I never thought I would have to talk about war as a forest disturbance. I was not prepared, nor did I have the experience or knowledge to provide any relevant feedback. This discussion really opened my eyes to the complexity and devastating nature of war as a disturbance. How even when the war is over the consequences will last generations. The ecology will be forever shifted, and the dangers of unexploded ordinances will haunt the people of Ukraine for decades to come.

Resources

Brian’s Yale Talk

Quotes

51.17 - 51.29: “The river makes forests possible; the river is a great place to set up a defensive line so… forests get disproportionately affected by the war because they are near the river.”

Takeaways

War and Fire (08.13)

Brian informs that it is the Donbas region in Ukraine which is being “systematically” destroyed due to the war. However, forest fires have also caused damage in the past there, with a third of the pine forests being destroyed in 2020.

A large country with fascinating forests (12.24)

Some Ukrainian forests are free of Russian invaders but contaminated by unexploded ordinances, which complicates firefighting in the area. He believes Ukraine needs resources and support to tackle this problem.

Natural and economic trauma (21.04)

Brian describes how increased fires due to the war have transformed and fragmented Ukraine’s landscape. He narrates the history of colonization across this landscape and the impacts it had on the steppes and pine forests.

Reforesting pines and afforesting sandy steppes (27.01)

Brian narrates how pine was used to restore the landscapes under different regimes in Ukraine but that the Russian invasion is destroying the forests. He discusses the complications in fire management due to the varied thinning practices in the past.

Fire in the Forest (36.17)

Brian highlights the lack of trust towards foresters in Ukraine and Russia. Although there are long-standing regulations, the invasions have damaged the forests and made it a militarized zone.

Restoring forests (42.37)

Brian notes that even though much of the forest has burned, some has been salvaged by intuitive demining and intelligent resource management. However, commercial forest management has become extremely difficult due to shrapnel in logs.

Firefighting in war-torn landscapes (50.10)

Brian believes Ukraine would need many firefighting tanks to demine the UXO-contaminated landscape in phases.

“Triage starts with forests in communities “ (58.10)

Brian deliberates what forest restoration can look like in Ukraine.

The way ahead (1.13.37)

Brian believes that the way forward must be Ukraine-driven.

How you can help (1.23.12)

If you would like to contribute to Ukrainian foresters, you can visit Brian’s GoFundMe or reach out to him on Facebook. Brain encourages listeners to contribute to grassroots organizations in Ukraine since larger humanitarian organizations already receive significant funding.