The paper presents the comparative analysis of the Kaunas city landscape change during the period between 2010 and 2015. For this analysis, the land fund statistics of the Republic of Lithuania, which had been grouped into a relatively natural and anthropogenic landscape, were used. Landscape change is graphically shown in the figures. Lithuanian and foreign scientific literature and legal acts as well as planning documents were analysed for the fulfilment of the work. The Kaunas city landscape analysis of the current situation was done. During the analysis the Kaunas city statistics were compared with the data of Kaunas County and the Republic of Lithuania. The analysis showed that during the analysed period the Kaunas city natural landscape area relatively increased by 1115.34 ha or 20.42 percent. The largest part of relatively natural landscape consisted of forests – 51.12 percent. During the period between 2010 and 2015, the anthropogenic environmental area increased by 47.33 hectares (2.80 percent.). In the period between the years 2010 and 2015, the Kaunas city anthropogenic landscape decreased by 1.189.41 hectares or 12.23 percent. This phenomenon was affected by the decrease of built-up areas of 1,233.36 hectares, or 14.10 percent. Built-up areas cover the largest part of the Kaunas city anthropogenic landscape – 88.09 percent. The analysis of the planning documents showed that after their implementation the built-up areas would increase, the aesthetic image of recreational environment would improve, the environmental condition would become of a higher quality.

Aim of the paper is to explore the possibilities of application of orthophoto maps in determination of land degradation. One of the forms of remote sensing is aerial photography. Orthophoto maps are made from aerial photography with specialized software orthophoto maps were analysed in perspective for several years – from 2005 to 2011.The results are based on the expert. With each year possibilities of application of orthophoto maps are expanding. During the research, data of survey and SWOT analysis of determination of land degradation by orthophoto maps. The study results prove that based on orthophoto maps mainly, it can be detected the following land degradation processes – agricultural land overgrowing with bushes and abandonment of built-up areas.

This study is a part of an extensive research of creep development in softwood (Pinus sylvestris) timber beams under natural environmental conditions. Large size test data sample obtained during long-term (approximately one and half year) static loading of timber beams in a four-point bending simulating the real service conditions of roof structures for winter and non-snow period has been processed and results presented. The correlation between creep deformation and its affecting factors, such as span to height ratio of beam, percent of latewood and width of year ring (a growth ring formed during a single year), orientation of year ring segments against main axis of cross section, number of year rings in 1 cm of wood, and density of wood have been analysed and corresponding coefficients of correlation presented. It is concluded that the most significant creep development affecting factor is density of wood. Strong relationship between creep development and width of year ring, number of year rings in 1 cm of wood and density of wood was observed during test. Orientation of year ring segments against the main axis of cross section, amount of latewood and span/depth ratio do not have noteworthy direct influence on creep development in terms of this study. Temperature can be neglected as creep affecting factor in terms of this study but in the moments of sharp raise or fall of temperature, almost immediate effect on creep development was recorded.

United States of America and European countries like Great Britain, Germany, Norway have long traditions in the development of scenic roads, special scenic routes for tourists, National Scenic Byway Programs. They have set criteria for road landscape planning and design, discussed the economic value of scenic roads. Scenic roads are also important for tourism, as well as visual and cultural countryside development in Latvia. Planning regions and regional communities in Latvia have strategic development plans and spatial plans. All of them include high value landscapes and protected, scenic territories. Some scenic roads are defined in these documents, but criteria for scenic road designation are set in every region individually. There are unlisted roads with high aesthetic value which could be protected. Common methods, criteria for the assessment of road landscapes and scenic road designation in Latvia are not developed. The aim of the research was to evaluate and understand the present situation of scenic roads in Latvia. An online questionnaire was carried out in order to find out peoples’ opinion about the road landscape quality. Spatial plans of regional communities and planning regions were examined. A field study of two sections of scenic roads was carried out. The research project was carried out from December 2014 to December 2015. Results show that current road landscape has a potential for development, and it needs improvements. The study gives a general insight into the scenic road situation in Latvia and provides basis for further research on scenic road planning and management.

The information about gardens of the Duchy of Courland in the 17th century is scarce and fragmentary, as part of documents is lost or exported abroad during the war. The time of the Duchy and its baroque gardens is attributed to reign of E. J. Biron in the first half of the 18th century, when impressive palace ensembles were created the help of architects F. B. Rastrelli and S. Jensen, building of summer residences in Rundāle, Vircava, Svēte, Luste. They served as summer amusement gardens or parks. In their arrangement, a compositional connection with the palace, the front courtyard, outbuildings and the garden was sought. These summer residences were located in rural plain areas, thus, the features of natural area - water, floodplains, terrain, nature of plantations and materials were used. The choice of planting materials was influenced by the climatic conditions - harsh winters, short summers, late spring frosts or early autumn frosts. Therefore, in the Duke’s time gardens, there are no delicate plants such as jews, boxwood plants, peach and mandarin fruit trees imported from the Western Europe. The local trees and shrubs, fruit trees, spice plants were used, vegetable beds made. The study examines two of the Duchy’s summer residences at Vircava (Wūrzau) and Svēte (Swethof), the study of which, as already mentioned, is made difficult due to the relatively scarce information.

This paper presents first results of monthly water stable isotope monitoring programme covering the most important surface and groundwater types in the Salaca River basin. The aim is to characterise the isotopic values of different water types in the Salaca River basin, and test if their contribution can be identified in the Salaca river runoff. A monthly groundwater and surface water stable isotope monitoring programme was initiated in August 2015 covering the most of the important surface and groundwater types in the study region – groundwater and surface water in the raised bogs, free-surface groundwater including artificially drained agricultural lands, water emerging from the Lake Burtnieks as well as Burtnieks and Arulika confined aquifers. Preliminary results show that stable isotopes are useful tool to identify distinct water components and their evolution. However, it is needed to continue monitoring programme to draw significant conclusions.

Peat is still mined in many parts of the world for production of peat substrates and energy. Many peatlands were affected by drainage in the past also for forestry and agricultural needs. Nowadays a raised attention to peatlands is focused, especially to drained peatlands due to their carbon reserves and their potential influence to the climate on the one hand, but on the other hand - due to raising awareness on protection of environment, habitats and biotopes. There are many examples on restoration activities in peatlands found worldwide, especially their water regime is the subject of regulation, which plays the major role to bring back original functions. In most cases in Latvia as the aim for protection and restoration of degraded peatlands was protection of EU biotopes and habitats. Of course, peatlands play an important role in emissions of the greenhouse gases CO2, CH4 and N2O, produced during mineralization of the drained peat organic matter. In literature, we can find only few cases where hydrological regimes are described for natural raised as well as restored block-cut peat extraction fields. This research analyses block-cut peat extraction field water level fluctuation influence on naturally raised bog hydrological regimes. Hourly data is analysed for six groundwater monitoring wells as well as for determination needs of water level fluctuations in excavated peat quarry as a response to precipitation.

In Latvia, different breeds of beef cattle are grown; therefore, it is important to explain their suitability to organic farming systems, because most Latvian beef cattle breeders work with organic farming methods. The aim of this research was to compare fattening of different beef breed bulls (Bos Taurus) in organic farming system at similar housing and feeding conditions. In the research, there were included Blonde d’Aquitaine (BA), Hereford (HE), Simmental (SI) and crossbred (CB) bulls. Fattening period started after calf weaning from suckler cows at 7 – 8 months of age. Fattening results were significantly affected by factors like breed, live weight and age before fattening, but slaughter results were significantly affected by breed, live weight and age before slaughter. During the fattening period the biggest daily weight gain was showed for SI breed bulls (849 g), but the biggest live weight increase was recognized for BA breed bulls (295 kg). The required slaughter weight the fastest was reached for XG bulls, which average slaughter age was 532 days (p is less than 0.05). The greatest slaughter weight – 342 kg (p is less than 0.05) and dressing percentage (58% (p is less than 0.05)) was recognized for BA breed bulls; also, carcass conformation score in muscle development was the highest for BA bulls (2.0 points (p is less than 0.05)). The greatest economic benefit was from CB bulls, income calculated per one rearing day from CB bulls was - EUR 1.80.

The objective of the study was to detect the difference of the conformation scores between dams and daughters in Latvian Warmblood horse breed. For this purpose the correlations and regression coefficient between conformation traits of broodmares and the same traits of their daughters were estimated. Data of Latvian Warmblood horse breed broodmares were analyzed. The horse breeding organisations’ evaluating data from 1995 till 2015 were analyzed. The data included conformation valuation of Latvian Warmblood horse breed dams (n = 423) and their daughters (n = 596) of different ages. An average in ten-point scale in the group of dams was 7.71 ± 0.04 for top line scoring, 7.33 ± 0.05 for forelimbs and 7.35 ± 0.05 points for hind limbs. An average of valuation points of their daughters was 7.51 ± 0.03 for top line scoring, 7.21 ± 0.04 for forelimbs and 7.21 ± 0.04 for hind limbs. A significant difference between valuations of dams and their daughters (p0.05) was found for all three conformation traits. Positive and low correlation was calculated between groups of dams and daughters for all three conformation traits. The results show that the relationship between conformation traits of dams and daughters was weak. Further studies are needed in order to estimate influence of broodmare quality to daughters, analyzing the latest data of progeny.

The article analyses the data obtained while evaluating red deer calves on the red deer breeding farm ‘Dumpji’ during the herd’s annual prophylactic check-up in December and April of the years 2013 and 2014. Farm is a private enterprise owned by a company located in Northern Latvia. The study comprises data for calves born in 2013 (n = 36) that were born from the same hinds, but from different stags in consecutive years. It was discovered that the calves’ liveweight gain in 24 hours significantly decreases during wintering period. After the wintering smaller body mass was observed in calves of both sexes born in 2014; however, the body mass of bull calves born in both years of reference considerably exceeded that of the hind calves. In the group of hind calves born in both years of the study period the liveweight loss was observed during the wintering. Nevertheless, at the age of 1.5 years the lowest liveweight among hind calves was 82.4 kg (year 2013), and the highest 129.6 kg (year 2014). In the group of spikers, during the winter period liveweight loss was not observed. Analysis of the results revealed a close positive correlation between the liveweight in December and the liveweight in the spring among spikers and heifers alike. The conducted analysis of influencing factors attests to the fact that the liveweight at the age of six months has material impact on the animals’ liveweight both in the spring and at the age of 1.5 years.