Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION OF THE MAIN SPECIES OF WOODY AND SHRUBBY PLANTS IN THE FORESTS OF WESTERN SIBERIA (TOMSK REGION), RUSSIA

Alexey Myasnikov

Abstract

Forests effectively support and stabilize the ecological balance and play a crucial role in people’s lives. Forests regulate the climatic regime and water conditions, absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, protect soil from erosion, and play a major role in providing mankind with wood and non-wood resources. However, the increasing consumption of forest resources causes a greater anthropogenic impact on forest ecosystems and leads to a negative impact on both biodiversity and the environment as a whole. In this paper, the status and dynamics of the biodiversity of the main species of woody and shrubby plants in the forests of Western Siberia have been assessed in Tomsk region. The main factors positively or negatively affecting the biodiversity of these forests were identified. The forests cover extensive areas; therefore, the studies were carried out based on the data from the State Forestry Register of the Russian Federation for the period from 2008 to 2015.