The health of forest stands growing along tourist trails in the mountain taiga zone of southern Central Siberia

Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology, 660037 Krasnoyarsk, Russia

^* Corresponding author: Nadezha21@mail.ru

Abstract

The research was conducted in forests situated within the Maly Borus peak tourist trail (Gornoe Forestry of the Shushensky Bor National Park). The objective of this study is to conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the current condition of forests that are subjected to a considerable degree of recreational use. The research methods employed include forest pathology examination, establishment of recreational digression of stands, quantifying damage to the surface roots, integral assessment of forest health, and correlation analysis of the data. The recreational disturbance of the stands along the trail has reached an advanced stage. The studied mixed stands are exhibiting signs of stress and are not distinct from surrounding stands (growing further from the trail). The tree species exhibiting signs of deterioration were as follows: Siberian spruce, Siberian fir (Kav = 1.5), Silver birch (Kav = 1.6), and Siberian pine (Kav= 2.1). The highest mortality rate is observed in Siberian pine (28%), including trees of dominant status. With regard to the proportion of trees that have recently died, the level of disruption to the forests within the trail is relatively low. No significant correlation has been identified between the health of all forest-forming species and root damage. The prevalence of diseases and damage (mainly in trunks) in all species exceeds 10%, with Siberian pine exhibiting the highest incidence at 78%. The most detrimental diseases (damage) and their combinations are: in Siberian pine (trunk wound + dry side + stem rot) and in Siberian fir (fir broom rust). While the condition of the forests within the tourist trail remains relatively stable, it is imperative to implement a systematic approach to forest pathology control and to prohibit the illicit extraction of Siberian pine nuts.