrainian and world forest science and practice.