The two most northern provinces of Archangel and Vologda, in size equal to all Germany, are wooded to the extent of 75 and 89 per cent. respectively, and the 14 northern provinces together contain nearly one-half the entire forest area. Here the forest covers 64 per cent. of the land area, and nowhere below 20 per cent., and the acreage per capita ranges from 3 to over 200.
These largely unsettled provinces are the basis of the active wood export trade, and, as in the similarly conditioned areas of North America, the territory is devastated by fires, which sweep again and again over large areas without check.
Southern Russia (excepting the Caucasus), is largely prairie or steppe, forest cover sinking below 20 per cent. on the whole, down to 2 per cent., and less than one-half acre per capita.
Altogether, one-half the country and three-fourths of the population are, with less than 14 per cent. of the forest area, exposed to a dearth of timber.
The northern forest, the most important economic factor, is composed largely of pure or mixed coniferous woods (74%), principally Norway Spruce (34%) and Scotch Pine (29.5%) with only slight admixtures of larch and fir, and more frequently White Birch. Open stand, comparatively poor development, and slow growth, characteristic of northern climate, reduce its productive capacity, while frequent bogs and other natural waste places outside of those produced by mismanagement reduce its productive area by not less than 20 per cent.
Toward the south, deciduous species are more frequent, oak finally becoming the prevailing timber and forming forests, with beech, maple, ash and elm as admixtures. As the plains are approached pure deciduous forest indicates the change of climate. The forest of the Caucasus is principally of coniferous composition.
There are six classes of forest property: the government domain; the apanage or imperial family (crown) forests; private forests; peasant or communal forests; institute or corporation forests; and forests of mixed ownership in which government and private owners participate.