Lesnoy Zhurnal (Forestry Journal)

Structural Strength of Corrugated Cardboard Products

2024-08-28T15:59:52+03:00

The structural strength of corrugated cardboard products has been investigated in order to optimize the parameters affecting the stability and rigidity of materials under edgewise compression. Laboratory samples have been produced, differing in the number of elements (from 1 to 6) and the angle of flute peak adhesion line orientation (from 0° to 90° in 15° increments) relative to the machine direction. A method has been developed to evaluate the structural strength and stability of samples with various parameters under edgewise compression conditions. The results have shown a direct dependence of the structural strength of the products on the angle of inclination of the flutes and the number of product elements. The ultimate strains of the samples under compression, as well as the key dependencies between these parameters, have been established. Special attention has been paid to the coefficient of variation between the ultimate strain and the angle of flute line orientation, which has allowed for a more in-depth study of the failure of products under edgewise compression. Optimal parameters for increasing the rigidity and strength of products have been determined, and recommendations have been given on the choice of the angle of flute line orientation and the number of elements that can be used to improve production processes. The effect of the coefficient of variation value of ultimate strain on the resistance to edgewise compression has been investigated, which had made it possible to predict directions for optimizing the testing methodology for samples. The results obtained can be widely used in the field of the use of corrugated cardboard products in various industries
requiring high strength characteristics of this packaging material.

Simulation Modeling of Technological Processes of Logging

2025-02-14T09:46:42+03:00

The history of the development of simulation modeling in the field of operation of forest felling machines is described, the main leaders in the development of computer support systems for managerial decision-making are named, and the advantages and disadvantages of various approaches to simulation modeling of the production process in the forest are listed. The aim of the research has been to evaluate achievements in this field and find ways to increase their effectiveness and improvement. It has been noted that the simulation approach eliminates fluctuations in results due to uncontrollable factors such as operator exposure and weather conditions, and rare non-cyclical working elements and delays of various types can be excluded from the simulation model. This facilitates comparison of the performance of alternative machine systems and technologies under ideal conditions. The conducted review makes it possible to focus the attention of scientists on the lack of knowledge of the functioning of machines for felling trees in conditions of non-continuous logging; the need to increase the number of analyzed factors that improve the accuracy of modeling; maximum use in models of modern technological recommendations for the work of forest machine operators; the importance of creating mathematical dependencies taking into account factors affecting labour efficiency. It has been concluded that the existing models are promising, but still leave a large field for further modernization and new research. The review clearly demonstrates a significant increase in the number of analyzed indicators of the natural production process in simulation modeling compared to mathematical one and a reduction in labour and material costs compared to the research of technological processes in production conditions. Simulation modeling of machine felling allows taking into account the influence of random environmental factors, as well as factors of interaction between logging equipment. The widespread introduction of such computer systems in timber harvesting will increase the efficiency of technological maps for the development of forest plots and the substantiation of standard machine performance indicators.

Calculated Forces during Cross-Cutting of Rafting Bundles in Coastal Warehouse Conditions

2025-02-14T14:13:30+03:00

For long distances of round timber delivery, transport in rafts is often the only economically viable option. The bank bundling of logs predominates. To increase their strength and solid-volume ratio, which implies a reduction in towing costs, cross-cutting of the bundles is provided. The formulas obtained earlier for determining the cutting force do not include the bundle shape coefficient – the main criterion by which the resistance to the longitudinal movement of timber is evaluated during timber rafting. The additional pressure in the bundle due to the presence of strapping has not been taken into account, or has had no direct relationship with the shape factor. The aim of this research has been to derive formulas for calculating the force of cross-cutting of bundles at coastal warehouses, taking into account the presence of strapping and the shape factor, as well as to establish the nature and degree of influence of the factors determining it. The research method has been theoretical, based on the principles of theories of flexible threads and granular media. A formula for calculating the force in question has been obtained analytically. Its use in practical calculations is problematic due to the need for multiple calculations of integrals. The formula components that require the calculation of integrals have been replaced by the K parameter – the parameter of resistance to cross-cutting. Its value, corresponding to the cross-sectional area of the bundle equal to one, has been designated k – the specific parameter of resistance to cross-cutting. It has been established that this indicator depends on the shape factor of the bundle and the ratio of its height to the average diameter of the log. By varying these factors in the ranges of 1.5–2.5 and 4–20, respectively, k calculations have been performed using the specified integrals. Approximating dependencies have been obtained for determining the k parameter based on the ratio of the bundle height to the average diameter of the log, and graphs have been constructed that make it possible to determine the cutting force in practical calculations without resorting to integration. It has been found that changing the ratio of the bundle height to the average diameter of the log from 4 to 20 causes an approximately 5-fold increase in the cutting force, the relationship is linear. A decrease in the shape factor from 2.5 to 1.5 leads to an increase in this force by almost 2 times. Its dependence on the density of timber, the solidvolume ratio, the size of the bundle and the coefficient of sliding friction is direct and linear. Of these factors, the most significant is the friction coefficient, the variation of which can lead to a change in the output value by more than 2 times. Its dependence on the angle of internal friction is inverse and insignificant.

Timber Industry and the Process of Technogenesis

2025-02-14T14:54:04+03:00

An analysis of the environmental protection activities of timber industry enterprises based on data from open sources and on the experience of expert assessment of the negative impact of a number of industrial facilities processing wood biomass has made it possible to describe the mechanisms of influence of an integrated type of economic activity on the modern technologies. The groups of technogenesis characteristic of natural landscape and geochemical processes in the zone of influence of timber industry enterprises have been identified, those being biogenesis, hydrogenesis, humatogenesis, chelation and anthropogenocenosis. During the industrial exploitation of forests, the core of the forest biogeocenosis and the specific complex of plants of the lower tier, which determines biogenic migration, change. The features of the manifestation of hydrogenesis associated with a change in the action of water and its penetration into the lithosphere have been considered. The manifestations of humatogenesis and chelation have been analyzed from the perspective of changes in the carbon content in forest litter. It has been established that the sources of anthropogenocenosis are objects of technical infrastructure and economic activity that are associated with the turnover and processing of wood raw materials, which contributes to a change in the nature of migration, accumulation of chemicals in various environments and the formation of biogeochemical barriers in their path. There is a special type of “economic urbanization” at the present stage of social development, in which the timber industry participates as a processor of plant raw materials and a supplier of finished products with waste generation in urban agglomerations with their possible subsequent processing. Several possible mechanisms of technogenesis at various stages of the development of economic activity in the forestry sector have been identified. The significant role of the degradation mechanism has been emphasized. The modern nature management orientation and development of modifying mechanisms of technogenesis, such as supportive, creative and managing (the most promising for the implementation of a circular economy) and their combination in the process of exploitation of the territory open up new opportunities. Forecasts have been provided on the prospects of the transition from the traditionally perceived technogenesis (mainly degradation) to nootechnogenesis. This transition is based on the implementation of the principles of a managed natural-technical system, taking into account the dynamics of restoration and regulation of reproduction of forest resources under environmental restrictions, which is the key to a sustainable timber industry.

The Properties of Birch Bark Affecting the Separation of Birch Bark from Bast

2025-02-14T15:39:18+03:00

The article considers the problem of using birch bark in the Russian Federation, where significant reserves of this raw material are used mainly as solid fuel. The methods of studying the grinding and separation of birch bark, as well as the extraction of biologically active substance – betulin – from birch bark are presented. The literature review has revealed: the importance of separating the bark into bast and birch bark; the dependence of the separability of bast and birch bark on the moisture content of birch bark, the degree of grinding, etc.; the need to study the properties of birch bark. The dependencies of the density of birch bark and bast on moisture content, of the yield of birch bark on the degree of grinding, as well as the kinetic curves of water absorption at different temperatures have been obtained. It has been established that when the moisture content of the grinded bark is more than 35 %, the gravitational separation of birch bark from bast occurs in an aquatic medium. These dependencies will make it possible to optimize the bark moistening process. Based on the study of the properties of bark, birch bark and bast, it is recommended to carry out separation in 2 stages: mechanical and hydrostatic separation. An analysis of the results of the study of the properties of birch bark affecting the separation of birch bark from bast has shown the feasibility of grinding the bark in a hammer grinder with a rotor speed of 1500 rpm with a material moisture content of 42–52 % for 45–90 s with further classification of the grinded particles into 3 fractions: large with particle sizes of more than 2 mm with a predominant content of birch bark; fine with particles of less than 1 mm with a predominance of bast in the composition; medium with particle sizes of 1–2 mm with more than 30 % birch bark. Birch bark from the medium fraction should be separated by gravitational sedimentation in water for 3–10 min. The identified optimal operating parameters for separating birch bark from bast make it possible to obtain final products, in particular betulin, of higher quality.

A Modified Methodology for Calculating Regional Forest Fire Hazard Scales

2023-12-15T11:26:39+03:00

Weather conditions are one of the most important factors affecting forest fire hazard. In Russia, it is the indices characterizing the fire hazard in forests depending on weather conditions that are traditionally used to regulate the work of forest fire services. In particular, the fire hazard class, the calculation method for which (based on the developments by V.G. Nesterov) has been approved by the order of the Federal Forestry Agency, is used to calculate the frequency of aviation patrols of forests. Taking into account the different densities of weather stations in different years, several modifications of this method have been developed, such as PV-1, PV-2, PVG, but only the Nesterov method is officially approved, despite a number of disadvantages. The accumulation of large volumes of structured data, as well as the development of information technologies, makes it possible to optimize existing approaches to calculating the boundary values of a complex fire hazard index in forests and, for the first time, to perform detailed calculations for all regions of the Russian Federation. Thus, prerequisites have arisen in Russia for updating the regulatory legal framework in this area. The proposed modified methodology is based on the classical principle of assessing the boundaries of classes in the fire hazard scale, corresponding to the proportion of forest fires that occur: 5, 20, 45 and 70 %. At the same time, the fundamental new feature is the choice (based on a numerical criterion) of the methodology that is most suitable for a specific territory. In this case, it is proposed to use the Nesterov and PVG method in a modified version (with temperature and dew point values for yesterday with updated precipitation data: day/night). This paper substantiates that such changes will not significantly affect the adequacy of the index, while allowing calculations to be made for the morning of the current day, which is necessary for practical application. Another important feature has been the transition to a weighted average calculation of indices. The subject of the Russian Federation as a whole has been selected as a unit of calculation for regions with small forest areas. Large regions have been divided along the boundaries of forest areas. For the subjects of the Russian Federation with pronounced intra-seasonal fluctuations in fire frequency index, the scales have been calculated separately for characteristic periods. To visualize the scales obtained during the study, a special interactive web service has been developed, which has significantly simplified the process of monitoring and interpreting the results. The proposed scales can be used to improve the regulatory framework in the field of forest fire protection.

Features of the Structure and Composition of the Indigenous Uneven-Aged Spruce Forest in the Vodlozersky National Park

2023-06-05T11:51:52+03:00

The structure of the indigenous spruce stand in the Vodlozersky National Park has been studied. It has been shown that with the long-term natural development of spruce forests in the blueberry type forest growth conditions, absolutely uneven-aged, medium-density, stable stands are formed. The distribution of trees by age classes in the studied community is characterized by the greatest representation of spruce trees 60–80 and 220–240 years old. The analysis of the wood samples has revealed that 18 % of the trees (30 % of the stock) have been affected by wood-destroying fungi. At the same time, the number of affected trees increases with age. Natural regeneration of spruce is 92 % (8.92 thousand pcs/ha) represented by viable specimens and is characterized by a relatively uniform spatial distribution. The density and condition of the undergrowth in the community contribute to maintaining the multi-age structure of the stand. The spruce tree height, its crown base height, the crown diameter and projection area, as well as its length increase with the age of the tree, with the exception of the relative length of the crown, the average values of this indicator remain almost the same for trees of all age groups. Based on the results of the analysis of spatial relationships in the stand, it has been revealed that all trees in general and spruce of different age groups, except for trees up to 80 years old, are distributed randomly. For trees up to 80 years old group placement is typical. An assessment of the competition indices for each spruce from trees within a 10 m radius has shown that with an increase in the impact force from nearby trees, the height and diameter of the stem, as well as the projection area of the crown of the “central” tree, decrease. The impact of neighbouring trees can be traced at a distance of up to 8 m for spruce trees older than 200 years and up to 12 m for spruce trees up to 80 years old.

Variability of Tree Diameters in Small-Leaved Linden Stands

2025-02-13T09:07:04+03:00

Information on the distribution of trees by thickness grades in stands is necessary for planning selective fellings and the formation of environmentally sustainable and economically valuable plantations. The aim of this article is to characterize and compare the structural
diversity of tree diameter distribution in mixed one- and two-age stands of Tilia cordata Mill. growing in the Arkhangelsk forestry of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Based on the data from 25 temporary sample plots, cluster analysis and visualization method based on empirical data of tree diameter distributions have identified 4 unimodal structural types of distributions and a descending (reverse J-shaped) one. Among the studied two-aged stands, distribution of stands by diameter at breast height with 2 peaks (bimodality) is not observed. It has been found that the coefficients of diameter variation steadily decrease with the age of the tree stand (Pearson correlation coefficient r = – 0.57 at p = 0.003) and an increase in the proportion of linden in the forest stand (r = – 0.71 at p < 0.001), and the distribution series are characterized by right-sided asymmetry. Tree size diversity has been assessed based on cross-sectional area data using the Shannon, Simpson, Gini and Siipilehto indices. A comparison of the Shannon and Simpson indices has shown that the structural diversity of tree diameter has been more complex in two-aged forests compared to one-aged ones. Both indices have provided a clear division of the studied two-aged stands into 2 unimodal types of diameter distribution. The Gini index (0.28–0.52) has indicated a high level of structural diversity and has reached high values (0.48–0.52) when the diameter distribution has been close to downward sloping. Large values of the Siipilehto index (0.63–1.05) have confirmed the unimodality of the diameter distributions of the stands, including for the peak-shaped type. It has been concluded that cluster analysis and the use of indices of dimensional diversity of diameters allow a better understanding of the structure of linden forests, and the indices for linden stands should become part of their further forestry assessments.

Natural Reforestation in the Felling Sites in the North Taiga Lowland Area of Western Siberia

2025-02-13T10:52:18+03:00

The indicators of undergrowth accumulation in the felling sites of the West Siberian north taiga lowland forest area have been analyzed. The undergrowth has been recorded on the plots measuring 2×2 m in the amount of 30 plots on each studied felling site. It is noted that reforestation in the study area is proceeding quite successfully. In the conditions of green moss-berry and wild rosemary-lingonberry forest types, the undergrowth includes Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), silver (Betula pendula Roth.) and downy (B. рubescens Ehrh.) birch, Siberian stone pine (Pinus sibirica Rupr.), aspen (Populus tremula L.), Siberian spruce (Picea obovata Ledeb.) and Siberian larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) with the dominance of Scots pine and silver birch. The high proportion of birch is explained by the annual seed production of the species and the transfer of seeds by wind over long distances, as well as its ability to vegetatively renew. The regeneration of coniferous species is inhibited by the periodicity of seed years, the suspension of seeds in the forest litter and moss thalli. These problems can be solved by soil mineralization. It is better to combine mineralization with the clearing of felling sites from felling residues. The latter are bulldozed onto a skidding trail from 2 sides. As a result of mixing the felling residues with the forest litter and soil, wood destruction processes are activated and the fire hazard at the felling site is minimized, and ideal conditions for the accumulation of undergrowth are created. The main area between the skidding trails (65–70 %) remains without mineralization, since in this part of the felling site, the maximum amount of pre-generation undergrowth is preserved during logging operations. In the conditions of the northern taiga subzone of the Khanty-Mansy Autonomous Okrug – Yugra, where the average wood increment is 0.6 m³/ha, the raw material value of the stands gives way to the ecological value. Considering the important ecological role of silver and downy birch, it is advisable to establish them as the main tree species. This will speed up the transfer of felling sites to forested lands and reduce an unreasonably high proportion of the forest culture fund area.

Silvicultural Assessment of Complex Logging in the Forests of the Vologda Region

2025-02-13T11:24:57+03:00

The forest fund of the Vologda Region is widely represented by secondary and derivative deciduous-coniferous forests. The search for effective methods of managing them in order to increase the stock and accelerate the cultivation of valuable coniferous wood is an urgent task. The timely and scientifically based implementation of complex logging can be considered as an option for its solution. Complex logging is carried out in uneven-aged and complex stands and should combine harvesting of mature wood and forest maintenance. The main goals of such logging are the transformation of deciduous-coniferous plantations into coniferous-deciduous, improving the growth and condition of the coniferous layer and increasing the productivity of stands. Complex logging is not considered in the current Russian legislation, which is due to the lack of sufficient scientific justification and regulatory support for their implementation. By means of the generalization of production experience, the results of the research carried out by the authors and data from long-term observations carried out by employees of the Northern Research Institute of Forestry at stationary experimental facilities with complex logging, proposals have been formulated for the design and purpose of such logging, and organizational and technical parameters have been established for their effective implementation in secondary and derivative forests of the Vologda Region. It is noted that by timely and proper cutting of deciduous species and care for coniferous undergrowth, it is possible to transform deciduous-coniferous plantations into coniferous ones, improve the growth and condition of the coniferous layer, and increase the productivity of the stand. In addition, complex logging should contribute to improving the environmental role of forests, increasing the ecological and special properties of forest ecosystems, as well as preserving biological diversity. The planning and assignment of complex logging should be carried out taking into account forest-forming factors, technological and technical capabilities, as well as economic indicators. A correct, scientifically based approach to complex logging will improve their forestry and economic efficiency.

Carbon Stocks in Soils Based on the State Forest Inventory Data

2023-03-09T20:05:56+03:00

The main organic carbon stocks in the predominantly boreal forests of Russia are contained in the soil pool. Quantitative estimates of soil pool carbon stocks vary considerably. This is due to the high temporal and spatial variability of the organic carbon content in soils, the lack of empirical data for a number of regions, the difference in approaches to assessing soil carbon and the density of soil horizons, the thickness of the soil layer taken into account, the inclusion of forest litter carbon stocks, the peat layer, etc. In 2020, the 1st cycle of the State Forest Inventory in Russia was completed using a selective statistical method. Forest inventory characteristics, environmental indicators and information on forest growth conditions have been obtained for 69.1 thousand permanent sample plots. The limited availability of field descriptions of soils necessitates the testing of an integrated approach to using the State Forest Inventory data in the software environment of geographic information systems in combination with open-access digital resources to assess carbon stocks in the soil pool. A methodology for quantitative assessment of carbon stocks in the forest soil pool has been developed and experimentally tested. The proposed methodology includes: 1) geo-referencing of sample plots; 2) bringing the initial data of the State Forest Inventory on soil types to a standard classification; 3) using the digital resources of the World Data Center for Soils (SoilGrids) to obtain reference average carbon stocks on the network of sample plots surveyed during the State Forest Inventory; 4) calculating the total carbon stock in the soil pool of forest lands based on the average carbon stocks of SoilGrids and areas of standard soil types based on the data of the State Forest Inventory. The experimental testing has been carried out using the Republic of Karelia as an example. The sample size has been 667 permanent sample plots. According to the results of the study, the predominant complex of soil types – illuvial-ferruginous and illuvial-humus podzols (without division), illuvial low- and high-humus podzols – covers an area of 7.28 mln ha. The total carbon stock in the 0–30 cm soil layer for the forest lands of the Republic of Karelia is estimated at 773.9 Mt C with an average of 79.1 t C/ha.

Post-Fire Changes in Light Coniferous Forests of the Bashkir Nature Reserve

2025-02-13T14:27:17+03:00

The assessment of the impact of fires on forest plantations in order to obtain information on the post-pyrogenic development of forest components over time is becoming increasingly relevant due to the increasing number of forest fires and the increase in the forest area affected by fire. The aim of the study has been to collect factual data on the processes of destruction and the initial stage of restoration of forest components in the Bashkir Nature Reserve after a major fire in 2020 in the Avdekte forestland. An analysis of post-fire changes in light coniferous plantations on the territory of the reserve after a ground fire has been carried out. For areas affected by fire of varying intensity, data are provided on changes in stand parameters 1 and 2 years after the fire, including a description of the dynamics of young growth, undergrowth, live ground cover and forest litter. The dependence of the proportion of dead trees on the stem diameter, the stock of the resulting litter and dead wood has been revealed. Young trees with a stem diameter of less than 16 cm and old-growth trees with fire scars or other damage have been the most severely affected. Medium-aged trees are characterized as the best preserved, which have a high potential for recovery after weakening under the influence of adverse factors. Using Sentinel-2 multispectral images, damage to stands 1 and 2 years after the fire has been assessed, and forested and unforested areas have been identified. The forested areas have been divided into 4 categories according to the degree of tree stand destruction: 0–25; 26–50; 51–75 and more than 75 %. Their areas have been identified in dynamics 1 and 2 years after the fire. In the 2nd year after the fire, the area of the plantation, where tree loss has been more than 75 %, has increased from 619.7 to 1059.2 ha and has been occupying more than 1/3 of the territory affected by fire. The data of instrumental measurements and satellite images have shown a high similarity of the results obtained.

The Water Regime of Forest Shelterbelts in the Dry Steppe of the Altai Territory

2023-07-19T10:32:44+03:00

The south of Western Siberia is a large grain-growing region, where safe farming is impossible without protecting fields with forest belts. But as the aridity of the territory increases, their durability decreases, which hinders the afforestation of arable lands. The aim of this study has been to establish the patterns of the stands of forest shelterbelts and to substantiate their models that are most stable in dry-steppe areas. A system of middle-aged forest shelterbelts of Pinus sylvestris, Ulmus laevis and Betula pendula 7–10 m high and Ribes aureum 1.5–2.0 m high on automorphic chestnut soil has been studied. It has been established that snow deposition in the forest shelterbelts is determined by many factors: the amount of solid precipitation, wind and air temperature conditions, as well as wind permeability of the stand. By layering, they neutralize or enhance the overall effect on the snowstorm flow. The average snow depth and snow reserve in the stand nutrition zone mainly depend on the amount of solid precipitation, and in shrubless belts they also increase with density, stand height and row-spacing. In forest shelterbelts with edge rows of shrubs, the snow reserve decreases with an increase in the number and height of rows of trees, the width of the rowspacings and the distance between the row of shrubs and the row of trees. Shrubby curtains and dense 1-row forest belts, as well as 2–3-row stands in the presence of a row of shrubs on the windward side, accumulate snow more efficiently and work “for themselves”. According to the effectiveness of solid precipitation retention, they are followed by 2–3-row shrubless forest shelterbelts with row-spacing of 2.0–3.5 m and a stand density of 0.6–2.0 thousand trees/ha. Among the 2-row forest belts, more wide-row and dense plantations accumulate snow better. Increasing the number (above 3) and density of tree rows reduces their filling with solid precipitation. In forest shelterbetls, moderately dense (up to 1,000–1,100 trees/ha) biogroups of trees accumulate snow more effectively. Shrubby intermittent curtains form snow mounds and can be used as a good means of accumulating snow on inter-belt fields. More stable spring and summer soil moisture reserves are formed over the years in shrubless 2–3-row shelterbelts with moderately wide row-spacings, while moderately dense stands of pine and birch use moisture more economically.

The Composition of Phytocenoses in Forest Burnt Areas of Buryatia

2025-02-13T16:22:29+03:00

Data on the species composition and abundance of woody and shrubby vegetation in burnt areas of southern Transbaikalia are presented. The object of the study is a large burnt area in the forest fund of the Khorinsky forestry of the Republic of Buryatia. Phytocenoses are located on sandy soils, on various relief elements at an altitude of 676 to 845 m above sea level – from the foothills to the tops of gentle hills. The vegetation of all forest components has been recorded along free routes on circular survey sites with a radius of 1,785 m. Adjacent to each other, they have formed a counting tape. At least 30 survey plots have been established at each experimental site. It has been established that the vegetation composition and the proportion of species at the study sites differ. In the burnt areas 14–15 years old, the presence of 15–18 plant species in the living ground cover has been noted. The maximum projective cover – more than 5 % – is found in 6 species: Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., Calamagrostis arundinacea (L.) Roth, Carex pseudocyperus L., Avenella flexuosa (L.) Drejer, Lichenes sp. L., Bryidae sp. Engl. 6 species have been identified in the undergrowth, the most prevalent being Sorbus aucuparia subsp. Sibirica (Hedl.) Krylov, Viburnum burejaeticum Regel & Herder and Juniperus sibirica Burgsd. It has been shown that the range of variation in the number of undergrowth by study objects has been 190–673 pcs/ha. The young growth is formed by Scots pine in numbers ranging from 27 to 62 pcs/ha. It has been indicated that the main reason for the small number of self-seeding pine trees has been the extreme soil surface temperatures in the summer. The maximum temperature of 63 °C has been recorded in the mineralized part of the soil, which causes protein denaturation in the endosperm and loss of seed germination. Emphasis is placed on the large proportion of the mineralized surface as a consequence of wind and water erosion. In some experimental sites, the mineralized surface area has exceeded 18 %. The results obtained can be used in the design of reforestation measures, in geobotanical research and in the educational process.