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The research aim is to identify the effect of a surface forest fire on the productivity and viability of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in a 23-year-old stand. The research was done two years after a surface fire that occurred in 2015 in a 20-year-old stand, establishing sample plots both in the area subject to the fire and the fire-undamaged area as well as in a pine stand of identical age that had not suffered from a forest fire. The research measured the dendrometric characteristics of trees (height, diameter...

In Latvia, according to Central Statistical Bureau data (2018), the agricultural industry employed 76.4 thou. employees in the main job as well as 49.4 thou. seasonal workers. For this reason, this industry plays an essential role in the national economy, and with the industry developing, labour-saving technologies are increasingly introduced to reduce manual work in agriculture. Besides, mineral fertilisers and plant protection products are intensively applied (organic farms are an exception) in order to increase...

The research aim is to identify the growth pace, productivity and quality of Scots pine in age classes I-IX in the forest type Callunoso-sphagnosa. Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.), which occupies 35% of the total forest area, is the most significant tree species in Latvia from the forestry perspective, yet the growth pace, productivity and quality of the species in the forest type Callunoso-sphagnosa have been little researched. The forest type Callunoso-sphagnosa is rarely found in Latvia; it is poor in nutrient...

The aim of the study is to characterise the provenances of lodgepole pine ? a potential alternative to Scots pine in sandy soils ? and to recommend the most suitable ones for establishment of plantations in hemiboreal forests in Latvia. To achieve it, data on tree parameters (height, breast height diameter, quality traits, damage by cervids) from provenances originating from North America (53?-61?N, 118?-135?W) were collected in trial in central part of Latvia. The data were processed employing parametric methods....

Agricultural production is expected to increase in the world, which will be determined by the growing population and the rising demand for food, feed, fibre and energy. However, an increase in agricultural output could result in an increase in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from the agricultural sector. In order to avoid it, emissions have to be ?decoupled? from agricultural production, i.e. it is necessary to decrease the GHG emissions per unit of agricultural production. This is particularly important for Latvia...

The use of bioenergy is gradually increasing, so are the number of different technologies to produce it. Particularly during the last years, new biogas plants had been built across Latvia to ensure more efficient use of farming and other agronomic waste or by-products. The aim of the research is to determine occupational risk factors at biogas plants in Latvia. The research summarises the risk factors of the biogas plant environment, compares the results of observations of biogas plants, performs a survey and an a...

The issues of rational use of land resources have become increasingly relevant, as all economies depend on the goods and services provided by the natural environment. Soils as a natural resource perform a number of key environmental, social and economic functions. In Latvia, utilised agricultural land occupies 2.3 mln. ha, yet no research investigations into organic soils have been conducted. The use of agricultural land, organic soils in particular, is associated with negative environmental impacts. Therefore, th...

Soil and its quality are the key factor that determines opportunities for agricultural production in a particular territory. However, through lasting land management practices, soil structure can be significantly modified. In the context of climate change, soils can contribute to increased greenhouse gas emissions; for this reason, the techniques that contribute to sustainable land management have to be used in agricultural production. In many Central European countries, organic soils have been extensively used an...