On January 4, Vitebsk / Diana Kurilo - BELTA /. In 2011, the Vitebsk State Forestry Association (Vitebsk State Forestry Association) created 1167 hectares of forest crops using selected planting material, which is 26% of the total area of forest crops created, the Vitebsk Regional Committee for Natural Resources and Environmental Protection informed a BELTA correspondent. The selection fund of the association's forestry enterprises includes 240.4 hectares of plus stands, 435 plus trees of pine, spruce and silver birch, 244.5 hectares of seed stands of pine and spruce, and 502.8 hectares of genetic reserves of pine and spruce. Plus stands are the most productive, high-quality and stable stands for a given area. In plus stands, a continuous tree-by-tree selection inventory is carried out with the identification of plus trees. They serve as seed reserves for obtaining improved seeds and cuttings from plus trees intended for the creation of seed stands, specialists explained. The bulk of the planting material is grown in basic nurseries located in Gluboksky (47.6 ha), Polotsk (22.6 ha) and Liozno (22 ha) forestry enterprises. According to environmentalists, the existing production areas of forest nurseries allow for the full provision of planting material needs for both forestry enterprises and other consumers involved in landscaping. In total, in 2011, 37.2 million seedlings and saplings were grown in nurseries, while the annual demand of all forestry enterprises is 24.3 million units. Thus, there is a necessary reserve for sale on the domestic market or for export. According to the state forest inventory, the total area of forest fund lands in the Vitebsk region is 1.8 million hectares. The forest-covered area is 1.6 million hectares, or 94% of the total area of forest lands in the region. The main part of the forests in the region, 1.4 million hectares (77%), is managed by state forestry institutions of the Vitebsk State Forestry Association of the Ministry of Forestry of Belarus. -0-

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