ИСТИНА

The determination of scale levels is critically needed to make planning decisions for sustainable multifunctional forest use with consideration for both ecological and socio-economic values. Landscape-ecological approach is believed to increase correctness of forest inventory works as well as to decrease labor input while delineating forest units with natural boundaries. In landscapes that have not yet lost their zonal nature and still preserve forest character genesis of soil-forming deposits and corresponding set of landforms impose restrictions on the possible diversity of water supply, soil types and forest cover. Connections between landscape components can be proved by means of statistical analysis. We show a series of examples of recommendations for forestry and nature protection based on modeling relations between properties of landforms, soil, water, sediments and plant cover in the taiga zone in European Russia. We compared sensitivity of forest properties to several hierarchical levels of relief by means of multiple regression modeling. Equations link properties of landscape unit with properties of higher-level systems described by morphometric features of relief. Several hypothetic sizes of higher-order units were analyzed using moving square techniques. Evidence is showed for various sensitivity of components properties to various-scale processes acting in the range of linear sizes from 1.2 to 6.0 km. A landscape attribute can be under control of processes acting on several hierarchical levels of spatial organization. Schemes of intercomponent relations show to which hierarchical level of relief this or that landscape property should be associated. The method to separate two kinds of independent contributions to variability of landscape components properties was elaborated. The first group of influencing factors is connected to interior interactions at the local level. The second group of factors is connected to framework conditions imposed by higher-order system. The method allows revealing emergent effects (e.g. properties of higher-order geosystems of several levels simultaneously, soil properties, phytocoenosis layers) on each property of landscape component as well as comparing it with individual contribution of each effect. Careful consideration for landscape–ecological interactions in forestry planning is necessary to decrease conflicts situations between various groups of forest users as well as to maintain ecological functions that are valuable independent on human interests. The principal tool, on our opinion, is rational spatial organization of forestry on the territory comprising tens or hundreds of forest units within river basin or landscape. To reveal and assess landscape-ecological value the following tools are needed: analysis of interaction between living and non-living components of a forest landscape; a set of site-specific approaches to forest use in units differing in relief, soil-forming deposits and humidity; investigation of spatial interactions between forest units aimed at revealing emergent effects for ecological functions; evaluation of contributions of each forest unit and their combinations to functioning of higher-order geographical systems.