The use of coarse woody debris 161 in Russia in the 18th - early 20th centuries

The article aims to examine the genesis of the use of coarse woody debris and characterize its main features for a period of the 18th - early 20th centuries. It is shown on the example of state forests which were the most numerous category of forests during the pre-revolutionary period. One of the objectives of the article is the analysis of the historical experience in the sphere of forest use. This issue is particularly urgent since a law under which coarse woody debris is requalified from the category "wood" to the category "non-wood forest products" will come into force on January 1, 2019. The population has acquired the right to gather coarse woody debris for their home needs for fuel. Articles of pre-revolutionary forestry researchers as well as legislative acts and archive data are the basis of the article. The methodological basis is a systemic approach and some general and specific scientific methods. The authors came to the following conclusions. Interest in using coarse woody debris in Russia appeared simultaneously with the emergence of forestry as a separate branch of industry in the first quarter of the 18th century. In contrast to ship timber, coarse woody debris could be used with no restrictions. During the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries, the Russian government tried to modernize forestry, including due to the increase in the gathering of coarse woody debris and other damaged wood which did not lose its useful properties and their further selling to the population. Using coarse woody debris for fuel was considered as a measure of preservation of the growing wood and of increase in state forestry profitability. Coarse woody debris was gathered by forces of state forestry with its further selling at lower rates. Besides, there were purposeful cleanings of forest areas of lying wood during forest works. At last, certain forest areas could be given to peasant communities that cleaned them by their own efforts and took coarse woody debris as payment. The law defined categories of the population, public and state organizations and institutions that had the right to receive coarse woody debris for heating for free. In that case, coarse woody debris was supplied from state forest areas apart from the established volumes of the growing wood. In the period of worsened social contradictions and in wartime, the volumes of free and preferential distributions of coarse woody debris to the lower military ranks who served in the army and their families were increased. Thus, the system of coarse woody debris use pursued several aims: economic, social and forest cleaning. It promoted an increase of income from forest use, rationalization of forestry and reduced acuteness of the "forest question" by supplying the population with wood fuel.

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