Forest resource security in Ukraine: assessment and provision

Abstract

The activities of forestry enterprises suffer from ecological and economic conflicts of interest that are long- and short-term in nature. As a result, productive forest stands are depleted and forest ecosystem sustainability is reduced. Therefore, this article is aimed at justifying recommendations to evaluate and ensure forest resource security. The article also defines the essence of forest resource security as qualitative and quantitative characteristics of the forest fund that ensure the desired level of economic efficiency of the forestry subject to rational use of forest resources, maintaining the quality of the forest ecosystem and performing all other functions of the forest.Based on the functional and process approach, the methodology of forest-resource safety assessment has been developed, which considers main features of forestry activities and provides for the definition of an integral index of forest resource security as the sum of three groups of indices. The methodology was tested in the context of four forestry enterprises of Volyn and Rivne regions (Ukraine). The results reveal a high level of forest resource security. However, the study identified many problems and, on that basis, the proposals were made to improve forestry practical activities. The results obtained can be considered as the basis for developing environmental policy and taking current and strategic management decisions to ensure the sustainable development of forestry enterprises.