Severe damages of spruce stands were found during recent years in several countries of the Baltic sea region. Characteristic indications of these damages are trees with brownish drying tops distributed across the whole compartment. During the first year only forests on drained organic soils suffer. In the second and third years, according to experiences gained in Lithuania, the damages move to other stand types. In Latvia, the first signals about the damages of spruce stands arrived from the company ''Rīgas meži'' in May, 2010. ''Rīgas meži'' found damaged stands in 2 forestries. The most of the damaged stands were on organic soils. The inspection of other forests by the State forest service identified similar damages in Southern part of Latvia as well as in other regions with considerable areas of organic soils. In August, 2010 ''Rīgas meži'' did their own inspection in Olaine and Tīreļi forestries and found out that 24% of spruce stands has characteristic signs of damages, and in 10% of stands dead or significantly damaged trees were found. Due to theses damages, about 300 ha of spruce stands were harvested in sanitary clear-felling in 2010. Spreading of spruce bud scale, Physokermes piceae (Schrnk.), is found to correlate with damages of spruce stands in Latvia and Lithuania. This pest is well known in both countries, but never before it caused any serious damages to spruce stands. In Sweden another bud scale insect (Physokermes inopinatus Danzig and Kozár) is found to be the reason for spruce damages.

The role of small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) in the development of economics becomes more important, as they can quickly re-orientate in the rapidly changing economic situation, and they are the main guarantee of wellbeing on the regional scale. Although these enterprises are different, still the SME in the European Union meet several similar difficulties. One of the main problems of the SME is lack of management competences that causes difficulties in ensuring efficient management of the enterprises. The aim of the research was to investigate the competences that are necessary for the employees to carry out their duties from the point of view of small and medium-sized forest enterprises (SMFE). The task of the research was to identify problems faced by the SMFE management in daily business. To get results, the qualitative interview method was used as well as, survey was carried out, and the obtained data from well-established methodology and criteria were evaluated. The research results show that the distribution at the SME is specific professional competence with 40%, social competence with 23%, methodical and individual competence with 19% and 18%. The results show that necessary management competences in SME and large enterprises are equal, but the kind of their application and topicality differ; therefore, it is essential to organize activities of professional development concerning the definite model and type of business. The professional teaching models for SMFEs should be according to enterprises management specifics, focusing on the fact that managers of SMFEs to combine the competences.

Invention of light weight panel with a trade mark of Dendrolight is one of the most distinguished wood industry innovations of the last decade. At present three layers cellular wood panels have wide non structural application. The aim of the research is to evaluate the bending properties of three layer cellular wood panels for structural application. There were 8 specimens manufactured with thickness 136 or 152 mm, width 300 mm and length 2,500 mm of each of the six horizontal load bearing panel structural models. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) cellular wood and solid pine wood ribs were used as internal layer of the structural panels. Cellular wood core was placed in horizontal or vertical direction. Scots pine solid wood panels and birch plywood were used as top layer material. Applied glue was polivinilacetate Cascol 3353. The most common stress type in structural subflooring panels is bending; therefore, the influence of the cellular material orientation, ribs and top layer material on the sandwich type structural panel bending strength (MOR) and stiffness (MOE) were evaluated according to LVS EN 408:2011. Extra parameters like moisture content and apparent density were determined. Cellular wood in vertical direction can be used as raw material for structural panel production. Panels with solid timber external layers, with ribs and with vertical orientation of the cellular material showed the highest MOR (35.2 N mmE-2) and MOE (11,500 N mmE-2) values. The influence of the solid wood ribs on the bending properties is directly dependent on external layer material.

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.