The theoretical part of the paper presents an overview of trends in the solution of economic and social problems in rural areas and rural development. It also makes an inventory of modern theories on European rural development and analyses aspects of strategic management of the activities of regional and rural communities. The documentary part of the paper analyses the EU and Lithuanian regional and rural development policy, the developments in the implementation of the EU LEADER programme in Lithuania in 2003 – 2010 and opportunities for its improvement, the establishment of local action groups (LAGs) and their key activities. The empirical part of the paper examines the activities of LAGs in Ukmerge and Radviliskis regions and offers a comparative analysis of the content of five strategies produced by the two LAGs for the period between 2003 and 2013. The research has demonstrated that the five rural development strategies of both LAGs are based on the principles of collaboration among the representatives of local authorities, businesses and rural communities, continuity and consultations with local population. The discussion part focuses on the guidelines for the improvement of the strategic management of rural development. The conclusions present an overview of the typical features, priorities, aims and objectives of the strategies of both LAGs.

The investigations were carried out in the Lithuanian Agricultural University Water Research Institute land plots in the Endocalcari Endohypogleyic Cambisols (CMg-n-w-can). The basis of the investigation is 3 variants field experiment. Each variant consists of 3 in 0.54 ha drainage. The traditional arable farming is applied in variant I. In the variant II the land is not being cultivated, but in spring the perennial ryegrass (‘Lolium perenne L’) is being seeded into the spring barley and kept till spring. In the variant III the land is not being cultivated after the harvest and left for the rest till spring. The variant II is distinguished by the minimal mineral nitrogen content. Applied to cultivated and uncultivated land, the min N reserves are increased 51 - 83 and 33 - 40 and 11 - 101 and (38 - 134%) (to 9.5 - 14.3 mg kgE-1 and 152 - 68 and 154 - 61 kg haE-1). The average investigation of N concentration in the drainage water shows, that the minimum concentration of this element was in the second variant. Applied to the traditional farming and uncultivated land, the N concentration is increased by (30 - 42% to 34 and 37 mg lE-1). By average data the min N, leaching by drainage water in the variant II was minimal and about 27 kg haE-1. Applied to the arable farming and uncultivated land, the min N leching is increased (30 - 55%) (to 35 - 42 kg haE-1).

In this article, the results of research on WRI of LUA Juodkiškiai experiment field (1999 – 2003) are discussed. Fertilization and other factors influence over potassium fluctuation, its balance and leaching into drainage water during crop rotation are analysed. In order to evaluate the potassium balance and its quantity passed together with rainfall, seeds, fertilizers and take with the yield (secondary and primary production) was established in plant residues and drainage water. When fertilizing with liquid manure, potassium balance was negative while growing perennial grasses as much potassium was needed to mature their yield. The investigations established that potassium concentration in drainage water and its leaching was increased by precipitation during the research period, and it was reduced by the amount of this element taking out with yield. Soil geochemical environment had influence on the increase of potassium supply in soil. It was established that long-term fertilization with liquid manure had raised the potassium supply in soil. However, from an ecological point of view, potassium leaching did not cause any problems. In all treatments the potassium concentration in drainage water did not exceed permissible concentration.

The article explores the possibility of the vertical filter instead of sand used for more coarse media for recharging, which would reduce the risk of freezing and clogging and ensure the cleaning of wastewater up to the limits. For this purpose the dolomite chippings have been chosen for research. It was equipped with two 0.2 m2 filters area: one of their models was 0.4 m dolomite chippings layer, the other 0.8 m. They have been loaded by the wastewater after the primary cleaning in the septic system. Medium contamination in organic pollutants have been 358 mg O2 LE-1, Ptotal 14.6 mg LE-1, Ntotal 108.5 mg LE-1, suspended solids 161.1 mg LE-1, pH 7.8. Hydraulic load of the filters was 0.03 m3 mE-2 dE-1. Wastewater flowing through a vertical sand layer by an average of 98.2% of the organic pollutants to be detained. The average of effluent wastewater contamination of the filter was 22 mg O2 LE-1. In the filter with dolomite chippings media can be cleaned wastewater with pollution reaches 500 mg O2 LE-1. The maximum load of organic pollutants is 14 mg O2 LE-1. The filtration path length to ensure wastewater cleaning up tolerance 0.8 m. In the filter with dolomite chippings media Ptotal is cleaned even 87.0%, Ntotal only 13.0% efficiency.

Modelling of the domestic wastewater treatment and removal of the Ptotal in the vertical filters with the sand, dolomite powder and dolomite chippings each separately used as a filter media was performed. Six filter models taking 0.2 m2 each were installed. The length of the filtration path was equal to 0.8 m in three of these models and 0.4 m in the other three models. The hydraulic load on the filters was equal to 0.03 m3 mE-2 dE-1 in 2008, and it was equal to 0.06 m3 mE-2 dE-1 in 2009. The domestic wastewater which had undergone the pre-cleaning in the septic systems was poured into the models. Their average pollution with the Ptotal reached 14.6 mg LE-1 in the first year and 9.2 mg LE-1 in the second year. When the filtration path was equal to 0.8 m and the hydraulic load was equal to 0.03 m3 mE-2 dE-1, the Ptotal was removed from the wastewater with the efficiency of 99.9% in the dolomite powder filter. In the filter models with the sand and dolomite chippings, the Ptotal was removed with the same efficiency of 87.7%. When the hydraulic load doubled, the efficiency of P removal decreased to 59.8% in the sand filter and down to 45.7% in the dolomite chippings filter. When the hydraulic load reached 0.06 m3 mE-2 dE-1, only the dolomite powder filter could ensure the adequate cleaning of the domestic wastewater up to the allowable norms.

The aesthetic quality of landscape is one of the most threatened values in our environment. The methodology chosen to evaluate the landscape for the first time has to be precise and effective. The objective of this study was to find the most appropriate method for the first time evaluation of sacral landscapes. The paper compares two methods – the Scenic beauty estimation method, and the Q sorting method for evaluating the scenic beauty. Comparison of the two methods was made in the winter of 2010 – 2011. The Scenic beauty estimation method is effective for getting a quick estimation of general scenic beauty. The Q method gives the estimation of general scenic beauty and the explanation of perception priority. The visual quality is deeply connected with perception. Placing perception in numbers leaves some doubt, but it is quite an effective way of observing the main visual qualities in the perception of spectators. Both methods give the first impression of the landscape elements. But Q method gives more significant results than the Scenic beauty estimation method.

The main aim of this paper was to investigate the development of art for the public space as a result of the historical impact through which the artworks have been evaluated. The context of social, ideological and economical changes is related. The author examined principal art practices in the public domain and discussed the main types of artworks created for the public space in Latvia in the period between 1980 and 2010. Seven art events were selected to analyze the main occurrence of historic periods as certain paradigms. Empirical and qualitative data collection methods were used to clarify the development of art for the public space in the Latvian landscape taking into account the historical point of view. According to the typology of artworks the following features were investigated: the aim, the location, the form and the size, and the function of artworks. The majority of art for the public space occurred in the city environment and the financial support of the project played an important role.

The article analyses organizational internal and external environments, their possible correlations with 4 components of sustainability, and the principal determination models for sustainability of organizations. Based on the general principles of sustainable development organizations, a model for the determination of organizational sustainability has been developed. The use of self-organizing neural networks allows the identification of the external sustainability of each forest enterprise and the endeavour to explore vital, social, anthropogenic and economical efficiency. The determination of the forest enterprise external sustainability is expected to help better manage the external sustainability of forest enterprises and explain the reasons for a respective level of external sustainability.

Environmental pollution that has been one of the key issues for decades has still not lost any of its topicality. In order to study the impact of air pollution on the growth of Norway’s spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.), 31 sample plots were established at different distances and directions from the pollution points in the Western part of Latvia. The plots were established starting from the year 2008 summer-autumn season and finishing with the spring of 2009. The selected stands were 32 - 171 year old and of different forest site types. The selection was used in the State Forest Service database and cartographic materials. Empirical data was obtained from each of the plots which reflected the environmental effects on the trees. To ascertain the effect of air pollution on the growth of Norway spruce, the algorithm based on additional increment to volume was used. Air pollution affects eating, regardless of age and the type of growing conditions. Pollution effects are closely related to the distance from the source.

It is essential to have information on the tree biomass due to the fact that it is an important ecosystem pool for reporting changes in carbon stocks of forests and increased attempts to diversify the energy sources. In Latvia, comparatively few studies have focused on this topic so far. Our study was conducted on two 36 - 38 years old Norway spruce plantations. Detailed stem analysis of 39 trees was performed, and biomass of the above-ground tree components was determined. We analyzed tree and clone-level biomass distribution, biomass relations with tree dimensions and dependence on the genetic factors. The mean total biomass (kg d.w.) of all analyzed sample trees was 131.4 ± 10.58 kg, the mean biomass of stem 85.9 ± 6.98 kg, the mean biomass of dead branches 8.3 ± 0.82 kg, the mean biomass of living branches 23.5 ± 2.34 kg and the mean biomass of needles 13.7 ± 1.22 kg. On average, 66.1% of biomass was allocated to the stem, 6.4% to the dead branches, 17.4% to the living branches and 10.1% to the needles. The biomass of the analyzed trees positively correlated with all tested tree parameters - DBH, tree height, stem volume. Typically, with increasing tree parameters total biomass and stem biomass increased rapidly but branch and needle biomass increased slowly. Significant differences of tree dimensions were detected between the clones, and the differences in total biomass and stem biomass were clearly correlated with the differences in tree dimensions over clones. No significant impact of the clone was found specifically on the tree biomass or its distribution.