DESTRUCTIVE TRENDS IN QUERCUS PUBESCENS WILLD. STANDS IN SOUTH-WESTERN CRIMEA

Quercus pubescens Willd grows in Crimea in the area from Alushta to Feodosia and Old Crimea. From Alushta to Balaklava, the coastal zone of the downy oak has optimal conditions for development, as evidenced by the height of some specimens: 15-18 metres. Destructive degenerative processes have been observed in downy oak stands in the area of Ponizovka in the South Coast of Crimea. A distinctive feature of the forests of the oak formation (Quercueta pubescensis) is the predominance of stands of V and lower classes of bonitet, which occupy 95.7% of the area. The unsatisfactory condition of plantations is caused by long-term predatory exploitation of Q. pubescens forests and irrational management in these forests: regular clear-cutting with no reforestation measures. This has led to the fact that, in general, stands of oak gradually lose their useful functions and degrade, especially on the southern macro-slope of the Crimean Mountains. It was found out that these processes have a cyclical character in the region and are conditioned by the climatic factor. In order to preserve the oak in the South Crimea in modern conditions, it is necessary to develop a set of scientifically grounded reclamation measures.