Halting dust storms. Renovation of forest belts

Not so long time ago a large article on forest belts appeared on the website of Ukrainian Climate Network, an association that has Ekoltava as its part.

Maksym Makukha, project manager of “Forest belts renovation” by Ekoltava, made a profound comment for the piece. The article is given below.

Forest belts are of top importance for hromadas and farmers, as they protect crops from blasts, hold water, prevent soil erosion, deter hot dry winds and dust storms, increase harvest, fix carbon. By now, a lot of forest belts have been lost. How to bring them back?

Getting started

«Forest belts are man-made plantations that have perfectly integrated in ecosystems. They often present the only piece of wildlife in a given Ukrainian agrolandscape, being a part of eco-network at the same time, as written in the Law of Ukraine «On Eco-Network»,– emphasizes Yana Bobrova, co-founder, CEO, charity fund Peli can live. In December 2019 Pelicanlive has created a project #ForestBeltsForLife to clarify the role of forest belts and make clear for the broad audience the importance of their preservation and renovation. If we remember about climate change and need for adaptation, then, clearly, Ukraine has got to restore more and more forest belts.

«We’ve took two hromadas in Poltavs’ka region selected by competition to participate in the project «Forest belts renovation» – Hradyz’ka and Novoselivs’ka, – accounts Maksym Makukha, expert, NGO «Ekoltava». – The point is to inspect the current condition of forest belts, develop the renovation plan and start implementing it, already in cooperation with hromada. We’ve collected old Soviet maps with forest belts marked. In those times they were planted in bulks and remained subordinate to collective farms. Then farming lands were divided to shares, with forest belts having no actual owner. They started to disappear especially fast since 2014, as price rates for natural gas have grown and locals began to chop trees for fuel. Freed land was tilled. We can not know how much has been lost, since last inventory took place as long ago as in 1976. The inspection was done with the use of GIS, in fact we’ve overlaid the layers and compared conditions, current (on relevant satellite images) and previous (land tenure documentation and Soviet maps)».

This is how hromadas have found out the share of lost forest belts and, consequently, how much there is to be restored – about 10% and 5%.

What to plant?

The guidelines for planting forest belts in various Ukrainian climate zones have emerged in the USSR a long time ago, but now climate conditions are different. Previously it was recommended to use robinia, ash-leaved maple, Siberian elm, black locust, shrub amphora, brittle willow. These are not native Ukrainian species, yet they possess high adaptation. (Project consultant, «Forest belts for life», Candidate of Biology, Nataliya Pashkevych comments on the most typical foreign introduced species unwanted for Ukrainian forest belts.)

The main idea of the project «Forest belts for life» is promoting the renovation of biodiversity, therefore attention is payed primarily to local native plant species that have a positive effect on ecosystem in general.

Charity fund Peli can live, in cooperation with National nature park «Pyriatyns’ky», Pyriatyns’ka hromada, financially supported by Winner Group Ukraine, has restored 2,2 hectares of forest belts next to the park that is a part of Emerald network. For instance, near village Kharkivtsi in spring 2021 there was planted saplings of pears, apples, apricots, cherries, plums, and bushes of mountain ash, hawthorn, cornel, dog rose, and 9000 acorns. The representatives from hromada prepared the spot: cleared the site, made holes for saplings, chopped collected twigs for mulch, and provided watering. «We generally strive to keep old trees, since they hold a distinct microclimate for young trees, – says Yana Bobrova. – Since we’ve restored the forest belt previously taken down completely, in spring we’ve planted acorns around the oak stubs. The stubs provided shelter and alimentation for young oaks emerged from acorns. We’ve planted wild fruit trees and shrubs in end aisles so that birds and squirrels have food». What’s especially valuable, after having received practical experience the hromada proceeded forest belts renovation by itself.

«In spring 2021 NGO «Ekodiya» has addressed us to restore a forest belt in Kyjivs’ka region, – accounts Yana Bobrova. – After negotiations with hromadas we’ve selected Tomashivs’ka hromada and remained satisfied with its eagerness. They had no funds for inventory and registration, but the hromada has checked that given forest belt belongs to their territory and so it was decided to acquire experience of restoration. We hope that there will appear financing to register this forest belt properly».

Where to find saplings? That’s a relevant question. They can be bought, of course, though hromadas may have no money for it. «You can seek for 1-3-year saplings in the woods or somebody may have something to share with, especially when fruit trees and shrubs are needed», – advises Yana Bobrova.

The expert emphasizes on involving professionals while restoring forest belts, since forest belts must protect fields: “The range of trees species depends on various factors, from geographical position to soil composition, – says the expert. – Both forest belts were designed in advance by scientist consultant of project “Forest belts for life” Hanna Lobchenko, associate professor, department of forest renovation and improvement, National University of Bioresouces and Nature Management”.

To the books!

«Forest belts inventory, calculating their square and giving them respective land management status is the first and chief step towards their restoration», – states Maksym Makukha. To restore a forest belt one must engage hromada first of all, as it has the right to get forest belt on the books or lease it to a farmer». The rules of managing forest belts are approved yet they are not easy to be kept by hromadas, so farmers are slow to be engaged.

Hromadas are inactive due to rates for land tenure, namely around 7 000 UAH per hectare, therefore sometimes forest belts are restored without registration. Sometimes charity funds and enterprises help to do the inventory. For instance, the inventory of 2,2 hectare of forest belts in Pyriatyns’ka hromada is sponsored by Arzinger law firm.

Strong informational campaigns are needed, especially in steppe regions, to clarify for farmers the role of forest belts in adapting to climate change. The country has to elaborate official, simple and comprehensive sequence of putting forest belts on hromadas’ books. Along with that, the state has to finance proper registration of forest belts (inventory of land and forest tenure) and plant new trees, for instance, within the program «Billion of trees».