ASSESSMENT OF THE EFFICIENCY OF USE OF FOREST RESOURCES IN LOW-FORESTED ZONES

The study is aimed at a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of forest management in sparsely wooded regions of Russia through an analysis of the interrelationships between forest cover, volumes of harvesting and restoration of forests, as well as economic indicators. Based on statistical data and comparative analysis with Chinese regions, key problems and strategies for optimizing forest resource management have been identified. The methodology includes logical and analytical approaches, theoretical generalization and abstraction. The results demonstrate that the sparsely wooded regions of the Russian Federation (Voronezh and Lipetsk regions) are characterized by low forest cover (8.5% and 7.2%) and an imbalance between harvesting and restoration (1:0.7 in the Lipetsk Region), which threatens environmental sustainability. China's experience has confirmed that the diversification of species composition, active reforestation and the introduction of multifunctional models increase economic and environmental efficiency. The main limiting factors in the Russian Federation are dearth of reforestation, anthropogenic load, low technologization and narrow specialization. To improve the effectiveness, measures are proposed: expansion of reforestation, integration of GIS, remote sensing and machine learning into monitoring, development of non-timber forest management and agroforestry. Government support through tax incentives and subsidies has been identified as a key element of sustainable strategies. The implementation of the recommendations will ensure a balance between the use and restoration of the forest fund.