Over 1.5 Million Forest Trees To Be Planted on 197 Hectares in Exclusion Zone

This year, during the spring and autumn forestry companies in the exclusion zone, the reforestation activities are planned on the area of 400 hectares, almost half of which (197 ha) is planned to be planted with more than 1.5 million seedlings during the whole period. The planned activity was started on the other half of the area (203 hectares) in order to promote natural reforestation.

According to the experts of the State Special Forestry Enterprise ‘Pivnichna Puscha” dealing with forest management in the Exclusion Zone, the weather conditions in March allowed the start of silvicultural activity before the schedule.

More than 0.5 million seedlings have been currently planted in the Exclusion Zone on the area of 70 hectares (8.000 seedlings per 1 ha). For the period of the spring forestry campaign, it is planned to plant forest crops on the area of 120 hectares. The rest will be planted in autumn.

The area planned for planting young trees in 2017 exceeds more than twice the area planned for the previous year, namely 113 hectares.

The main forest forming species are pines that make up over 70% of the total number, however, other species are also used, in particular, oak, birch, etc. (depending on the type of forest growing conditions).

“The forest in the Exclusion Zone occupies 70% of the total area and is of great importance. Cultivation and planting of plantations contributes to the restoration of biological diversity and rational use of the existing natural complexes and their individual components in the Exclusion Zone as well as prevents release of radionuclides beyond the Exclusion Zone”, Vitaly Petruk, Head of the State Agency of Ukraine on Exclusion Zone Management, said.