The study represents results on remote sensing methods based evaluation of land use and land use changes in former and existing peat extraction areas in Latvia. The aim of the study is to elaborate activity data set for the National GHG inventory for the wetlands remaining wetlands for peat extraction. The study results provide sufficient data for application of the default emission factors for the peat extraction sites and flooded lands. Abandoned peat extraction fields, which are not yet afforested, flooded or rewetted, should be reported as peat extraction sites following a conservative approach in application of the emission factors. The study results can be used to report land use changes since 1990; however, linearized approach in calculation of the land use change may result in overestimation or underestimation of GHG emissions in certain periods of time. According to study results, the area of peat extraction sites is considerably bigger than currently reported in the National GHG inventory, mainly due to considerable areas of abandoned peat extraction fields. Flooded lands may be a significant source of emissions and should be introduced in the National GHG inventory to secure consistency of reporting. Methodology for calculation of GHG emissions from flooded lands should be also elaborated. It is also necessary to elaborate emission factors for fertile and no fertile peat extraction sites and continue work on separation of different soils in the inventory to increase accuracy of calculations.

Increase in use of biomass as renewable source of energy in Europe is tightly linked to the policies aimed at mitigation of climate changes i.e. reductions of greenhouse gas emissions. Both for assessment of the carbon sequestration and emissions as well as for assessment of potential amounts of biomass for renewable energy, information of land cover dynamics are essential. Therefore, the aim of our study was to improve accuracy of estimates of the land use changes in the time period between 1990 and 2014. Land use categories were determined in accordance to UNFCCC: wetland, cropland (arable land, bare field), forest, grassland, settlements (urban/suburban area), and other land. Combination of data from National forest inventory (NFI) sample plots and analysis of Landsat images were used. For the classification based on Landsat images vegetation index (NDVI) was estimated and linked to known information on the land use type from NFI sample plot data. In the analysed period, the most significant changes were found for forest lands – the total area of forest land during the last two decades had increased by 1% (64.5 thousand ha). Similar increase (1.2%) was observed also in the area of cropland. Both of these tendencies were primarily the result of marginal field area reduction (by 2.6%). Increase in forest area and thus annual increment has led to an increase in above-ground biomass by 10.2 m**3 haE-1.

The aim of the research is to find out changes in productivity depending on the diameter of the tree to be cut as well as the most important factor influencing the reduction of productivity using small size forest machines in thinning in Latvia. The equipment used in the study – both the harvester and the forwarder is Vimek. The results of the research confirm the appropriateness of the exact technique in thinning if diameter of the harvested trees is 3 to 30 cm. The average productivity of the harvester achieved with a harvester head Keto Forest Eco (option 2) in Norway spruce stands with 8 cm weighted average tree reached 9.59 m**3 hE-1, in deciduous tree stands with 9 cm weighted average was 10.17 m**3 hE-1, but in Scots pine stands with 12 cm average weighted tree diameter reached 10.19 m**3 hE-1. By using the Keto Forest Eco Harvester head according to the thinning productivity figures, no significant difference among the tree species was detected. For the forest owner to predict the theoretical productivity of the harvester, it is possible to apply the equation R = K + KD * D, that is statistically significant, R2 =0.85. This equation is applicable to thinnings when the diameter of thinned trees is between 4 and 25 cm. Forwarder’s average productivity in thinned stands is 8.63 m**3 hE-1.

The early stage of forestry is crucial for successful and sustainable forest management. One third of the reforested forest in Latvia is regenerated by planting with different kinds of tree seedlings. The success of forest regeneration by planting depends on correctly prepared soil and choice of the right seedling material. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of different soil preparation methods and used type of seedlings on tree survival and growth rate after the first growing season. For this study six young stand sites located in the north-west and central part of Latvia were established in three forest types and in each site soil was prepared in furrows by disc trenching, in mound and left untreated. Reforestation was conducted in the spring of 2017 with four tree species Picea abies, Pinus sylvestris, Alnus glutinosa and Betula pendula and three seedling types were used, bare roots, containerized and improved root system. The evaluation of survival and measure of annual increment was conducted at the end of the first growing season in the autumn of 2017. Results showed that overall the highest seedling survival rate provided soil prepared in mound (90%), and seedlings with improved root system, though the lowest survival rate was observed for bare root seedlings. Containerized seedlings have a higher proportional increment if compared to bare root and improved root system seedlings, but differences are not significant yet (p is greater than 0.05). In conclusion, the survival rate of outplanted seedlings differs by chosen stocktype and soil preparation method used in forest regeneration and for various tree species impact of chosen stock type on survival rate differs.

Browsing damages are becoming more common due to almost doubling of population densities of cervids in Latvia during last 20 years; however, the figures are still lower than those observed in western and northern European countries. Consequently, the frequency of damages in young stands is increasing, too. Protection against browsing becomes more difficult, as the trees grow older; also the bark-stripping may result in a long-term deterioration of stem quality. Therefore, the aim of the study was to assess the factors affecting bark striping damages in pole-stage Norway spruce stands. Data were collected in 4 sample plots in damaged Norway spruce stands in western Latvia, measuring the tree parameters: height, diameter, branch characteristics and damage parameters: size, proportion from the stem circumference. Results of the modelling reveal that both damage parameters were significantly influenced by the branch length and thickness in the whorl closest to the breast height and the size of damages – also by breast height diameter of the tree. It suggests that increasing productivity of trees would not reduce the browsing problem. Since the silvicultural goal is the reduction of the size of branches, especially in bottom-log of the stem, protection against bark-stripping needs to be developed and cervid population densities controlled to reduce the problem.

No simple method has yet been found for satisfactory wood bio-resistance improvement regarding material performance in its end-use. An attempt to obtain material with proper strength and bio-durability by combined wood thermal modification and impregnation with a biocide is being researched. To select the most appropriate treatment conditions for the combined process, changes in wood physical and mechanical properties depending on the treatment temperature were investigated in the present study. For the investigation, in Latvia the most widespread wood – softwood pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and hardwood birch (Betula spp.) was used. Changes of wood mechanical and physical properties due to thermal modification were investigated and effect of treatment temperature and relative humidity on wood characteristics evaluated. It was found that, due to different degree of changes, no identical treatment conditions suit for birch and pine wood. Birch wood is considerably more sensitive to temperature and acceptable strength was maintained only for birch wood treated at 150 °C and for pine wood treated at 160 °C. Nevertheless at higher environmental humidity equilibrium moisture content and consequently radial and tangential swelling increased for all studied wood types, substantially smaller changes due to elevated humidity were detected for modified wood.

The aim of this research was to study the effect of the stand composition on the density of pine and spruce wood growing on former arable lands. Sample areas are located in mixed mature pine- and spruce-prevailing stands in Leningrad region, Russia. For the reliable determination of the basic density of spruce and pine wood, selection of model trees was carried out and cores were taken. Based on the data obtained from stems of 36 model trees from 3 sample plots, conversion equations were calculated to determine the basic density of wood. The measurements of the spruce and pine wood density were processed using variational statistics. The results have shown that the pine forms a more homogeneous wood than the spruce. On former arable lands, spruce has a denser wood than pine under the same growth conditions. The stand composition has a significant effect on the density of spruce rather than pine.

The influence of coniferous stand composition on the density of pine (Pinus sylvestris) and spruce (Picea abies) wood is considered in this work. Processing of a large quantitative material of wood cores with the use of the ANOVA and rank analysis made it possible to reveal the influence on the macrostructure of wood of the quantitative representation of pine and spruce in the stand. In the pine part of the stand, the correlation of the wood density with the zones of early and late xylem is weak or medium. There is no wood density correlation with the width of the annual ring for stands with different shares of pine. In pine-prevailing stands with a share of pine 80% – 100%, there is a weak but reliably straight relationship between wood density and the size of late wood zone and an inverse relationship with early zone of xylem. For forest stands with a smaller part of pine participation, the relationship between these indicators is medium and reliable. For spruce, we observe a close relationship between the density of xylem and the parameters of its macrostructure in all its variants of participation in mixed coniferous plantations. In most of the studied mixed stands, the density of wood in spruce is not significantly differentiated and more homogeneous.

The article presents an analysis of the existing situation of forests of the Republic of Lithuania. The situation is analysed in ten counties of the country. In the Republic of Lithuania, forests occupied 2,178,958.04 ha, country’s forest coverage – 33.38% in 2017. The highest forest coverage was established in Alytus (48.80%) and Vilnius (43.47%) counties. Only in three counties of Lithuania (Panevėžys, Telšiai and Utena) the prevailing type of ownership is private forests. In all counties of Lithuania mostly there are Group IV commercial forests, which make up 71.4% of the total forest area. The least are Group I reserved forests. Coniferous species (56.2%) prevail in the country’s forests, of which pine forests are dominant. It is crucial today to analyse the current state of forests and anticipate changes in trends, preventing potential threats. Following the analysis of Lithuanian forest change, it was determined that during the period between the years 2006 and 2017, the forest area increased by 78,616.40 ha or 3.74%. The largest forest development took place in Utena (17,324.13 ha or 7.32%) and Šiauliai (14,798.15 ha or 6.87%) counties. In order to implement the forestry development prospects, from 2018 to 2030, 106,068.87 ha of forests should be planted. In 2030, 2,285,026.91 hectares of forest would occupy Lithuania and would make up to 35% of the country’s area.

Land use efficiency is based on agricultural production. Correct and effective land use could solve several problems – food production, improving the welfare and provision of social stability. The use of land and natural resources is an important issue in the development of the country; therefore, many researchers and scientists have analysed and studied the use of agricultural land and land use efficiency. Efficient land use has an impact on different types of factors, which are mutually contradictory. In the paper several authors researches are analysed, studying influencing factors of the use of agricultural land. Influenced by several factors the main problems associated with the use of agricultural land are the increase of unused agricultural land, the continued degradation of land, but the major problem of land use is the existence of a fragmented property structure. For the efficient use of agricultural land, there are several conditions that need to be met or improved to achieve effective land use. The main conclusion is that analysing the problems that are associated with the use of agricultural land is seen as interactive interaction, as the fragmented property structure is one of the reasons influencing the use of agricultural land, which leads to an increase in unused areas of agricultural land, while unused areas of agricultural land are often overgrown with shrubs while promoting degradation of land.