On the slopes of moderate steepness (7–20º) (see
Fig. 2, a) the proportion of natural forests between 1995
and 2012 decreased by 44% (from 22.7 to 12.8 thou ha),
whereas the areas of agricultural lands (see Fig. 2, b)
increased more than twice (from 8 to 16.9 thou ha).
About 38% of the area in the study region are
occupied by low and middle mountains with steep
slopes (with a steepness of more than 20º) where the
proportion of agricultural lands increased from 7.9%
(5.9 thou ha) in 1995 to 15.3% (11.5 thou ha) in 2012
(see Fig. 3, b). On the whole, the increase in arable
lands on the mountain slopes almost unsuitable for
cultivation made up 95.3%. The largest increase (by
146.1%) occurred between 2009 and 2012. During
1995–2012, the proportion of natural lands in this
category of slope lands decreased from 29.9% (22.4
thou ha) to 21.6% (16.2 thou ha) (see Fig. 3, b).