?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&rft_val_fmt=info%3Aofi%2Ffmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Adc&rft.relation=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F4967%2F&rft.title=Expanding+Forests+but+Declining+Mature+Coniferous+Forests+in+Russia&rft.creator=Shvidenko%2C+A.&rft.creator=Nilsson%2C+S.&rft.description=Analyses+of+aggregated+data+of+the+dynamics+of+Russian+forests+during+the+period+from+1966+to+1993+have+identified+a+rather+stable+development+of+Forested+Areas+(FA)+and+growing+stock+(an+increase+of+8%25+and+5%25%2C+respectively).+Unforested+Areas+(UFA)+have+decreased+significantly%3B+for+example%2C+the+total+amount+of+unforested+burned+areas+declined+from+68.4+to+31.9+million+ha+over+the+period.+Average+growing+stock+by+age+groups+increased+for+all+main+forest-forming+species+(excluding+mature+and+overmature+coniferous+stands).+Development+in+the+growing+stock+in+European+Russia+has+been+positive%2C+but+Asian+Russia+has+experienced+a+rather+severe+decline.+Studies+of+the+1983-1993+period+show+somewhat+different+results.+Official+data+show+that+the+total+growing+stock+for+Russia+underwent+a+serious+decline+over+this+period.+An+adjustment+for+systematic+inventory+errors+still+shows+that+there+has+been+a+substantial+decrease+in+the+growing+stock+in+Asian+Russia.+The+decline+identified+during+this+latter+period+cannot+be+explained+by+the+harvest+carried+out%2C+but+is+probably+due+to+disturbances+such+as+forest+fires%2C+pest%2C+insects%2C+and+anthropogenic+activities.+%0D%0A%0D%0AFrom+analyses%2C+it+can+be+concluded+that+the+quality+of+the+forests+has+been+seriously+impoverished+in+Russia+during+the+1966-1993+period.+This+impoverishment+is+due+to+severe+local+overharvesting+in+regions+with+developed+infrastructure+and+to+so-called+creaming--namely%2C+the+harvesting+of+the+best+stands+of+specific+species+over+huge+areas.+%0D%0A%0D%0AThere+are+still+vast+areas+of+unexploited+and+unmanaged+forests+in+Russia.+In+spite+of+serious+shortcomings+in+Russian+forest+management%2C+the+stability+of+Russian+boreal+forests+and+their+capacity+for+natural+regeneration+seem+to+be+extremely+high.+Therefore%2C+it+may+to+be+premature+to+speak+of+%22the+disappearing+Russian+forests.%22&rft.publisher=WP-96-059&rft.date=1996-06&rft.type=Monograph&rft.type=NonPeerReviewed&rft.format=text&rft.language=en&rft.identifier=https%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fid%2Feprint%2F4967%2F1%2FWP-96-059.pdf&rft.identifier=++Shvidenko%2C+A.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F281.html%3E+%26+Nilsson%2C+S.+%3Chttps%3A%2F%2Fpure.iiasa.ac.at%2Fview%2Fiiasa%2F217.html%3E++(1996).++Expanding+Forests+but+Declining+Mature+Coniferous+Forests+in+Russia.+++IIASA+Working+Paper.+IIASA%2C+Laxenburg%2C+Austria%3A+WP-96-059+++++