Annotation

The article examines the legal nature and characteristics of the forest area and its parts. The author emphasizes that a forest area is an independent natural object, which is a complex ecosystem. The provisions of the Forest, Land and Civil Codes of the Russian Federation, judicial practice are analyzed. Approaches to the qualification of a forest plot are considered separately through the use of civil law constructions “complex thing”, “main thing and belonging” and “indivisible thing”. Particular attention is paid to the application of civil legislation to forest areas — objects of forest relations, including provisions on immovable property and civil turnover. The relations of ownership, formation and cadastral registration, types of permitted use and rights to forest plots, as well as responsibilities for their protection, reforestation and damage compensation are investigated. The author comes to the conclusion about the need to develop the norms of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation taking into account the specifics of natural resource objects and the priority of forest legislation in regulating relations related to the use and protection of forests.