Russia is the most forested country in the world (according to official statistic – about 22% of the world forested area). Forests have always been one of the main components of the national wealth. They are important factor maintaining biospheric processes, preventing unfavourable climatic changes. They are renewable source of raw materials. According to the State report on environment protection (2005) the total forest area is about 1179 mln.ha. Various forest types are distributed unevenly due to the variations in climatic conditions and influence of anthropogenic factors. Majority of forested lands are located in Central Siberia and North-East of the European part of Russia.

Despite intensive exploitation, forest ecosystems of Russia have been preserved better than those in other countries. During the last decade, forested areas spread due to a sharp decrease in logging and agriculture. However, intensive felling in the past especially in the European part of Russia has led to a significant deterioration of the quality of forests, change in their age and composition, altered vegetation structure, and general decline of biological diversity.

According to the National Strategy for biodiversity conservation main threats to the forest biological resources are: forest fires and related undesirable pyrogenic successions, especially in Siberia and the Far East; descructive forest felling methods; forest fragmentation due to various factors; illegal tree cutting; pollution; forest fires and deceases, invasions of alien species, e.t.c.
Russian stakeholders today are actively involved in activities on forest conservation, restoration and introduction of non-harmful approaches to use forest resources. The program of forest certification started several years ago and gives now good results. Many forest oriented programs and projects are being realized now and international collaboration is being developed. Information about these activities was included in the thematic report on forest biodiversity and third National report on biodiversity.

This section of our portal will integrate inportant resources, required to understand how the thematic program on forest biodiversity is being fulfilled at the national level.