Karelian scientists propose to plow snow to restore forests

Thanks to this, new spruces and pines will be healthier

Faced with a rather unusual phenomenon – a tractor plowing forest soil with which the snow has not melted, visitors to Russian forests may encounter in the near future. This is a new method of natural reforestation, which was developed by specialists from Petrozavodsk State University.

As it became known to MK, in their technology, Karelian scientists combined two others – snowing and planting seeds in pre-prepared furrows in ordinary soil. Snowing is the burying of a container (for example, a bag) with seeds in the snow for 1-4 months for subsequent sowing. Practice shows that due to this treatment, plants that are more resistant to diseases and parasites grow from seeds. The second way is more obvious: the land is plowed and seeds or seedlings are planted in it, and then they are looked after.

The method proposed by specialists from Petrozavodsk is interesting in that it will not be necessary to plant seeds and seedlings with its use: everything will happen in a natural way. In order to give life to a new generation of conifers, they proposed to plow the forest soil after the establishment of a stable snow cover with partial removal of moss and forest floor. This operation is carried out with the help of a tractor and a forest plow before the start of mass seed fall. Scientists note that in Karelia it occurs in the middle of spring, that is, snow should be plowed there in the second half of March. In other regions, the period may be different, the main thing is that there is still snow and the time for seed loss is approaching. The furrows will help the seeds take root better, and the snow will help them become healthier. The method invented by scientists is especially relevant for coniferous forests, because they recover much longer than deciduous ones.