Abstract
The present study aims to develop a methodology for forest economic assessment using forest protection strips as an example. Environmental (soil composition) and biological factors (tree species) effecting the wood quality in the south European part of Russia are taken into account. The studies were conducted from 2010 to 2017 in six regions of the south European part of Russia. In this area, a total of eight dominating tree species lying in forest shelterbelts were examined. The wood price in different natural zones was determined by two factors: stem wood volume (maximum volume and price in the forest-steppe, minimum in the dry steppe) and edaphic conditions. Stand wood compared to the forest have a high price, since the former consists mainly of one species that dominates in the upper tier whereas the forest usually includes a minimum of two to four species. The natural zone is of paramount importance for the formation of the economic potential of eight species studied. We observed maximum indices for oak and larch under conditions of a forest-steppe, two to eight times greater compared to the species present in the steppe. The same type of plant (oak), depending on conditions, can produce wood of different values based on different natural zones, with a difference in prices varying two to five times than the original price.
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