Научный подход к лесоразведению: новая методика от ОФ «САМР Алатоо»

Scientific Approach to Afforestation: A New Methodology by СAMР Alatoo РF

The СAMР Alatoo РF has introduced the final version of a methodology for identifying suitable sites for afforestation and forest restoration on state lands. The presentation brought together a wide range of experts, including representatives from the Forestry Service under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), FAO, the P.A. Gan Forest Research and Production Center, the Institute of Biology of the National Academy of Sciences of Kyrgyzstan, the Kyrgyz Agricultural Research Institute, the National Agrarian University, and ARIS.

This event marked the culmination of the project titled “Identifying Suitable Sites for Reforestation, Afforestation, and Forest Restoration on State Forest Fund Lands in Kyrgyzstan.”  The project was implemented with the support of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, in collaboration with the German government and active participation from the SAMR Alatoo Foundation. Initiated in 2023, the project was a response to the national campaign “Zhashyl Muras/Green Heritage,” which aims to plant 5 to 6 million seedlings annually.

In his welcoming speech, Marat Asanaliev, a representative of GIZ’s regional program “Integrated Land Use Considering Climate Change in Central Asia,” expressed hope that the methodology would serve as the foundation for large-scale efforts by the Forestry Service. “The methodology will provide the tools needed for forest regeneration, help determine real investment needs, and ensure effective implementation on state forest fund lands,” he emphasized.

As part of the project, suitable areas for afforestation and forest restoration measures were identified across 15 forestry enterprises in Kyrgyzstan. These enterprises cover a total area of approximately 1,188,000 hectares, of which over 200,000 hectares were confirmed as ecologically and economically viable for afforestation and restoration.

According to Zhyrgalbek Kozhomberdiev, project coordinator for the СAMР Alatoo РF, achieving these results required a phased and multifaceted approach. This included reviewing literature, analyzing forest management materials, conducting soil sampling and laboratory analysis, creating a soil map, performing GIS analysis, prioritizing sites, and validating the findings directly in the forest enterprises. “We identified 40 dominant plant species for planting and examined factors such as altitude, slope gradient, aspect, and soil types. Most of the suitable areas were classified as pastures,” explained Kozhomberdiev.

In addition to pastures, the list of suitable areas included wastelands, logged areas, clearings, and burnt zones identified through geospatial analysis using satellite imagery. СAMР Alatoo РF GIS specialist Erkinbek Koichumanov highlighted that criteria such as elevation were particularly important: 2,800 meters above sea level for northern forestry enterprises and 2,500 meters for southern ones. Southern slopes were excluded from the northern regions but remained suitable in the south, where drought-resistant species like almond and pistachio thrive. Slopes steeper than 35 degrees were excluded from the list of potential afforestation sites.

Determining soil composition and cover in forest enterprises was another crucial step. Specialists from the P.A. Gan Forest Research Center collected soil samples and identified low humus content as a critical factor affecting soil health. “Based on the results, we created a digitized soil map and prepared recommendations for each site,” said Aziz Turgotov, a member of the Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Laboratory.

During the discussion, participants emphasized the need to adapt forest plantations to climate change, train forestry sector specialists on the new methodology, and expand its use across the entire state forest fund territory.

Summarizing the event, Mayrambek Aliyev, head of the Forestry Department under the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan, noted that developing the methodology required “tremendous effort, and the collected information has filled significant gaps in forest management system materials.”