In the study the growth and stem quality characters of geographically different Latvian Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) populations were evaluated. In various regions of Latvia proportionally to the distribution of Scots pine 21 sample plot was established in 85 to 95 years old pure stands in forest type Myrtillosa growing conditions. In every sample plot 100 trees were evaluated estimating height of the tree, diameter at breast height, stem volume, length and quality of the branch-free stem section, relative branch thickness, branch angle and stem straightness. Pine populations were compared in different seed zones (Western and Eastern), as well as in various regions (Western, Central, South-eastern, North-eastern). In order to describe the geographical differences of populations with help of growth features, tree height was chosen because the relation between height and stem quality features is positive. The populations of the Eastern seed zone substantially overcome the populations of the Western seed zone both in terms of growth features, as well as in stem quality. Substantial are also differences between populations growing in various regions in terms of average height, length and quality of branch-free stem section, relative branch thickness and branch angle, but not stem straightness. Western populations present the lowest growth feature values and stem quality. The height and stem quality features of the North-eastern populations considerably exceeded the features of other regions' populations.

The productivity and quality of different origin Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) progenies at the age of 43 were estimated. The investigation was carried out in 1964. The seeds from six stands growing on mineral and peaty soils in different environmental conditions were sowed. The thinning was done in 2006. The following growth and quality characters were investigated: height of the trees, diameter at breast height, stem volume, standing volume, branch free tree length, branch thickness, branch angle, stem’s straightness. The growth and quality differences of the progenies depending on the seed origin were estimated. The environmental conditions of the Zvirgzde origin place and the test locality were similar. The progeny of the Zvirgzde stand showed superiority in the growth traits (height, diameter, stem volume) as well as good stem quality and high quality of the assortment outcome in thinning. The progeny of the swamp stand (Tireli) had low values in all investigated traits. A significant influence of the environmental conditions of the seeds origin place on the growth and quality of the progeny was found out. Environmental conditions of seeds origin locality and place of forest regeneration have to be similar to avoid decrease of progeny stand’s growth and quality.

Progeny testing of Scots pine in Latvia is carried out in only few locations, however, material from selections via seed orchards is deployed in various climatic and soil conditions, therefore concerns arise for influence of genotype environment interaction on levels of genetic gain. Problem is addressed based on 3 open pollinated progeny tests, consisting of 80 open pollinated families, located in 3 distant climatic regions in Latvia. Test age is 27 years, therefore not only growth, but also branch quality traits can be reliably analyzed. Strong genetic correlation (rb=0.80-0.94) among sites for tree height and diameter was found, but considerably weaker for branch traits like diameter of thickest branch (rb=0.52-0.67), average branch diameter, and sum of branch diameters (rb=0.41-0.49). Coefficients of additive genetic variation and coefficients of phenotypic variation among family means, determining potential of improvement via breeding, can be inflated by up to half, based on single site estimates for growth traits and double for quality traits. Backward selection based on results of several trials, in contrast to forward selection or utilization of single experiment results, could lead to improvement of branch traits close to the same as for growth traits (height and diameter). Single site narrow-sense heritability estimates for analyzed growth and quality traits are up to twice as large as across site estimates, indicating possibilities of serious bias in genetic gain estimates based on results from one test site. Testing at 4-5 sites for further breeding work is recommended.

The effect of growing conditions, age and stocking density on the amount of deadwood in the pine forest stands of Latvia was analyzed in this research. The material for studies was collected within the framework of the National Forest inventory of Latvia in the period 2004 to 2008. From databases of the National forest inventory the data about 1627 sample plots dominated by pine were selected and analysed. The total amount of deadwood (m3 haE-1) was compared among five forest edaphical rows - forests on dry mineral soils, forests on wet mineral soils, forests on wet peat soils, forests on drained mineral soils and forests on drained peat soils. Deadwood was also analysed in five age groups – young, middle age, premature, mature and over-mature stands, as well as in six groups of stocking density – small-density, sparse-density, middle-density, high-density, full-density and over-density stands. It was found out, that the growing conditions (p = 0.000 is less than α = 0.05), stand age (p = 0.000) and stocking density (p = 0.000) have significant influence on the amount of deadwood in pine forest stands. The highest amount of deadwood is in the pine stands on wet mineral soils – 18.6 ± 2.09 m3 haE-1. With increase of the stand age the amount of deadwood also increases and in the mature pine stands the amount of deadwood is 17.8 ± 1.58 m**3 haE-1. The amount of deadwood in the pine forest stands also increases with stocking density and in the over-density stands it is 21.6 ± 2.50 m**3 haE-1.

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) is Latvia's most economically important tree species. It accounts for 38% of the total forest area of Latvia. One of diseases affecting P. sylvestris is root rot caused by the fungus Heterobasidion annosum, which causes large economic losses. There is some evidence of Scots pine trees with higher levels of resistance but no absolutely resistant tree clones have been described so far. Many genes encoding peptides and proteins with direct or indirect antifungal activity have been described in various plant species, but only few of them have been studied in conifers. In our study we have utilised various approaches to research genetic aspects of Scots pine resistance to H. annosum. Here we present our initial results. Initially, H. annosum infection was determined in 300 trees and in a subset of twenty seven trees representing fifteen families (progeny of one mother tree) infection levels were quantitatively characterised. Candidate-genes were selected based on previously published research. Gene copy number variation (CNV) analyses were performed on selected samples. Copy number variation polymorphism was detected for a gene encoding a thaumatinlike protein analogues of which are described as potent antifungal proteins in other plants. As increased gene copy number can lead to increased gene product amounts in cells it is possible that an increased copy number of thaumatin-like protein is beneficial to the pine tree in respect to resistance against H. annosum and other pathogens. Further experiments need to be performed to investigate this in more detail.

Prolonged summer drought periods are forecasted for the Baltic Sea region during the 21st century, thus increasing the risk of drought stress of saplings used in forest regeneration. Nevertheless, the vitality of young stands might be increased by the selection of suitable planting material. The aim of this study was to estimate the effect of changes in distribution of summer precipitation on height increment, biomass distribution and root morphology of Scots pine and silver birch planting material commonly used in the forest regeneration in Latvia. Containerized pine and bare rooted birch saplings, planted in three different soil types, were subjected to altered distribution of summer precipitation, provided by the use of automated shelter. Sheltered saplings were weekly irrigated with the sum of precipitation of a corresponding period, while afield planted saplings had an unchanged precipitation regime and served as control. Height increment was measured once per week and estimation of morphology of saplings was done after the end of every vegetation season. Significant (p is less than 0.05) differences in height increment, and shoot and root biomass were observed among the same planting material in different irrigation regimes and soil types. In the control plots of peat soil, pine had a significantly (p is less than 0.05) larger height increment while birch-significantly (p is less than 0.05) smaller compared to experiment. Forecasted longer drought periods might reduce the growth of Scots pine in fertile forest types but silver birch growth might be affected in fertile mineral soils in future.

Latvia at the moment does not have precise data about long-term storage of Scots pine. Long-term storage in warm season may lead to significant damages for high priced timber, income reduction for timber sellers and quality loss risk for timber buyers, therefore, roundwood is transported as soon as possible, because of the risk of blue stain, crooks and insect damages. Results of this study on Scots pine were obtained during summer–autumn season of year 2015. Scots pine timber quality changes in long-term storage were analysed in 4 sample stacks – set up in summer (25 July) and stored for 100 days. In every sample plot there was a control pile, a pile with harvester spike damages, a pile with bark damages and a pile with harvester spike and bark damages. There were 32 timber assortments in every pile in order to determine also the emplacement effect in stack. In this study a high correlation was found between pine timber quality changes and meteorological conditions, side surface damages and storage length. By analysing the proportion of blue stain in cross-section and its changes during storage between control assortments and assortments with bark and harvester damages, significant differences were observed, therefore it can be concluded that not only bark damages influence the proportion of blue stain, but also harvester spike rollers. Based on the results of this study, we can predict maximum storage duration during summer–autumn period in Latvia, and it is set from 9 – 16 days.

Fire is a major disturbance in hemiboreal forests; it affects not only trees, but also ground vegetation. Previous studies have analysed the succession of ground vegetation after the fire, but not addressed the impact of the size of the burned area on revegetation of it. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess the differences in post-fire ground vegetation in relation to the distance from the edge of the affected area. Vegetation data were collected using Braun-Blanquet method in three sites (122 sample plots) affected by forest fire and five clearcuts (not affected by fire) (92 plots), all regenerated by Scots pine 6 – 7 years before the assessment. The number of ground vegetation species (in all sites predominantly birds or wind dispersed) as well as their projective cover was not affected by the distance from the nearest edge of burned or clearcut, except in burned sites on dry sand soil (Vaccinosa and Myrtillosa), where herbaceous plant and shrub cover was decreasing (from 23.5% to 11.6%) and bryophyte and lichen cover – increasing (from 3% to 13.9%) with an increasing distance from the edge of the area. The total number of plants in burned areas was twice smaller than in clearcut in the same soil conditions but such large difference in projective cover was not observed. There were no significant differences between burned and clearcut areas in respect to Ellenberg’s indicator values on both soil types, as well as no trend in Ellenberg’s values for soil moisture in relation to distance from the nearest stand edge.

The impact of climatic and genetic factors on needle cast damage, as well as relationship between the degree of damage and survival and growth of trees was evaluated in the study. The analysis was done in two series of experiments, both established in two locations in Latvia (central and eastern part). Needle cast damage (in 5 grade scale) as well as the height and height increment, diameter of root collar and survival of trees were assessed. Results suggest that the degree of needle cast damage was influenced by the genetic, as well as climatic factors, and also their interaction. The average degree of needle cast damage in experiment of open-pollinated families was 4.7 ± 0.01 in central and 4.6 ± 0.03 in eastern Latvia; in the experiment of control-crossed families it was 4.6 ± 0.02 in central and 3.4 ± 0.04 in eastern Latvia. The impact of genetics on the needle cast damage degree was statistically significant (p is less than 0.05), and this effect was observed when any of growth traits (diameter, height or height increment) was used as a covariate in analysis. Results suggest the potential to select more resistant families, since the genetic correlation of grade of the damage between locations was significant (r = 0.40 - 0.72) and therefore improve also the growth of trees, since the grade of the damage had a negative correlation with growth traits both at provenance and family mean level (r = -0.69 and r = -0.42; p is less than 0.01).

Recent studies have demonstrated the occurrence of different needle cast (Lophodermium spp.) species in young Scots pine Pinus sylvestris L. stands in different regions of Latvia. The impact of these fungi has been known also historically, but is predicted to increase in future due to climate changes that are forecasted to have a positive impact on presence and vigour of various species of fungi. The aim of the study was to characterize the needle cast damage in young Scots pine stands in central Latvia. Material was collected in 12 Scots pine stands at the age of 3 to 26 years in 28 plots with a total area of 8.1 ha in the middle of two consecutive growing seasons (years 2012 and 2013). The impact of disease was visually assessed using a 5 grade scale, depending on the proportion of damaged (brown) one-year old needles. Incidence of damaged trees (P, %) and damage intensity (R, %) was calculated and used to characterize the occurrence and severity of the infection in the stands as well as its link to other stand parameters. Damage incidence (ranging from 20 to 100%), as well as the intensity (from 4 to 35%) was slightly (incidence-also significantly) higher in 2013 in comparison to 2012; correlation between those two parameters was strong in both years (r = 0.94 and r = 0.84, respectively). The stand age, density (ranging from 1200 to 6900 trees haE-1) and tree height did not significantly correlate with the damage incidence or intensity. Forest type (Hylocomiosa or Myrtillosa mel.) was not a significant factor, too.