Non-boreal Forests of Eastern Europe in a Changing World: The Role in the Earth System

摘要

In spite of the fact that forests of non-boreal Eastern Europe occupy relatively small areas and are extremely non-uniformly distributed across the region, they serve as a major stabilizing element of natural landscapes by regulating and protecting hydrological regimes of the territory, preventing soil erosion, maintaining major biogeochemical cycles of terrestrial ecosystems, and fulfilling many other resources like social, ecological and environmental services. Expected climate changes will very likely negatively impact the condition, functioning and resilience of the forests, particularly in the long run. The region requires a special program of adaptation of natural landscapes to, and mitigation of, the negative consequences of climate change. Such a program should include system activities directed to improving the ecological state of the region's territories and optimizing the structure of agroforestry landscapes, including development of complete systems of protective forests (shelter belts, afforestation of sands and ravine areas, etc.).