Panasechkina I., Shadrin R. Cutting as a full-fledged element of the forest environment // Resources and Technology. 2026. №3, Vol. 23. P. 131‒156.

Cutting as a full-fledged element of the forest environment

Panasechkina
Irina

Ministry of Natural Resources and Ecology, panasechkina.ii@dvinaland.ru

Shadrin
Roman

Federal State Budgetary Educational Institution of Higher Education «Saint-Petersburg State Forest Technical University», shadrin-ra1976@yandex.ru

Key words:
logging industry; cutting; forest environment; forest biogeocenosis; protection of wildlife

Summary: In this study the authors attempt to demonstrate that a logging site resulting from a technological stage of timber harvesting should not be viewed as a catastrophe but rather as a legitimate element of the forest environment that serves as a habitat for wildlife. The study aims to prove that a logging site, as a product of the timber harvesting process, is an integral part of the forest environment and functions as a habitat for wildlife species. The research objectives were to analyze the concept of the "forest environment" based on scientific research and regulatory-methodological materials; to examine the significance of logging sites for wildlife, using various forest mammals and birds as examples; and to propose measures to conserve wildlife and their habitats during timber industry and forestry operations. The methodological framework for studying the interactions between forest biogeocoenosis components included research on forest biogeocoenology, methods for surveying game animal populations, standards for the allocation, use, and protection of hunting grounds, and regulations governing the design of hunting and integrated forestry-hunting enterprises. Conceptualizing the forest environment specifically as a forest biogeocoenosis allowed the authors to evaluate the impact of machinery and technologies used in forest cultivation, timber harvesting, and processing within the full context of the mutual interactions between the biogeocoenosis components. From this perspective it is both valid and methodologically sound to study how machinery and technologies affect the zoocoenosis of the forest biogeocoenosis specifically the forest mammals and birds that constitute an integral and vital component of the system. The authors conclude that a logging site resulting from a technological stage of timber harvesting is indeed a legitimate element of the forest environment. The authors argue that any measure aimed at conserving wildlife and their habitats should be designed with due regard for the species' biology and ecology and should be integrated into timber harvesting technologies. Such an approach ensures that these measures yield silvicultural, biological, and economic benefits.

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Cutting as a full-fledged element of the forest environment