In addition to the databases and geographical components described above and available at IIASA, the following is available at the International Forestry Institute in Moscow, although not organized according to the IIASA concept;
• forestry inventory database for each forest enterprise and ecological-climatic region from 1988 and 1993
• phytomass database containing 2,100 sample sites distributed over the complete Forest Fund of Russia
• forest soil database for 840 sample plots covering the total Forest Fund of Russia and with 65 parameters collected for each sample plot
• forest fire database for 235,100 fires in the fire protected area of Forest Fund in Russia during the period 1980-1995 with each fire described over 50 parameters
• database on forest cover disturbancies (natural and anthropogenic factors)
• meteorological database containing monthly and yearly averages for 15 meteorological parameters from 3,000 meteorological stations distributed over the total Forest Fund of Russia
• database on stand dynamics for each ecoregion of Siberia
• database on forest reproduction for each ecoregion of Siberia
• database on natural forest succession for Siberia, and
• database on carbon pools by different forest ecosystems for all of Russia.
Discussion
The major accomplishment of the databases and GIS development, with the assemby of the IIASA Study database, has been the elimination of the geographical and institutional barriers, which effectively hindered the scientific research. In the current form the database and the application environment provide a unique resource for scientific work concerning the forests, forest industry, ecology and socioeconomics in Siberia and Russia.
References
Blauberg, K., (1996). Siberian Forest Study Data Dictionary. Unpublished Manuscript, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
Chen, P.P. (ed.). (1981). Entity-Relationship Approach to Information Modeling and Analysis. Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. Amsterdam, The Neatherlands.
IIASA, (1996). 1996 Research Plan. International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. Laxenburg, Austria.
Rojkov, V., Efremov, D., Nilsson, S., Sedych, V., Shvidenko, A., Sokolov, V., Wagner, V. (1996). Siberian Landscape Classification and a Digitized Map of Siberian Landscapes. IIASA WP-96-111, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
Shvidenko, A. and Raile, G. (1996). Description of Data Elements in the Ecoregion Database of the Siberian Forest Study, Unpublished Mansucript, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria.
Yourdon, E., (1989). Modern Structured Analysis. Prentice-Hall International Inc. London, UK
3.3. Biospheric Role of the Russian Forests
Anatoly Shvidenko, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg, Austria
Introduction
The impact of the forest cover on the biosphere mainly consists of its interactions with the main biogeochemical cycles, such as carbon or nitrogen, as well as hydrological cycles. The state, structure and productivity of forest ecosystems are the crucial components for such interactions. Both the productivity and maintenance of the biogeochemical cycles are criteria for sustainable development of natural landscapes, as well as for sustainable forest management.
Model
The basic equation for the interaction between forests and the carbon cycle is
dC/dt = I(t) - O(t), (1)
where dC/dt is the dynamics of the summarized C flux generated by forest ecosystems, I(t) and O(t) are respectively the input and output of C in forest ecosystems (all indicators in equations (1) and (2) are expressed in Tg C/years). The practical application of (1) depends upon the approach and time step used as well as on the structure of C pools and fluxes. We use (1) in the form of a yearly time basis (2)
dC/dt ≈ (NPP - WM - GPM + ∆D +∆SOM)t, (2) where NPP is the net primary productivity of the vegetation of a forest ecosystem; WM is the mortality of the woody parts of forest ecosystems;
GPM is the mortality of green parts (litterfall, green forest floor, etc.); ∆D is the change of C in dead vegetational organics (detritus); and ∆SOM is the change of C in soil organic matter. It is evident that NPP-WM-GPM = PHt+1 - PHt = ∆PH (t+1, t), where PHt+1 and PHt are the total vegetational phytomass at the end respectively at the beginning of a year t. ∆PH is a part of the net ecosystem productivity (NEP) generated by vegetation. If evaluation is done on a yearly basis and under the absence of severe soil disturbances, the major part of the total NEP (more than 95%) is generated by the increment of wood. This short description reveals the crucial role which reliable estimates of phytomass, increment and impact of disturbances play in any evaluation of the interactions between forest ecosystems and the carbon cycle.
Any large-scale evaluation of the carbon budget requires the employment of relevant territorial units. We used ecological regions which have been defined within the framework of the IIASA Study based on following principles:
1. Input of each ecoregion into basic ecological cycles should be of the same magnitude. This requires a rough equality of basic indicators of productivity of terrestrial biota (e.g., for forests: growing stock, phytomass, increment, etc.).
2. Ecoregions should be homogeneous by climatic and soil conditions.
Mountain areas and plains as well as permafrost and non-permafrost areas should be separated. Consequently, ecoregions should be homogeneous with respect to forest growth potential, basic features of forest cover, and regimes of natural disturbances. It means that such indicators for stands of a definite species, such as site index and relative stocking should not vary much within an ecoregion.
3. Character and level of anthropogenic and natural disturbances (e.g., disturbance regimes) should be similar.
4. Ecoregion’s boundary should not cross the administrative boundaries of the objects of the Russian Federation (oblasts, krajs, autonomic generations).
The Russian territory has been regionalized by the IIASA Study into 141 ecoregions of which 63 are located in the Asian part .
Attention was given to forests dominated by 7 species (Pine, Spruce, Fir, Larch, Cedar, Birch, Aspen) which cover 87% of the total forested area in Russia and comprise 94% of the total growing stock.