Геопросторові особливості лісокористування на території ДП «ХУСТСЬКЕ ЛДГ»

Abstract

У статті представлено дослідження ДП «Хустське дослідне лісове господарство». Опрацьовано низку фондових матеріалів господарства. Запропоновано картосхему просторового розподілу зон діяльності лісництв. У публікації проведено комплексний геопросторовий аналіз структури лісів, просторового розподілу рубок та їх впливу на екосистему. Проаналізовано породний склад і вікову структуру деревостанів і виявлено їх геопросторові закономірності. Запропоновано заходи раціонального лісокористування.

The study of the forestry land use within the State Enterprise Khust Experimental Forestry is represented in the article. A number of archival and stock materials of the enterprise have been analyzed. A cartographic scheme of the spatial distribution of forest district activity zones has been developed. The Khust Experimental Forestry (EF) comprises of eight forest districts: Drahiv, Khust, Velyatyn, Nyzhniobystriv, Bereziv, Vyshkiv, Horinchiv, and Monastyrets, with a total area of 42,496 ha. The forestry enterprise is located mainly within the administrative boundaries of the Khust district, where forest-covered areas make up 55.7% of the territory. The highest forest cover is observed in the Drahiv community (81%), and the lowest in the Khust community (27%). All categories of forests are represented within the enterprise, with exploitation and recreational-health forests dominating. A comprehensive geospatial analysis of forest structure, spatial distribution of felling, and their ecological impacts has been conducted. The study has revealed spatial patterns in species composition and age structure of forest stands. More than half of the forests are middle-aged (54.4%), with small shares of young (13.1%) and maturing (14.7%) stands. Mature and overmature forests constitute 17.8%, which does not meet scientifically grounded silvicultural standards. Hardwood species dominate within the Khust EF, occupying 28,159.6 ha (96.3%) of the forested area. Among them, European beech (Fagus sylvatica) covers 24,800.2 ha (84.8%), and common oak (Quercus robur) – 1,851.5 ha (6.3%). In the southern, more lowland parts of the forestry, red oak (Quercus rubra) and common oak prevail, ranging from 10.5% in Vyshkiv to 30.6% in Velyatyn forest districts. Coniferous species cover only 990.8 ha (3.4%). The total growing stock amounts to 10,903.4 m³, with the largest share belonging to middle-aged stands (58.5%), followed by maturing (17.4%) and mature/overmature (20.3%) forests. The lowest proportion is represented by young stands (3.8%). The study confirmed that the Khust EF territory is characterized by significant spatial heterogeneity of forest resources, manifested in differences in species composition, age structure, and timber reserves. These factors directly influence the potential of forest utilization. Large parts of the forests have limited resource potential, while only separate tracts are highly productive. Geospatial analysis revealed that the main types of forest use—final felling, timber stock, and recreational forest use—have a distinct spatial distribution. This is determined by both natural factors (productivity, forest age) and management decisions, which consider logistics, environmental constraints, and socio-economic needs. There is a clear trend toward intensification of forest use on accessible and productive plots, which requires increased monitoring of forest condition. The forestry enterprise also supports game management activities. Hunting grounds are managed by the Ukrainian Society of Hunters and Fishermen (Monastyrets, Velyatyn, and Vyshkiv districts, 7,911 ha) and the Zakarpattia Society of Hunters and Fishermen 'Lisivnyk' (Vyshkiv, Khust, and Drahiv districts, excluding buffer zones of anthropogenic landscapes, 8,822 ha). A key limitation to effective forestry management, particularly in hard-to-reach mountainous areas, is the insufficient development and uneven distribution of forest transport infrastructure (forest roads, skidding trails). The study proposes measures for rational forest use, emphasizing optimization and expansion of the road network in line with ecological standards. These measures are critical for reducing operational costs, improving efficiency, and ensuring access to forest resources while minimizing negative environmental impacts. It was concluded that effective and sustainable forest management within the Khust Experimental Forestry requires a comprehensive approach based on a deep understanding of the geospatial characteristics of forest resources, rational use of forest lands, infrastructure development, and the implementation of modern management technologies.