Possibilities for using indicator percent for prioritization of stands for clearcutting in the Russian federation

Abstract: Planning is a very important part of forest management. In forestry, rational planning is needed for the effective use of forest resources for economic, ecologic, and social values. This study deals with tactical planning, especially with selecting stands for clear-cuts in Russia. At the tactical level, the problem of planning logging areas has two components: which stand to choose and when to cut it. This study shows how an economic way of planning can be introduced in Russia. A criterion for choosing stands for clear-cuts is indicator percent, which is used in Sweden on a wide scale. The work was done in a forest area, which is situated in Northwest Russia in the Republic of Karelia. Stands for clear-cutting were chosen according to all Russian rules of logging and indicator percent. Results of suggested plan were compared with actual clear-cuts made by a logging company in this area. Comparison was made for: harvested levels, indicator percents, net values and net values per one cubic meter of timber. The comparison showed that suggested plan was better than what had been done before in this area, but the difference was not significant. The discussion part is answering the following questions: a) why the difference in results is small? b) What could affect the results that were received? and c) what kind of problems can there be with introducing this way of planning in the Russian Federation?