Evaluation of berry resources of the red bilberry family species in Tomsk Oblast, their rational use and protection

Abstract

The recently accepted «Doctrine of the Food Safety of the Russian Federation» suggests the formation of state­sponsored informational resources on the supplies of edible plants including wild berries. The most important wild berries for Tomsk Oblast are Vaccineaceae family plants: cowberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea L., bilberry Vaccinium mirtillus L., blueberry Vaccinium uliginosum L. and cranberry Oxycoccus palustris Pers. We used methodological approaches of the Siberian researchers and resource management archive data on the forests to investigate the supplies. The research is based on our own 20­year long experience of the investigations in the field stations of Siberia. During the investigations we analyzed the types of ecosystem which include wild berries, the environmental conditions forming such ecosystems and studied the dynamics of the wild berry productivity and peculiarities of their biological characteristics. Our studies were performed in 12 key sampling areas with multiple plots, which were annually monitored. It allowed us to study close correlations between ecological peculiarities of the survey plots and productivity of various berry species. The research made it possible to estimate the resource base, evaluate the supplies and potential harvest volume. Our investigations showed that any plots with productivity above 150 kg/ha may be used for the harvesting and should be included into the resource base. The resource base of the cowberry is mostly low­ and average­density pine forests with cowberry or lichens­cowberry ground storey; the resource base of bilberry is old­age Siberian stone pine forests of low or average density and green mosses­bilberry or long­leaf mosses­bilberry ground storey; the resource base of blueberry are medium­age and old­age shrubby pine forests with longleaf mosses­blueberry or sphagnum­bilberry ground cover; the resource base of cranberry is sphagnum swamps, pine forests with sphagnum­dominated ground cover and swamped pine forests. The exploitable supplies of t cowberry and cranberry are located in the northern and central parts of Tomsk region and exploitable supplies of bilberry in the northern parts of Tomsk Oblast. Net resource base of all the four species in Tomsk region is 1470K ha; total biological supplies of all berries – 58620 tons, exploitable supplies – 11170 and safe harvesting volume 5520 tons. Sustainable exploitation of the wild berries implies strict harvesting terms, safe methods, which will not harm root systems of colonies and clones, conservation of high­yield plots up to the creation of resource reserves or assigned lands.

Keywords

• wild berries
• resource management
• Vacciniaceae
• supplies
• conservation
• sustainable land use