Transition to Close-to-Nature Forestry – a Key Area of Scientific Research at SFE “Forests of Ukraine”

The enterprise initiates and supports scientific work that covers forest restoration, biodiversity protection, climate change adaptation, and the introduction of innovative technologies in forestry. However, the most important priority remains close-to-nature forestry.

The Scientific Support Division, together with the Forestry Department, other structural units of SFE “Forests of Ukraine,” and researchers from NULES and UNFU, has developed a strategy for close-to-nature forestry and an implementation plan.

As part of the plan, professional training has already begun. The first 200 foresters of the Carpathian branch completed a training program on close-to-nature forestry and successfully passed examinations. The educational program will continue in other regions as well.

In addition, by the end of the year, specialists from the NULES subdivision “Boyarka Forest Research Station” will develop projects for the establishment of demonstration sites in the forests of Polissia (Poliskyi, Stolychniy, and Pivnichnyi forest offices). The goal is to train foresters through practical examples to carry out transformation fellings while ensuring the best balance between the ecological and economic components of forestry.

The strategy also includes other aspects necessary for the implementation of close-to-nature forestry, in particular, road construction and the use of modern equipment for logging and timber skidding.

In the near future, SFE “Forests of Ukraine” plans to expand its fleet of multi-operational logging machines – a tender has been announced for the purchase of five harvesters, which will be used for thinning and selective fellings. Accordingly, the Scientific Support Division is initiating the development of research topics on the use of modern harvesting machinery in the processes of formative fellings, forest health improvement, and main-use logging.