Instead of spruces, larches are being planted in Belarusian forests
In Belarus, the approach to forest restoration has gradually begun to change: instead of spruces, larches and other previously not very common tree species are increasingly being planted, writes Times.by.
Illustrative photo. Photo: magnific.com
The reason is that spruces in many regions of the country have started to dry out due to climate change. Their natural habitat is gradually shifting north, where conditions for these trees are more favorable. Therefore, specialists are looking for an alternative — and it has become larch, as well as hardwoods such as beech, elm, and oak.
It is planned that by 2029, over 2,000 hectares of forest will be planted with such species. The main part of this work was already completed in the spring of 2026: about 1,800 hectares were planted, of which approximately 360 hectares are occupied by larch.
In total, over 18,500 hectares of forest were planted in Belarus this spring. The majority — about 97% — are coniferous trees, and the most active work was carried out in the Gomel and Mogilev regions.
Not only specialists but also ordinary people are involved in forest planting. More than 58,000 people reportedly took part in the state-announced campaign "Forest. Good. Order". They helped plant forests over an area of more than 3,000 hectares and also removed garbage — in total, over 6,500 cubic meters of waste were removed.
At the same time, specialists emphasize that forest restoration is not just about planting trees. It is also important to monitor how young trees take root (checks are carried out after one year and after three years), and to supplement plantings if necessary. For example, this spring additional plantings were carried out over an area of about 72,000 hectares.
Forest care is also included in the process: removal of unwanted vegetation and thinning. In 2026, such work was carried out on an area larger than 140,000 hectares.
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