ENVIRONMENTALLY SOUND FOREST OPERATIONS IN LITHUANIA

DELTUVAS Romualdas

There are three main components to environmentally sound forest operations in Lithuania:

Forest sites, types and soils
Forest protection classes and categories
Rules and regulations governing forest operations

Overall indicators for the situation of the country's forestry are presented in Tables 1 and 2:

Table 1: Lithuania's forest resources (1998)

Resources	Area/volume
Total surface area of Lithuania	6 530 000 hectares
Forest land area	1 978 000 hectares
Productive forest area (stands)	1 888 000 hectares
Artificial forest area	424 000 hectares
Volume of growing stock	347.6 million m³
Volume of growing stock	184 m³/hectare
Volume of maturity stands	59.4 million m³
Volume of maturity stands	249 m³/hectare
Gross annual increment	11.6 million m³
Gross annual increment	6.2 m³/hectare
Net annual increment	6.9 million m³
Net annual increment	3.5 m³/hectare
Forest area per capita	53 hectares
Volume per capita	89 m³

Table 2: Forest area by dominant tree species

Tree species	Area (hectares)	Percentage
Pine	702.1	37.2
Spruce	441.9	23.4
Birch	375.2	19.9
Grey alder	111.3	5.9
Black alder	108.5	5.7
Aspen	52.4	2.8
Ash	50.8	2.7
Oak	33.6	1.8
Other	12.2	0.6
Total	1880.0	100.0

A forest site mapping system was introduced to Lithuanian forestry in 1966 and has since become standard practice. Under the system, all silvicultural activities and forest operations are planned at sub-compartmental level in order to make the best use of forest soil, protect it from degradation and ensure sustainable multiple forest use. Measures include choice of species and mixed species, use of existing advanced re-growth, site preparation, plantation stand density tending, forest drainage, measurement of size and adjacent clear cutting areas, seed production and fire protection.

A system of forest protection classes (FPC) and categories has been used for decades as support for and an expression of multiple forest use (see Table 3). Forest management goals and silvicultural treatment vary from FPC to FPC: clear felling is permitted in FPC 3 forests (up to 6 hectares) and FPC 4 forests (up to 10 hectares); regeneration felling is permitted in FPC 2 forests; and no felling is permitted in FPC 1 forests. Thinning is recommended in FPC 2, FPC 3 and FPC 4 forests.

Table 3: Forest protection classes (FPC)

	Forest land (1.888.000 ha)
	FPC1 (1.6%)	FPC2 (13%)			FPC3 (14%)		FPC4 (71.4%)
	Preserved forest	Ecosystem protection (8.9%)		Recreation al forest (4.1%)	Protective forest		Commercial forest
	State reserves State parks	Sanctuaries:		Forest parks Forest resources Recreational zones	Sanctuaries:		Not included in FPC 1, 2 and 3
		•	landscape		•	geological
		•	telmological		•	geomorphologic
		•	pedological		•	hydrographic
		•	botanical-zoological		•	cartographic
					•	cultural
		anti-erosion			Protection belts
				City forests
		Baltic sea belt			Seed stands
					Research and training
*Forest management objective*	Leave forests for natural growing	Preserve/reestablish forest ecosystems		Creation and preservation of recreational value of forests	Develop productive stands to protect soil, air, water and human environment		Develop productive stands to enhance sustainable flow of timber
*Forest operations*	No forest operations	•	Regeneration felling in stands of natural maturity		•	Shelter felling	All types of felling allowed (clear felling < 10 ha)
		•	Improvement felling		•	Selective felling
		•	Sanitary felling		•	Clear felling (< 6 ha)
		•	Landscape felling		•	Improvement and sanitary felling

The genetic quality of Lithuania's forests is controlled and ensured through a variety of practices (see Table 4).

The following regulations and acts govern the country's forest operations:

Regulations on final and regeneration fellings (1996)
Regulations on forest seed-growing (1997)
Regulations on reforestation (1993)
Regulations on assessment of reforestation and forest plantations (1998)
Regulations on forest tending (1996)
Regulations on land and forest use (1992)
Regulations on forest protection and forest use in protected areas
Regulations on management and use in private forests (1996)
Protected Areas Act (1993)
Nature Protection Act (1994)
Forest Act (1994)

Table 4: Assurance of forest genetic quality

Genus	Strict genetic reserves	Genetic reserves	Experimental plots	Progeny plantations	Clonal archives	Test seed orchards	Seed orchards	Seed partial reserves	Total	Plus trees
Number
Pinus	2	80	79	61	3	8	18	28	279	475
Picea	1	27	21	19	5		27	21	121	589
Betula		15		1					16	45
Alnus		11	13					13	37	57
Populus				2					2	53
Fraxinus	1	7							8	16
Quercus		24	8				1	8	41	66
Larix		2		2	1		9		14	34
Salix				5					5
Tilia		2							2	21
Pseudo-tsuga							1		1
Total	4	168	121	90	9	8	56	70	526	1356
Area (ha)
Pinus	5273	2059	24	117	9	111	226	307	8126
Picea	429	402	6	46	16		339	150	1388
Betula		77		3					80
Alnus		125	4					80	209
Populus				3					3
Fraxinus	202	93							295
Quercus		316	3				1	171	491
Larix		1		2	1		38		42
Salix									…
Tilia		9							9
Pseudo-tsuga							5		5
Total	5904	3082	37	171	26	111	609	708	10648