PROJECT DESCRIPTION
BACKGROUND
The forests in the Leningrad region in Northwest Russia, and specifically in the Karelian Isthmus, are extensively exploited. Controlling the forestry exploitation is difficult and overexploitation is common practice even in areas where the use of forest resources is restricted.
OBJECTIVES
The project’s objective was to provide the State Committee for Environment Protection with means of objective and regular control over forest resources, forest exploitation, and protected areas. Specifically, the project’s main activities to achieve this objective included: · Describing the forest environment (location of forests, surface, species composition); · Evaluating the correctness of existing forest data; and · Estimating forest changes and conservation trends between 1990 and 1996/97.
RESULTS
The project team successfully implemented the project. They collected existing data on the Karelian Isthmus (maps, statistics, photos), described the forest environment through the interpretation of satellite images, performed verification work in the field and comparisons between existing data and results from remote-sensing methods, and elaborated an operative system to assess forest changes. The project proved that remote-sensing methods to detect clear-cuts was fairly reliable. The project was able to compare data reported by forestry districts with the results obtained through remote-sensing observations, and assess the forestry district’s activities according to their management plans. The data collected and the maps produces have since been used by other projects (e.g. the LIFE TCY projects LenFauna and CAPE Biodiversity). The Institute for Remote-Sensing Methods (VNIIKAM) has used the GIS methods developed during this project for forest management in other regions and in other topics (e.g. quarrying). The project team successfully implemented the project. They collected existing data on the Karelian Isthmus (maps, statistics, photos), described the forest environment through the interpretation of satellite images, performed verification work in the field and comparisons between existing data and results from remote-sensing methods, and elaborated an operative system to assess forest changes. The project proved that remote-sensing methods to detect clear-cuts was fairly reliable. The project was able to compare data reported by forestry districts with the results obtained through remote-sensing observations, and assess the forestry district’s activities according to their management plans. The data collected and the maps produces have since been used by other projects (e.g. the LIFE TCY projects LenFauna and CAPE Biodiversity). The Institute for Remote-Sensing Methods (VNIIKAM) has used the GIS methods developed during this project for forest management in other regions and in other topics (e.g. quarrying).