Non-bank crediting has become popular in Latvia as well as in other European countries due to various economic and social factors. Since the banks in recent years have introduced much stricter lending conditions, non-bank crediting sector has experienced a significant increase not only in Latvia but also in other European and world countries. Non-bank crediting market actively began to develop through a wide promotion of consumer credits in the major mass media; thus, creating human interest in the availability of fast and easy processable credits. Non-bank credit companies without customer deposits have transformed the present credit market, since a number of new players entered the market testing new business and crediting models and providing solutions to credit-challenged customers. The research aim is to study the non-bank consumer crediting trends in Latvia and it employs a monographic descriptive method as well as the methods of analysis and synthesis and graphics. The research results demonstrate that the popularity of non-bank credits is still growing among consumers, since the total amounts of non-bank credits disbursed for the first time have increased by EUR 116.61 million or 33.18% for the period 2012-2015 with distance credits being the most demanded credit type accounting for approximately 40% of all non-bank credits. Non-bank credit market is saturated and there is a fierce competition between non-bank crediting companies in terms of interest rates, crediting conditions and other factors.

Academic staff of higher education institutions has to extend students’ vision and promote their variability of views on competitiveness in order to promote prospective hospitality managers’ competitiveness. The aim and goal of academic activities of the university teaching staff is to search for appropriate or relevant means and provide the necessary conditions to foster the students’ thinking and understanding of the concept of ‘competitiveness’ according to a new paradigm of this notion. The pedagogical experiment was carried out at the Latvia University of Agriculture. The aim of the study was to promote the opinions’ change regarding the notion of prospective hospitality managers’ competitiveness; the developed competitiveness self-assessment method was used as a pedagogical tool. The results of the research (the concluding statistics of the Wilcoxon test and the Sign Test) show that the students’ opinions regarding the notion of prospective hospitality managers’ competitiveness have significantly changed before and after their competitiveness self-assessment. Thus the theoretically grounded method of competitiveness self-assessment approved by students and experts, including a questionnaire of the students’ survey, significantly extended the students’ vision as a pedagogical tool influencing the opinions regarding competitiveness notion among representatives of the prospective hospitality managers’ profession.

Private forestry and forest owners in Estonia have become more profound research subjects in the last decade. One of the most common research topics has been the identification of private forest owners’ (PFO) values and objectives. However, much of the existing studies rely on quantitative data which usually describes more active owners and owners whose forest property is larger than the average. Thus, the aim of the present study is to identify the management objectives and motives of non-industrial private forest owners using a qualitative approach – something that has been rarely used in forest owners’ research in Estonia. Eight forest owner interviews form the dataset, which is analysed in order to identify PFO forestry objectives and forest use. The results of our qualitative content analysis show, in principle, similar generalized forest owner types of motivations. However, the qualitative approach opens up these generalized types even more. Income motive goes beyond just continuous financial returns and means in many cases a sense of security. Forest ownership is closely linked with “home” interpretations. We conclude that qualitative methods in small-scale forestry research provide new insights to forest ownership and its meanings to private forest owners.

The objective of this study is to evaluate the performance of models developed by Repola (2006) to estimate the vertical changes of the basic density of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), Norway spruce (Picea abies [L.] Karst), and birch spp. (mainly Betula pendula Roth) stemwood in the forests of Latvia and to develop a model for the estimation of average knot-free stem density with bark (SD) using diameter at breast height as an independent variable. The study material comprised a total of 81 spruce, 102 pine, and 105 birch stems representing a wide range of tree growing conditions in Latvia and covering all age classes. The knot-free stemwood density (SWD) of pine and birch demonstrate strong vertical dependence along the stem, while for spruce the variation pattern was less pronounced and seemed to be nearly constant along the stem. The SWD estimated by Repola’s models was 4.3% lower for spruce, but 3.4% higher for pine and 2.2% for birch comparing to average values obtained in this study. Sigmoidal regression equations constructed in our study explained 67%, 27% and 54% of variations for predicting SD for pine, spruce and birch, respectively. Birch stemwood has a highest basic SWD – 470 kg mE-3, followed by pine – 397 kg mE-3 and spruce – 385 kg mE-3. According to our results, the birch bark turned to be denser than the birch stemwood, being vice versa for the studied coniferous species.

Yasso07 soil carbon model was used to estimate soil carbon balance in dry forest site types (6 site types in total) in Latvia and the results were compared with data from Biosoil2012 soil surveys. Litter input, chemical quality and climatic data are required to run the model. Three different scenarios were used for climate data input – steady climate, climate change + 0.025 °C annually and climate change + 0.05 °C annually. Forest mineral soil is a carbon sink for the whole modelled period - the years of 1990 – 2030. Under steady climate, the average carbon removal is 0.6 t CO2 haE-1 yrE-1, under climate change (+ 0.025 °C) scenario 0.4 t CO2 haE-1 yrE-1, but under climate change (+ 0.05 °C) scenario 0.3 t CO2 haE-1 yrE-1. CO2 removal at the beginning of the period (1990) was 0.35 – 0.38 t CO2 haE-1 yrE-1. Carbon stock modelled with Yasso07 is lower than estimated in Biosoil2012 soil surveys. Differences between modelled and Biosoil2012 results vary from 2 t C haE-1 in the poorest and 41 t CO2 haE-1 in the third poorest site type. Carbon stock modelled with Yasso07 increases from the poorest to the most fertile site type while Biosoil2012 shows an increase from the poorest to the third poorest, and a decrease from the third poorest to the most fertile site type. Underestimation and different trends between Yasso07 and measured carbon stock may be explained by inappropriate equations and models used to estimate non-woody biomass. It is necessary to improve accuracy of input data for non-woody biomass by elaborating national equations and models in order to include Yasso07 in the national GHG inventory.

Urban forests provide ecological and social functions and significantly improve esthetical value of these ecosystems. These forests also function as recreational areas for urban residents. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of understory cutting of different intensity on vegetation and coincidence with Myrtillosa forest type in Mežaparks, Riga. In total nine study sites were established: three sites adjacent to roads where regular undergrowth management is practiced, three adjacent sites to edges of the pathways, where undergrowth management is practiced only occasionally and three adjacent sites to roads where there is no management activity at all. Combined 54 sample plots were created (each sized 10 × 10 m, area 100 m2 ), where vegetation survey was done using Braun-Blanquet method. This study showed that with an increase in the intensity of undergrowth management, in general, the species richness and their coverage increases, or more specifically, the number of herbaceous and moss species increases, but the occurrence of shrub species decreases. In all study sites we observed the development of synantrophic species, especifically, the development of fructification which was indicated by the following species: Sambucus nigra L., Sambucus racemosa L., Amelanchier spicata Lam. If management intensity decreases, the proportion of competitor species decreases, but the proportion of CSR strategy type species stabilizes.

The objective of the research was to characterize the qualitative and quantitative changes in ground and tree vegetation within 10 years since the beginning of observations at Level II forest monitoring plot in Valgunde. Tree height, diameter, stem volume, radial increment, crown condition and cone yield were determined, as well as crown projective cover of each plant species was estimated. To study bioindication, the average Ellenberg’s and Düll’s indicator values for the monitoring plot were estimated. Species composition in the Level II monitoring plot in Valgunde is typical for Myrtillosa forest type – there is a distinct moss layer, in which Hylocomium splendens and Pleurozium schreberi predominate, and Vaccinium myrtillus is the most common in the herb layer. Shrub layer mainly consists of spruce seedlings, and the tree layer – of Scots pine. Changes in vegetation over 10 years are insignificant. It can be explained with no forest management activities occurring within the observation plot, such as logging or fertilization, and it may take a longer time to observe significant changes. Tree stand indicators correspond to the average in Latvia in Myrtillosa type forests, but the tree volume is higher in Valgunde monitoring plot.

European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) timber value is high in southern Europe due to a great demand from Asia. Since the timber market is global, over a long time we can expect gradual increase in demand also in other countries, including Latvia, where climatic conditions becomes increasingly more suitable for this species due to ongoing climatic changes. In order to develop recommendation for the use of beech in our country, the aim of the study was to assess the potential financial gain from Fagus sylvatica stands in Latvia. Assortment structure, defined by topdiameter and length, as well as their prices was set based on the literature survey. Results showed higher income from older (115 years) than form younger (58 years) stands: 9108 EUR haE-1, and 7939 EUR haE-1, respectively. However, the opposite was true for the net present value (r = 3%): 1423 EUR haE-1 and 304 EUR haE-1, respectively.

The normal wood colour changes due to the biochemical reactions as well as under the fungal exposure. Some of these fungi during all the exposure time cause only a discoloration (staining fungi); others change not only colour, but also the structure of the wood in its further development (wood destructing fungi). The development of blue stain in sapwood of pine roundwood and its influencing factors were studied in the spring summer period of 2016 (April, May and June) in the districts of Nica, Jelgava and Daugavpils. 650 discs from pine log end planes were prepared in order to evaluate the influence of harvesting type, spreading type of fungi spores, placement in pile, storage duration, diameter, distance from the end plane, daily average temperatures, precipitation amount and relative humidity on blue stain of sapwood and rot development. The most important factors influencing the blue stain development on pine roundwood during the storage are the harvesting type of roundwood, spreading type of fungal spores, placement in pile, storage duration, diameter, and distance from the end plane, daily average temperature and amount of precipitation. By evaluating the daily average temperatures, it was concluded that blue stain of sapwood begins to develop when the average daily temperature reaches +5...+6 °С. But when the average daily temperatures reach +10 °С, depending on the harvesting type (chainsaw or harvester) and spreading type of the fungal spores (via air or bark beetle assistance) the first signs of blue stain may occur from 10 to 42 days of storage.

The aim of this study is to improve the practice of mechanical forest site preparation (FSP) by identifying typical characteristics of FSP, including the direction of FSP machinery, manoeuvre count depending on configuration of parcel and forest type and width of manoeuvre track; to evaluate the productivity depending on different forest growing conditions; to create schemes of technological corridors for commercial thinning; to improve scheme of FSP according to the scheme of technical corridors for commercial thinning and to evaluate changes in the count of manoeuvres and total distance travelled. In this study, we have developed methods to evaluate the quality of FSP. Methods used in this study include GIS analysis of vector data from FSP machinery tracking devices and LiDAR (Light detecting and ranging) data analysis for terrain information. Study shows that there is a significant difference in productivity when the machinery of FSP is driving in different angles to the longitudinal axis of parcel. Reduced productivity is justified by prioritizing topography of the forest floor. Slope is a decisive factor in the ground water movement and should be considered in FSP planning. Study shows that the developed method could be implemented in practice of forest management in 41% of sampled forest stands.