Forest cover - the degree of afforestation of the territory . It is determined by the ratio of the area covered by forest to the total area of the country , region , leshoz , etc .; expressed as a percentage . The amount of forest cover in different regions of the country may vary depending on the physical-geographical , climatic and soil conditions . The dynamics of forest cover changes under the influence of economic activity and natural disasters that destroy forests.
Tundra , deserts , alpine meadows are absolutely treeless. The highest forest cover (50–80%) is typical for taiga , the average (30–45%) for coniferous , mixed and broad-leaved forests , lower than the average (10–25%) for the forest-steppe , low and very low (2–5%) ) - for the steppe .
The following types of forest cover are distinguished:
- optimal forest cover , in which forests have the most positive effect on environmental conditions , effectively performing diverse environmental functions and giving the national economy the right amount of wood ;
- hydrological forest cover , when forests create a favorable water regime on the catchment ;
- minimum necessary forest cover , counteracting soil erosion in treeless or light forest agricultural areas.
Literature
- Forest Encyclopedia / Ch. Editor G.I. Vorobyov. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia , 1985. - T. 1. - 563 p. - 100,000 copies.
- Tsvetkov M. A. Change in the forest cover of European Russia from the end of the 17th century to 1914 / Ed. ed. e. n., prof. P.V. Vasiliev; USSR Academy of Sciences . - M .: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1957. - 216 p. - 1300 copies.