Recreational properties of forests largely depend on their aesthetic appeal. The aesthetic value of pine forests changes throughout the life cycle of plantations and is determined by their taxonomic and phytocenotic features, sanitary condition, as well as the ornamentality of each individual tree. The need for forecasting is related to this is, as well as planning, timely economic activities to maintain and increase the aesthetic and recreational value of the plantations. The article reveals some methodological and practical aspects of determining the aesthetic value of pine plantations based on the results of research conducted in Darnytsia state forestry enterprise of Kyiv. The relationship between indicators of aesthetic value of plantations and their taxonomical and phytocoenotical characteristics, which are determined during forest management, in particular, age, sanitary condition and stage of recreational digression, is analyzed. The necessity of realization of the complex approach concerning carrying out of an aesthetic estimation of wood and forest park plantings within the territories of green zones with application of a number of well tested methods is shown. It is proposed to pay special attention to the formation and preservation of natural regeneration under the canopy of the mother trees, because the implementation of continuous sanitary felling with the subsequent creation of plantations reduces the aesthetic value by 40-50 %. In order to achieve and maintain a high level of aesthetic and recreational value of plantations, economic activities in the forests of green areas of cities must be evaluated and planned not only by economic but also by a set of environmental, aesthetic and recreational indicators
pine plantations, aesthetic value of plantations, recreational properties of forests, forests of the green zone, natural renewal