Forest decline due to smelter emission in Monchegorsk, Russia, and its implications to sustainable resource use

Magnitudes and extent of forest decline due to industrial pollution in Monchegorsk on the Kola Peninsula, Russia, were assessed by Landsat data and ground observation. A total of 1, 098 km2 was identified to be affected. The area was classified into three damage classes. i. e., light, medium, and heavy, and their areal extents were estimated to be 865 km2, 147 km2 and 86 km2, respectively. Economical loss due to the decline was evaluated. Potential annual total loss of wood increment amounted to be 81, 000 m3 for the entire area and its commercial value was estimated to be 8.1 million US dollars. Wild berry production of 3, 300 ton/year was also lost, which would worth 16.5 million US dollars approximately. Loss of ecological functions of the forest ecosystems was immeasurable. Such economical and ecological losses would last “forever” from our perception of time. This was totally contradictory to the notion of sustainable resource use with which the whole world was so much concerned.