Contribution of the forests of the Republic of Buryatia to the development of a "green" economy

Abstract

The article presents the results of a carbon balance study in the forests of the Republic of Buryatia based on the materials taking into account the state of the forest fund and key factors (logging, forest fires) that affect carbon absorption and emission. The research clearly demonstrates that the size of the carbon budget in the forests of the republic is determined by the current age structure of forests and the intensity of destructive disruptions because of carbon losses due to logging, forest fires, and the death of plantations. The carbon absorption by forests is characterized by relative stability. Despite the fact that the forests of Buryatia have a great potential for carbon absorption (deposition), the last one decreases in the context of increasing clear-cutting and fire exposure to forests.