RuEn

Journal section "Sectoral economic studies"

Approaches to the Assessment of the Natural Capital of Forests and the Prospects for Modernization of Forest Management in the Context of Green Economy

Noskov V.A., Shishelov M.A.

Volume 11, Issue 6, 2018

Noskov V.A., Shishelov M.A. Approaches to the assessment of the natural capital of forests and the prospects for modernization of forest management in the context of green economy. Economic and Social Changes: Facts, Trends, Forecast, 2018, vol. 11, no. 6, pp. 41-56. DOI: 10.15838/esc.2018.6.60.3

DOI: 10.15838/esc.2018.6.60.3

Abstract   |   Authors   |   References
The goal of the paper is to study approaches to the assessment of natural capital of forests, especially forest resources, and the prospects for modernization of forest management in the context of green economy. We show that current socio-economic development strategies in most countries encourage rapid accumulation of physical, financial and human capital through excessive depletion and degradation of natural capital, which includes natural resources and ecosystems. In order to prevent this threat, it is necessary to move to the concept of green economy that involves effective use of natural resources, ensuring the sustainability of natural ecosystems and reducing the use of resources in production and consumption. In this regard, we study indicators and methodological approaches used for measuring and assessing forest resources in the global and domestic practice. We reveal the shortcomings and limitations of their application, which are associated with the quantitative assessment of the state of forests, without taking into account qualitative and structural changes. On this basis, we develop our own original methodology for assessing forest resources and in the future – assessing their depletion on the basis of comparing the current state with the “reference” state. An important point in this technique is the account of fragmentation in the assessment of forest resources, implemented through the analysis of spatial distribution of the sections of raw materials bases. The results of our assessment confirm a significant depletion of forest resources throughout the Komi Republic. In order to restore and preserve them, we substantiate the combined use of three basic directions: forest management activities corresponding to the potential of reforestation; rehabilitation modernization of forest management, involving the organization of forest management in the form of recurrent cycle of selective cutting; and compensatory strategies of timber processing. The prospects for further research are related to the task of developing a model for the use of forest resources in the region, ensuring the sustainability of supply of timber processing industries with raw wood

Keywords

modernization, forest resources, forest management, green economy, natural capital of forests

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