PECULIARITIES OF FORESTS AND FOREST USE ON THE TERRITORY OF SOE «TERNOPIL FORESTRY»

The analytical investigation of forests (age structure, age-class composition, forest categories) and forest use on the territory of SOE “Ternopil forestry” has been made. It has also been defined that within the activities of Ternopil forestry the differences in age structure of forest ranges, kinds of compositions and functional types of forests have been noticed. SOE “Ternopil forestry” is located in the central part of Ternopil oblast, which is characterized by a low level of forest cover: Zbarazh region – 9.1%, Pidvolochysk region – 5.1%, Terebovlia region – 8.4%, Ternopil region – 7.9%, Zboriv region – 11%. The area of SOE “Ternopil forestry” is 26015.0 ha; including territory covered with forests – 23913.2 ha (91.9%). The enterprise is also composed of 8 forest divisions such as Mykulyntsi, Skalat, Terebovlia, Ternopil, Mshanets, Zbarazh, Zaliztsi and Budaniv divisions. The fraction of area covered with forest vegetation on the territory of SOE “Ternopil forestry” is between about 91.3 % in Skalat forest division up to 96.1% in Ternopil forest division. The parts which are not covered with vegetation are represented by seed plots, artificial forests, open forests, burned areas, timber blockings, meadows, biomeadows, forest paths, glades and others. The forest plantations dominate in the structure of total area of the forest fund (57.3%); they occupy the area of 14606.0 ha and forest seed plots – 36.4%. The largest area in forestry is taken up by recreation forests (12.7 thousand ha). They have the largest part among the other forest categories (48.6%). The smallest part is taken up by the forests, which carry nature conservation, scientific and history and culture mission. Exploitable forests are represented on the territory of Budaniv forestry and occupy the area of 3142.9 ha. Besides that, we have to note that the part of forests in all divisions has special way of using and can be exploited. In the age structure of forests the major part is taken up by middle-aged plantations (64.6%). The largest part of the latest is in Mshanets division – 71.5% and Ternopil division – 67.4%. The biggest part of young plantations is in Zaliztsi division – 21.1% and Mykulyntsi division – 18.3%. They take the largest area in Terebovlia forestry (3668.3 ha). There is a sufficient part of recreation forests in the majority of forestry and its amount fluctuates between 83.8% up to 98.1%. The smallest part of recreation forests is in Budaniv (1.8%) and Zaliztsi (9.5%) divisions. The dominating type of landscape in recreational forests is closed type – 89.3% of the area, half open – 6.4% and open – 4.3%. The average age of forest plantations in SOE “Ternopil forestry” is 61 years. The oldest are European Beeches – 80 years, European Oak – 65 years, Scots pine – 56 years, English field maple – 60 years. The main forest forming species are hard wooden broadleaved species which make up 86.4%. They take up the largest part in Skalat (93.6%) and Mykulyntsi (94.4%) forest divisions. Among the broadleaved species the European Oak is dominating, and takes up the area of 13270.7 ha. More than 50% of the area where conifers grow are taken up by the Scots Pine. One of the ways of forest use on the SOE “Ternopil forstry” territory is stocking up wood from logging of the main use and also logging of formation and recreation. The renewable logging is done in all the forest categories. The annual amount of such logging comes to 2.3 thousand m3. Besides the logging of main use there others – formation and hygienic of forests, care logging (enlightening, selective cutting, thinning) sanitation and forest renewals. The main amount of wood is logged from the main use on the area of 66 ha and amounts to 20189 m3 It has been defined that the main ways of the forest use are logging and recreational forest use. Key words: forests, forest use, age structure, forest categories, recreational forests