A lecture which was delivered today, on March 19, 2013, by the Minister of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Mr. Nail Magdeyev, made attendees meditate upon nature preservation and forest protection.
The respective stands presented information about activity of the Ministry of Forestry. A true “Forest City” was organized nearby the lecture room in which the lecture was given: containers with planting stock (firs, pines), as well as pots with perennial coniferous trees could be found there.
The Minister’s meeting with students, post-graduate students and faculty was devoted to the International Forest Day, which was celebrated on the 21st of March, by the decision of UN General Assembly. Recall that 2013 is a Year of Ecological Culture and Environmental Protection. At the beginning of the lecture the attendees were shown the film “Forests of Tatarstan: Renovation Strategy”.
According to the Minister, percentage of forest land makes only 17,5 in Tatarstan, while the same index in the neighbouring regions is many times as high: Kirovskaya region – 63,6 percent, the Republic of Mariy El – 56,1 percent, Nizhegorodskaya region – 48 percent. Formerly our Republic was also famous for its rich forests. Just imagine: in 1800 percentage of forest land made 52!
It’s clear that the problem of present-day forests preservation is very urgent. A year and a half to two years are required for forest resources to recover from what is being consumed by humans within one year. Furthermore, one has to annually plant saplings on at least six hectares during ten years to recover 1 percent of forests only.
Fire safety is one of forest preservation bastions. Thus, several fire prevention centres appeared in some districts of our Republic over the last years. The effect of such care is evident: over the last two years not a single fire broke out in the summer period, which is the most fire-hazardous time! (Reference information: in 2010 99 forest fires were registered). Mr. Nail Magdeyev also told the audience about reafforestation arrangements. Thus, a Forest selection and seed-growing centre is functioning in Sabinskiy district, with this centre being one of the largest not only in Russia, but also in Europe.
Answering teachers’ questions, in conclusion of the lecture Mr. Nail Magdeyev advised that an agreement of cooperation between KFU and the Ministry of Forestry of the Republic of Tatarstan is being prepared for signing in the nearest future. But actually this cooperation in the field of forest protection has already begun. On that day students and teachers got an opportunity to plant and grow a pine or fir themselves. It is worth trying! Because, as Mr. Nail Magdeyev said, treatment of nature must be inherent in the human nature. There was a planting stock prepared for all the volunteers. Its survival rate is 98 percent. The Minster personally told the audience how one must look after sapling conifers. He recommended to keep them in pots and water as usual house plants – until spring soil is ready to receive “migrants”.