CLOSE-TO-NATURE FORESTRY AS THE BASIS FOR SUSTAINABLE FOREST MANAGEMENT IN UKRAINE

Close-to-nature forestry is the system of forest management that favours a continuous renewal and formation of stands which most similar in structure and genesis to natural ones. The methodological basis of it is 8 principles which cover the evaluation of the processes of reproduction and formation of stable, natural, all-aged forests with continuous forest cover, biodiversity conservation, maintenance of the ecological functions of forests, an increase in the growing stock, harvesting of target trees, the greening of felling techniques and timber skidding. The existing set of pan-European criteria and indicators for sustainable forest management according to the standards of FSC sertification provides a basis to implement in Ukraine the system of close-to-nature forestry that is most relevant to the nature of the forest and, therefore, is the most promising in terms of environmental, economic and social aspects of multifunctional Forestry.