In the vocational education research, different methods including a formation and analysis of the development scenarios can be used. In the research of vocational education method of scenarios analysis is hardly ever used. In the article the chance to use the method of scenarios analysis in the research of vocational education in Latvia is evaluated. There is the AHP (Analytic Hierarchy Process) method for analysis of scenarios of the Latvia vocational education development used in the article. There are given methodological recommendations for the realisation of the formation and analysis of development scenarios.

The article deals with the issue of the impact of teaching practice on training of the future educators. At the Institute of Education and Home Management of the Latvia University of Agriculture, approaches of human pedagogy and education lie at the basis of the conceptual grounds of the school practice. The phases of the school practice are characterized and the readiness obtained by the students within the training are discussed. In every phase of the school practice, students gradually adapt themselves to the school, pedagogic and educational environments. Results of student survey on the development of readiness to pedagogic work in school educational environment and the developing role of competency are presented.

This study was conducted to investigate the lifestyle of post-graduate students. The purpose of the present study was to find out opinion of the post-graduate students how significant are physical activities and healthy eating in their life. The study was initiated due to the growing knowledge of the importance of healthy food. The study was carried out by using empirical methods and the opinion of post-graduate students living in Latvia analysed. The authors have used questionnaire method and in February 2008 received answers from 86 respondents who are the post-graduate students of Latvia University of Agriculture (LLU). Studies showed that the biggest part of research subjects appreciates the importance of physical activities and healthy eating, and treats it as a positive part of the post-graduate studies process.

Forest is the ecosystem which consists of different related components and fulfils important environmental, economic, and social functions. Each of these components is of particular value in public perception. In the beginning of September, 2007 social research was carried out in Latvia in order to understand the meaning and importance of forest value on the questionnaire base. This survey focuses on how people, whose everyday life is related to forest sector, perceive forest values. The forest values were divided into thirteen factors. To determine the most important forest value, the participants’ answers significance was evaluated basing upon the concordance coefficient and using descriptive statistic methods. The research revealed that despite the multifunctional use of forest the basic value is granted to timber and forest land. As well as respondents were not shown significant differences expressing their opinions when they were divided into different groups (forest owners, forest sector employees and other). Results of the survey have shown that the public in Latvia are not able to value and calculate forest environmental and social functions.

This paper deals with the evaluation of the geometrical accuracy of Lithuanian forests compartments geographical data that has been developed using different forest inventory techniques. Geo-reference background database GDB10LT was used as the standard for comparisons. 2500 control points on clearly identifiable places – crossroads, dikes’ intersections, etc. – were selected randomly. The main finding was that the maximal positional root mean square error of clearly identifiable objects in forestry geographic data was 16.47 m (12.37 m and 10.87 m for X and Y coordinates respectively). However, such rather big errors refer to the techniques of GIS database development using paper topographic maps as a background for forest maps and manual digitizing. Enhancement of techniques for GIS database development was found to lead to significant increase in geometrical accuracy of the information.

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.

Grey alder occupies 190.6 thousand ha or 6.8% of forests in Latvia. Stand structure has influence on its productivity and dynamics. Materials for the studies were collected in the period from 2005 to 2007. For the investigation 47, grey alder stands, representing various ages, site index and density conditions from Jelgava, Bauska, Ogre, Aizkraukle, Jēkabpils, Valmiera, Talsi and Krāslava regions were used. The majority of these stands have not been managed previously and have been originated from shoots. A total of 11 – 30 - year - old grey alder stands were investigated using a 6 - tree sample plot method. Trees were grouped in 2 cm diameter classes according to breast height diameter. Trees according to reduction numbers were grouped in natural diameter classes. In 11 – 15 - year - old stands trees were within 4 - 5 two centimetre diameter classes, in 16 - 30 – year - old stands – within 6 - 12 classes. The proportions of trees in smallest and largest diameter classes not exceed 1 - 3%. The distribution of grey alder trees in natural diameter classes in 2/3 of cases match up with theoretical Tjurin distribution, resemblance was not detected in cases, when there are large proportions of thin trees in stand. Cumulative percent values of the number of trees and stand volume are were not dependent on site index. Relationship between cumulated value of the number of trees (y) in percents and cumulated value of stand volume (x) was described by parabolic equation (R2 = 0.997, p is less than 0.05). Fifty percent from stand volume were made up from 70% of thinnest trees. Regression equations describing dependence of tree height, height of live crown base, and length of crown from tree diameter were developed.

In forest harvesting process, a logging company and a forest landowner who have various goals concerning forest stands purchase value are involved. The logging company wants to maximize the profit on lower price, but forest landowner - to extract maximum income. Calculating the forest stands value prior to harvesting it is possible to achieve mutually acceptable price. This article describes question statement and primary research of prior calculated and harvested volume difference for further study of forest stands purchase value algorithm optimization. Harvested volume from feed-back data and prior calculated forest stands volume were compared to obtain the difference and understand the economical importance for optimization of harvesting sites maximal value calculation algorithm. For primary study, forest stands prior harvesting calculation model from the logging company was used. Results from prior harvesting calculations were compared with data after harvesting to achieve information about the precision of calculation model. Obtained results showed significant difference between prior calculated and harvested volumes, which in financial matter cause losses to the logging company. Compared to total harvested volume, negative cutting difference was 7% from volume, which in financial terms with annual harvesting of 1 million m**3 make loss of ~2.3 million euro.

The article presents the part of PhD studies of the energy wood harvesting technologies in thinning, and its development possibilities. A possibility for energy wood procurement and use in Latvia as a good amount of not used energy, including estimation of how much wood for energy purposes could be available in Latvia is analyzed. Research has been made in two parts using forest stands cutting area in three different ages to get an average volume of energy wood per ha. First part of the research has been done in a 60 years old forest stand cutting area in the way that total chips volume is measured and then recalculated to the thinning area. The average volume from studied forest stand was 20.32 m**3 haE-1. The second part of the study shows that from 30 till 45 years old forest stands cutting area by the measuring possible removal tress, the energy wood volume could be 23.74 – 33.5 m**3 haE-1. Including the slash from this forest stands cutting area the possible volume of wood for energy purposes could be ~ 33 – 47 m**3 haE-1. The calculations also have been done to study available energy wood resources from whole forest stands thinning area. Totally the available energy wood volume in Latvian conditions is 0.85 million m3 yrE-1.

The research was made in the Šušvė river basin fertilized with organic fertilizer in the vicinity of a pig complex 'Litpirma' Ltd (25.0 thousand fattening pigs per year), Šiaulėnai local administration, Radviliškis district, in 2001-2006. This article presents total nitrogen concentrations and its amounts leaching from the complex to the basin, in the field drainage water and the Šušvė River (at a distance of 11.6 km from the pig complex). In the investigated Šušvė section, biologically treated wastewater from Šiaulėnai Township and the areas fertilized with organic fertilizers comes into the river. In total, 11.8 t of nitrogen come into the river, of which 4% (0.49 t) come from the township's wastewater, and the rest major part (96% or 11.3 t) is the drainage water coming from fertilized agricultural fields. The dynamics of nitrogen concentrations both in the river and in the drainage outlet is of a seasonal nature: in winter (January – March) concentrations were higher, and in warm season (April – November) – lower. The Šušvė pollution by total nitrogen, both above and below the pig complex activities range, almost all the research period was exceeding the limit (2 mg lE-1). Due to the pig complex activities and intensive agriculture, the runoff of nitrogen pollutants increases from 14.9 to 29.3% in the Šušvė River. This proves that the processes of spontaneous purification are not intensive enough to neutralize completely the pollution from such size pig complex in this particular section of the river.