HCVF and Biodiversity Conservation in Russian FSC Certification Standards Workshop, April , Syktyvkar Mikhail Karpachevskiy Biodiversity Conservation Center Chair of the FSC Russian National Initiative

Levels of biodiversity protection according to FSC LevelConservation goals and objects being preserved Area (unit)Method of preservation Land- scape Large-scale dynamics of ecosystems; global services (functions) of forests; large intact (wilderness) areas > thou- sands of ha (forest blocks) Protected areas; ecological networks Preservation of the diversity of communities; rare forest types, habitats of large rare animals; ecological corridors up to hun- dreds of ha (forest stands) Protected forest habitats (OZU), protective forests SiteBiodiversity protection during forestry operations (at site level); habitats of large rare species; small sites and objects (substrates) for biodiversity protection from 0 to few ha (harvest area) Preservation of particular objects during harvesting operations

Requirements of FSC forest management standards regarding biodiversity conservation PRINCIPLE 9: MAINTENANCE OF HIGH CONSERVATION VALUE FORESTS Management activities in high conservation value forests shall maintain or enhance the attributes that define such forests. Decisions regarding high conservation value forests shall always be considered in the context of a precautionary approach Preservation of relatively large areas identified in the process of forest management planning Forest manager organizes the process that shall consider interests and opinions of various stakeholders regarding mapping and protection of such areas Objects shall be identified by specialists PRINCIPLE 6: ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT Forest management shall conserve biological diversity and its associated values, water resources, soils, and unique and fragile ecosystems and landscapes and, by so doing, maintain the ecological functions and the integrity of the forest Preservation of small natural objects identified when planning forestry operations and/or allocating harvest areas List of objects and their identification criteria are being prepared by experts Harvesting method and season of harvest consider features of a particular forest ecosystem Objects can be identified by specialists or company staff

Area of object 1 ha 100 ha ha Landscape (area level) Valuable natural objects: Identification scales Key biotopes (OZU) High conservation value forests Site (stand or harvest area level) Level of biodiversity conservation 0 ha Forest stand/vydel Forest block/kvartal Rare plant communities or forest types

Categories of HCVF in Russia Maps and scientific background is significantly lacking, especially detailed enough for forest management planning Mapping and management guidelines for HCVC are still underdeveloped Field data are especially scarce In reality HCVF is difficult to split into categories Government does not help Category 1 and 3 mainly need special inventories and require protection in the form of OZU (key biotopes) and/or protected areas. Category 2 is mainly inventoried, although protection through moratoria (temporary) or PA (difficult to achieve). Of 6 HCVF categories only Category 4 is more or less covered governmental forest inventories and regulations. For categories 5 and 6 special inventories at local level are needed

Russian National FSC Standard, 2008 Gives interpretation of HCVF categories, methods for identification of particular HCVF and available sources of information Provides references where maps on national-level HCVF (categories 1-3) can be readily available Provides references where maps on regional-level HCVF (categories 1-3) can be readily available for some regions

HCV 1. Biodiversity values: 200 global WWF’s ecoregions

HCV 1. Biodiversity values: CI’s Caucasus biodiversity hotspot

HCV 1. Biodiversity values: protected areas

HCV 1. Biodiversity: existing and candidate PAs

Other HCV 1 that are covered by international agreements or programs: Important Bird Areas, Important Plant Areas in Europe, Ramsar wetlands UNEP-WCMC centers of the diversity of vascular plants

Intact forest Intact non-forest ecosystems HCV 2. Landscapes: intact forest landscapes

HCV 3. Rare, threatened or endangered ecosystems all over European Russia maple and ash forests, as well as forests with significant admixture of oak all over European Russia any forests with larch in the main canopy and/or undergrowth all over European Russia and the Urals dark coniferous (spruce, fir, spruce–fir) forests with nemoral herbaceous plants all over Siberia intact black taiga – fir–aspen forests with tall herbaceous plants and a complex of relic nemoral plants in Western Siberia forest with admixture of elm in all regions old growth black alder forests and mixed riparian forest dominated by poplar For Primorskiy Kray and Amur region some lists are available For Siberia the Green Book of Siberia is a starting point

HCV 4: Forest areas that provide basic services of nature in critical situations (e.g. watershed protection, erosion control) HCVF category 4 more or less identified and protected by Russian laws

HCV 5 and 6. Livelihoods and cultural values Maps/precise information on HCVF categories 5-6 can be received/made only at local level, in cooperation with local communities The culture of consultations with stakeholders, including local communities is very poor in Russia

How to cut HCVF, especially if you use mainly clearcuts?

SCA guidelines for Sweden

Biological diversity conservation at a site level includes: Protection of forest environment Protection of biological, water and soil resources Imitation of natural forest dynamics during harvesting, taking into account landscape and natural borders Conservation of key biotopes small rare communities (rare forest types) threatened and endangered species habitats, other habitats important for biodiversity protection (key biotopes) ecological corridors ecologically sensitive or critical areas

Elements to be preserved at a site level (clearcut) – Canada Boreal FSC standard

Biodiversity protection, Principle The following windthrow resistant key stand elements (residual trees and their groups) shall be completely or partly left during timber harvesting: old trees of non-target species large trees with holes trees with large bird nests veteran trees whose age noticeably exceeds the average age of the main canopy tree species considered to be rare in this area

Biodiversity protection, Principle For survival of species dependant on deadwood, during harvesting (including salvage logging) at least the following key stand elements that do not threaten forest health and future forest regeneration shall be retained: windthrow resistant dying trees and snags located at the distance from roads, landings and such trees left within clumps and groups hanging and dying trees and snags greater than 30  40 cm in a diameter that create a safety hazard at forestry operations shall be cut down and left as deadwood high stumps of natural origin large down deadwood, especially greater than 30  40 cm in a diameter large slash residues

Biodiversity protection, Principle At clearcuts regeneration of target tree species shall be provided by leaving seed trees, their groups and patches with young growth or by adjacent forest walls, while preserving other tree species occurring in the natural forest Not less than 20 seed trees or one group of seed trees per hectare shall be left for natural forest regeneration at clearcuts When using clearcuts (as well as after the final cut of shelterwood (multistage) harvesting) greater than 10 ha, the patchiness of a forest landscape shall be preserved by leaving forest strips and clumps (including complex seed clumps and strips) that include rare non-typical forest patches, elements of pristine (old growth) forest as well as the key stand elements consistent with 

European Russia hardwoods. Lack of clarity what to do

Selective cuts in multi-dominant rich forest, the Russian Far East