The article presents information on the greenery in the large-scale residential area courtyards built in the Soviet period. The data on the importance of the greenery in the large-scale residential areas of the Baltic States were analysed. The analysis was carried out on the large-scale residential area courtyards built in the second half of the 20th century in Pärnu, Jelgava, and Siauliai, which until present have not experienced any changes of the landscape. The research established that these courtyards can be characterised as the unused territory resources. Consequently, there is a necessity to resolve the topical issues of the greenery in the Soviet period large-scale residential area courtyards. From the theoretical aspect, the information gathered in the research on the greenery in the large-scale residential areas has revealed relevant suggestions for the improvement of the present condition. The variety of information reflects the significance of the greenery in the large-scale residential area courtyards that have to provide an aesthetically pleasant image of the territory for every inhabitant of the territory. The methods applied in the research describe the present condition of the Soviet period courtyards.

There are about 3,000-4,000 heavy metal contaminated sites across Lithuania. According to Lithuanian legal framework, the only way to manage this pollution is ex-situ cleaning which requires excavation, transporting, storage place and later monitoring. This indicates the urgent need of innovative technologies that would be not only costeffective but also environmentally friendly and have a public acceptance. Such technologies are natural and chemically enhanced phytoextractions. Both technologies incorporate plants that can accumulate excessive amounts of heavy metals. During continuous phytoextraction plants accumulate heavy metals throughout all vegetation period and are harvested together with heavy metals when desired biomass is gained. At chemically assisted phytoextraction metal binding chelates are added to increase heavy metal uptake by plants. Since phytoextraction is considered as promising green technology, many efforts are laid to find the most suitable hyperaccumulator plants as well as ecologically safe chelating agents. This paper intends to overview latest researches done at phytoextraction field and look over this kind of remediation possibilities in Lithuania.

Woody plants at urban greeneries in Lithuania are injured by rust fungi of 13 genera, 28 species: Coleosporium pulsatillae, C. tussilaginis, Cronartium flaccidum, C. ribicola, Cumminsiella mirabilissima, Gymnosporangium clavariiforme, G. confusum, G. cornutum, G. sabinae, G. tremelloides, Hyalopsora aspidiotus, M. allii-fragilis, M. allii-populina, M. caprearum, M. epitea, M. laricis-populina, M. populnea, Melampsora ribesii-viminalis, M. salicis-albae, Melampsorella caryophyllacearum, Melampsoridium betulinum, M. carpini, Ochropsora ariae, Phragmidium tuberculatum, Pucciniastrum areolatum, P. symphyti, Uromyces caraganicola, U. pisi-sativi. During 2009 – 2017 Gymnosporangium sabine had the strongest damages (from 0.21 ± 0.00 to 2.43 ± 0.33 grades) on Pyrus pyreaster, the weakest damages had done G. cornutum on Sorbus intermedia and S. x thuringiaca ‘Fastigiata’ – 0 – 1 ± 0.58 grades.

There is an increasing demand in the development of new and better types of organic plant fertilizers. The aim of the present study was to evaluate if the beneficial effect of vermicompost on plant growth and development could be further promoted by adding different amounts of bat guano using two model species under controlled conditions, as well as to assess the microbiological characteristics of bat guano and soil after its application. The study was performed at the Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, during 2013 and 2014. The amount of bacteria was significantly lower in guano in comparison to vermicompost samples. No actinobacteria were present, but yeasts were found in the guano sample. Soil fungal populations after the application of organic fertilizer from vermicompost and bat guano were dominated by potentially plant growth promoting fungi Trichoderma and Mortierella. However, at increased guano concentration (300 g kg˗1) the proportion of potentially plant pathogenic fungi significantly increased. Addition of bat guano to vermicompost fertilizer significantly enhanced the positive effect of the fertilizer on growth and development of winter rye (Secale cereale L.) and potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) plants.