Dynamics of tree litter in the forest-steppe zone of the Voronezh region

Improving the system of preventive management of forest fire risks is a global problem in the field of forest protection. The type of fire that occurs, its intensity and further spread in the territory of forest ecosystems are determined by the reserves and humidity of forest combustible materials. One of the most important components of the accumulation of combustible materials in stands is the parameters of wood litter (forest litter). At the same time, the dynamics of accumulation and features of stands that form the structure of wood litter are not taken into account sufficiently, both in the current regulatory and legal documents when determining the class of natural fire hazard in forests and in assessing forest fire risks. In this regard, the main goal of the work is to compile a tabular model characterizing the dynamics of accumulation of wood litter in stands of different ages growing in different types of forest growth conditions in the Voronezh region. To measure the thickness of the forest litter, a field survey was carried out and temporary test sites were laid in stands of different ages. When selecting the objects of study and conducting field work, the principles of combining random and systematic sampling were used, and generally accepted methods were used. To assess the preventive fire hazard in forests, a set of silvicultural and biological factors of forest fire risk in terms of accumulation of wood litter was analyzed. It was found that the most significant criteria for the formation of the total mass of wood litter are the proportion of coniferous species in the composition (F = 18) and the crown diameter (F = 12). The age group of stands (F = 9) and the type of forest growing conditions (F = 6) also have a significant impact on the intensity of wood litter accumulation. The compiled tabular model of the dynamics of wood litter accumulation (forest litter thickness) in pure coniferous and mixed stands with different proportions of coniferous species in the composition, for stands of different age groups growing in different TLUs allows using remote sensing methods in determining the dynamics of wood litter accumulation. A direct connection between the increase in forest litter thickness and the proportion of coniferous species in the composition has been revealed, which is an additional criterion for increasing the natural fire hazard in forests. It has also been established that forest litter accumulates more slowly in dry forest conditions than in fresh ones.