A unique experiment of the German research foresters in Tatarstan
As of today in the Republic of Tatarstan 2 research projects “Wood plantations development and use in the Republic of Tatarstan (LesPlan)” and “Optimization of mixed stands of English oak and small-leaved lime (OMSK)” are implemented. The Russian parties to the project are the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Sabinskoye Forestry and Kaybitskoye Forestry. The German party to the project is the forestry department of Dresden University of Technology, Tharandt, Germany.
The project “Wood plantations development and use in the Republic of Tatarstan (LesPlan)” provides for the establishment of experimental fast-growing tree plantations, followed by the establishment of “industrial” plantations of aspen, larch, birch, and various clones of poplar. The purpose of the project is to detect species of woods that may provide an expedited afforestation, primarily on water and wind erosion areas in the Republic of Tatarstan.
The project was successfully launched in 2015. In spring 2016, the German scientists visited the Republic of Tatarstan. Together with the specialists of the Sabinskoye Forestry within the project “LesPlan” they have planted cultures on three experimental plots. 7 thousand units of planting material (poplar, aspen, larch, and birch) which survival rate was 90% have been planted.
According to forestry experts of Tatarstan, the implementation of “LesPlan” project will perform tasks aimed at forest cover percent growth in the republic. Currently, 17% of the total area of the Republic of Tatarstan, or 1.27 million hectares, is covered by forest, while in the 19th century, the proportion of area covered by forest was about 50%. Same as the task of rapid afforestation, the fast-growing forest plantations should support the wood processing industry and bio-energetics industry.
The project “Optimization of mixed stands of English oak and small-leaved lime (OMSK)” is focused on the study of optimization of the number of seedlings when establishing the artificial plantations of English oak and small-leaved lime. In the Republic of Tatarstan the forest community of English oak and small-leaved lime is in the north-eastern boundary of their natural habitat. The research object is the oak forests located on the territory of the Kaybitsky and Tetyushsky forest establishments of the Republic of Tatarstan.
The Kaybitsky oak forests play significant ecological and economic role for the region. Within the framework of the “OMSK” project in May 2016 the experts of Dresden University of Technology (Tharandt) and the experts of VNIILM (Tatar Forest Experimental Station) and Kaybitsky Forest Establishment arranged the first Nelder’s circle. In June 2016 the scheduled check of seedling survival as well as the supplement and tendance in the pilot circle were carried out. The planned mixed plantings according to Nelder make it possible to monitor the effects of competition between two species in a small confined space, as well as its impact on the quality of the oak wood.
The “OMSK” project is a unique experiment in Russia in respect of the latest researches on oak and in respect of the oak cultures planting in practice. The scientists of Dresden University noted that the data analysis that is to be obtained during the experiment is possible only in a few years. This kind of experience gives an incentive for a long-term cooperation between Germany and Russia in the field of forest research.