The issue of growing Pinus sibirica Du Tour seedlings with a closed root system on experimental mixtures based on peat has been studied. The main component of the substrate was peat of local origin, mined in the Kozulsky district of the Krasnoyarsk Krai. Peat was mixed with sawdust, vermiculite, and perlite in different proportions. In a number of experimental mixtures, coconut substrate was used as the main component instead of peat. Peat produced by VELTORF LLC was used as a control substrate according to recipe No. 19c/1. 

Conducted studies of the growth of Pinus sibirica Du Tour seedlings grown with a closed root system in cassettes with different compositions of substrates allowed us to draw a number of conclusions: when using clean peat, it is advisable to use fertilizers; Coconut substrate can serve as a complete replacement for peat substrates, if mixed with vermiculite in a 50/50% ratio; It makes sense to pay attention to peats of local origin to reduce costs.

Data are presented on the characteristics of growth and productivity of 36-year-old pine-larch crops on sodpodzolic weak-soddy sandy loam soils (1 category of forest suitability), in the steppe of southwestern Siberia. Larch has better growth rates than pine up to 23 years of age in diameter and up to 14–15 years in height. Then the leadership in growth goes to pine. The predominance of the volumetric indicator in pine occurs at the age of 28–30 years, and a more intensive increase in volume growth occurs from the age of 20 years. In the current forest conditions, local Scots pine is superior to Siberian larch of the Altai form in terms of preservation and taxation indicators. The supply of dampgrowing pine wood amounted to 281 m³/ha, or 75.4 % of the total. The identified features of the joint growth of two species in forest plantations should be taken into account when creating new plantings.

To assess the anthropogenic fire hazard of forests in the Central Siberian subtaiga-forest-steppe region, we tried to identify the causes of forest fires and the main areas of their occurrence in this territory, as well as forest fire, fire peaks and other factors and patterns.

The most common and destructive consequences are caused by the anthropogenic factor; the share of fires caused by lightning and hot, dry weather is not so large. With the increase in population and the development of new territories, the construction of roads and residential buildings, the recreational load increases.

The vast majority of natural fires that cause great environmental damage occur due to human fault. One of the first enemies of the forest is fire. Damage from forest fires is not only trees that are killed or damaged by fire; in fire-damaged plantings, pockets of harmful forest insects develop, erosion processes occur, and organic matter is washed away from the soil. Fires destroy the food supply for forest inhabitants, animals and birds. The high degree of economic, industrial and recreational development of the taiga determines the high degree of anthropogenic fire in forests.

It should be noted that in forest districts of the Krasnoyarsk Krai with a high degree of development, there is the possibility and necessity of using measures to reduce anthropogenic and natural fire hazards, fire-fighting devices that help increase the efficiency of fire extinguishing.

The need for comprehensive measures is important to reduce and eliminate unfair use of forest areas. A large portion of activities should be allocated to fire prevention propaganda and agitation of the local population.

An analysis was carried out of the causes of fires and the conditions that create possible risks of anthropogenic fire hazard, which will help plan comprehensive fire prevention activities and will reduce the frequency of fires.

The environment of each industrial city has its own characteristics of environmental and anthropogenic factors that limit the growth and development of vegetation. Plants, having high plasticity, are able to adapt to negative environmental factors, including through the transformation of the assimilation apparatus. The indicator characterizing the assimilation activity of plants is the content of photosynthetic pigments, and adaptive reactions are manifested in a change in the ratio between the content of chlorophylls and other pigments involved in the process of photosynthesis. To understand the mechanisms of physiological and biochemical adaptation of Pícea obováta, Picea pungens and Lárix sibírica to the conditions of an urbanized environment, we conducted studies characterizing the features of changes in the content of photosynthetic pigments in the conifers of plants growing in various environmental conditions of Krasnoyarsk: in roadside plantings and park area. Comparative analysis of the pigment content in the conifer Picea obovata, Picea pungens and Lárix sibírica revealed no species differences. The specificity of the reaction of the photosynthetic apparatus of conifers to the degree of pollution of the habitat has been established. The mass of chlorophyll a decreased in the plantings of the park zone, while its share in the pigment complexes remained at the control level. The mass of chlorophyll b decreased to a lesser extent, and its share in pigment complexes even increased. A more significant drop in the concentration of carotenoids, relative to green pigments, was accompanied by a decrease in their share in the structure of photosystems. Under conditions of roadside plantings, both the mass and the proportion of chlorophylls in the light-harvesting complex decreased. The degradation of chlorophylls affects the chlorophyll b fund to a greater extent. To a lesser extent, the carotenoid stock decreased, which was accompanied by an increase in its contribution to the composition of photosystems. The change in the ratio between the content of chlorophylls and carotenoids, apparently, reflects the specifics of the adaptation mechanisms in conditions of varying degrees of environmental pollution. 

The study is focused on a particular issue in the field of analysis of the horizontal structure of stands, which is of practical importance. The aim of the present research is to study the interdependence of stocking and relative density in mature and overmature mixed spruce-dominated stands of the Yenisei Ridge. The research was based on the materials obtained from 15 research plots where we felled and measured 159 model trees. Stocking and density are interrelated. Nevertheless, the correlation is complex since the stocking undergoes through two main stages: an increase in the number of trees and the following thinning of forest stands. The research was conducted in mature and overmature mixed Siberian sprucedominated stands of different stocking rates. All the studied forests stands were of the same stage of development. As a result, we revealed the extent to which stands characteristics depend on stocking (at stand-wide level and for forestforming species separately). We also defined equations stating the correlation between stocking and relative density. 

The development of forest vegetation in the Baikal region during a long period of forest use (industrial clearcuts of different forms and intensity) at the background of climate variability in recent decades has undergone significant changes in the spatial and vertical structure of forests of different physiographic conditions of their formation  in Pribaikal and Trans-Baikal. We present the results of 10 years of research of structural-dynamic organization and cenotic destruction of forests in the foothills of the Khamar-Daban Ridge (South-Western Trans-Baikal). The peculiarities of the modern structure and trends in the development of light coniferous forests stated on the key sites of the studied area allowed to find out vector of their formation possible under present environmental and climatic conditions. 

The main factor of such forecast is revealed synfolial differentiation of timber stands, species composition and structure of soil cover as of an edificatory of a concrete forest type reflecting zonal features in the organization of forest vegetation. We found out trends of primary stage of replacement of forest formation trees species, where in light coniferous forests with dominance of pine (Pinus sylvestris) and presence of larch (Larix sibirica), there is undergrowth, in which a considerable role belongs to such dark coniferous species as cedar (Pinus sibirica) and spruce (Picea obovata). The presence of cedar and spruce in the 2nd synfolium suggests as well the start of replacement of forest forming trees species since the second half of last century. The replacement of forest forming species from light coniferopus to dark coniferous components is a regular process of secular dynamics of zonal (primary) taiga. We have to consider cutting and fires as destructive factors of such trends as development of forests in the studied area as these factors will favor formation and existence of long-term secondary small-leaf forests in space and time.

A correct estimation of forest productivity is important for effective management and assessment of the quality of the habitat, and in this regard, many methods have been developed. The productivity of forests is usually determined by the stem volume. However, the latter is influenced by factors such as the initial density and history of forest management, as well as the duration of the logging turnover. The height of the stand was initially used as an indicator of the productivity of the forest sites, based on the hypothesis of its close correlation with the stem volume. This statement is known as the Eichhorn’s rule. Nevertheless, the inclusion of additional variables in the “average height – stem volume” dependence, taking into account the climatic and physical-geographical characteristics of the habitat, as well as soil conditions, significantly improves the predictive ability of the models. Based on the empirical data on the taxation indicators of spruce stands on 630 sample plots, established by different researchers in the territorial gradients of Eurasia, an empirical model of the change in the average height of spruce stands (genus Picea L.) depending on the age and density of the stand, on the one hand, and on the average temperatures of January and average annual precipitation, on the other one, is designed. It is confirmed the effect of the Liebig-Shelford law in the territorial gradients of Eurasia is confirmed. The pattern is consistent with the previously established change in the phytomass of trees and stands in the same gradients. The contributions of taxation indicators and climatic factors to the explanation of the variability of the average height of spruce forests amounted to 88 and 12 %, respectively. 

Wood slabs obtained without binders from hydrodynamically activated crushed wood (sawdust) have high water resistance, but at the same time relatively low strength indicators. The structure formation of such plates is because fibrillation of wood particles occurs during activation. This increases the interfacial surfaces capable of forming intermolecular contacts between neighboring particles. Based on this, the strength of such plates can be increased because in the process of hydrodynamic processing, the degree of fibrillation of wood particles can be increased. It is proposed to carry out thermal modification of sawdust before their hydrodynamic treatment for this purpose. This method of preparation was chosen because when exposed to high temperatures, the components of the cell wall, namely hemicellulose, decompose. This breaks the continuity of the cell walls, increasing their porosity. As a result, during the hydrodynamic treatment, deeper structural changes will occur in the cell walls, increasing the interfacial surfaces. Experimental studies have confirmed the hypothesis.

Sawdust was processed at a temperature of 200 °C for 1–5 hours. After that, hydrodynamic treatment was carried out. Plates with a density of 950 kg/m³ were made from the resulting mass. 

The study of the porous structure of wood pulp and slabs, which was evaluated by the adsorption activity of iodine and methylene blue, showed the following. The number of pores, up to 2 nm in size, increases several times in proportion to the duration of heat treatment. In the finished slab, the number of such pores decreases, approaching thermally untreated wood, the number of pores, measuring 2–50 nm, also increases in proportion to the duration, and in finished slabs it decreases sharply.

The mechanical properties of plates made of heat-treated wood are significantly increased in proportion to the duration of processing. With a heat treatment duration of 5 hours, the static bending strength was 38.18 MPa, which is 72 % more than that of plates made of sawdust without heat treatment.

Thermal exposure lasting more than 3 hours reduces the amount of water absorption and swelling. When the swollen samples are dried, they return to their original dimensions and retain at least 80 % of the original strength. 

Russia has significant forest reserves. In the process of their industrial development, there is a need for reforestation. The required volume of work is very significant and reaches up to 1 million hectares per year. The fundamental criterion that determines the pace and quality of reforestation is the quality and technology of soil preparation. Traditionally in our country, these issues were resolved by the method of moldboard plowing. To date, these technologies are seriously outdated and do not allow a significant increase in work productivity due to the high energy intensity of the process. 

In the study, the power consumption was determined during soil mineralization by moldboard plowing with a PKL70 plow in conditions of “clean” soil, as well as when driving through a cutting area, where there are interferences in the form of roots, shrubs, and small trees. It has been established that the tractors MTZ-82, TLT-100 ensure the processing of “clean” soil in the entire range of speeds. The TLT-100 tractor, when moving with a PKL-70 plow in a cutting area with simultaneous cutting of shrubs and small forests, allows processing at a speed of up to 0.5 m/s. At the same time, the processing capacity is up to 2 hectares per shift. The MTZ-82 tractor under the same conditions can only work in 1 gear of the gearbox with a productivity of not more than 1.5 hectares per shift. To ensure the growth of shift production up to 3.5–4 ha per shift, the power of the traction means is not less than 95–110 kW. Tractors MTZ-82, TLT100 cannot provide a significant increase in productivity in the implementation of soil mineralization, since they have an engine power that is less than required. The way out of this situation may be the transition from the technology of mouldboard plowing to milling or strip processing.

Boreal forest ecosystems provide a wide range of different wood and non-wood forest products, such as berries, which have different purposes and economic value. An important place among plant raw materials containing the necessary amount of biologically active substances belongs to wild berries – natural vitamin carriers, which are characterized by various therapeutic and preventive properties. At traditional methods of processing of berries, both cultivated and wild-growing, there are significant losses of biologically active substances, which leads to a decrease in the quality of products. The development of industrial production of biologically active substances brings to the forefront the need to create resource-saving technologies that allow more efficient use of the potential of food raw materials The berries of marsh cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris L.) are a rich heterogeneous source of phytochemicals. Most of these compounds are extracted during berry juice production. However, a significant part of polyphenols remains in berry cake, which is not directed to integrated resource-saving technology in the food industry. The aim of the study was to compare the methods of extraction of polyphenols (microwave and Soxhlet) from berry cake of marsh cranberry (Oxycoccus palustris L.). The influence of the main extraction parameters on the yield of extracted polyphenols was studied. Microwave extraction showed the greatest potential among all the studied methods, taking into account its rapidity and convenience of application. The best solvents for extraction were recognized as aqueous ethanol in the presence of acid (acetic acid should be used in the extraction of anthocyanins, HCl in the extraction of polyphenols).