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Windbreaks are key components of agricultural landscapes, mitigating wind erosion, protecting crops, enhancing microclimate stability, and supporting biodiversity. Despite their ecological and agronomic importance, spatially comprehensive inventories of windbreaks remain limited, particularly at regional and national scales. This study presents a semi-automated GIS-based method for identifying potential windbreak structures in the Malacky district of western Slovakia. Using the Land Parcel Identification System (L...

Sustainable Development Goal 15 ( Life on Land ) emphasizes the conservation and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems, yet monitoring biodiversity across large landscapes remains a challenge, particularly for species not yet under direct threat but that serve as indicators of ecosystem health. Terrestrial wildlife monitoring has traditionally relied on direct visual observations, such as point counts or mark-recapture methods; however, these approaches can be challenging to apply to highly vagile, cryptic, rare, ...

In 2021 there were approximately 227,360 ha of abandoned land in Latvia. Bauska district has very fertile soil and active farmers, but despite this, agricultural lands are being afforested. The aim of the research is to analyze and evaluate the reasons and results of afforestation of agricultural lands in Bauska district in order to assess under what afforestation conditions the forest is most successfully grown. Seven properties were afforested in 2019, with a total area of 23.48 ha. Each property was divided int...

In recent years, various crises have occurred around the world. There has been the financial crisis, the crisis related to the Covid-19 pandemic, the migration crisis, and now we are in times of armed conflict, and the crisis related to the war in Ukraine. Companies are operating in times of great uncertainty. In many of them, managers are abandoning policies focused on increasing profits and trying to ensure the possibility of continuing business operations. Changes in management policies are visible, shifting to...

Soil is an essential component of ecosystems, one of the most important natural resources and a significant factor in maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity. Since 2002, the LUCAS (Land Use/Cover Area Frame Statistical Survey) project has been regularly implemented in the European Union to obtain data on changes in land cover and land use patterns, various environmental indicators, as well as indicators characterizing soil properties. Field studies were conducted and soil samples were taken within the frame...

Based on literature survey and M. Porter's diamond a system of internationally comparable indicators is substantiated, which characterizes the competitiveness of forestry at national level of fourteen European union (EU) member states. The indicators are as of 2022, and are: area of wooded land per capita; growing stock per hectare; net annual increment per hectare; roundwood removals under bark per hectare; output of forestry per hectare, labour productivity, net entrepreneurial income per hectare, gross fixed ca...

In recent years, wildfires have become more frequent, intense, and long-lasting due to the combined effects of climate change, including prolonged droughts, rising temperatures, and shifting weather patterns. These conditions, along with expanding urban development in Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) zones, have increased risks to human life, infrastructure, and ecosystems. Tools that are used to simulate wildfires are very useful and effective in fire risk management. In this paper, and under the framework of the p...

Latvia is one of the most forested countries in Europe, with forests covering approximately 53% of the country s territory. Forest regeneration often involves the creation of monocultures, which can harm biodiversity and forest sustainability. Intensive planting and the replacement of natural forests with uniform stands increase the vulnerability of forest ecosystems in the long term. Increasing climatic stress is a primary factor contributing to the widespread presence of the European spruce bark beetle (Ips typo...

The efficiency of the possessed forest resources in relation to gross value added (GVA) produced in forestry of fourteen European Union member states (Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden) in 2022 is assessed by means of Data envelopment analysis (DEA), an input-oriented BCC model with variable returns to scale (VRS). On this grounds is established that in the forestry of 7 EU member states (Austria (0,89), Bulgaria (0,71), Croatia (0...

Agroforestry and agrovoltaics are emerging as key strategies for sustainable land use, combining economic, environmental and social benefits. The integration of digital technologies, AI and blockchain-based solutions increases the transparency, efficiency and scalability of agroforestry projects. Ukraine, with its strong agricultural sector, faces challenges related to climate change, resource depletion and war-induced environmental damage. The study is based on a comprehensive analysis of scientific literature, s...

Albania faces increasing wildfire pressure amid hot, dry summers, where extreme temperatures and prolonged drought intensify fire danger. To assess how meteorological fire-danger signals correspond to real wildfire outcomes, this study examines the coherence of the Fire Weather Index (FWI) with two key indicators fire occurrence and fire extension using daily data for July August 2017 2021. FWI values were derived from EFFIS daily rasters for all twelve qarks. At the same time, fire counts and burned-area data wer...

The growth course properties of grey alder (Alnus incana (L.) Moench) on different site types are still insufficiently researched, especially, if to compare the forest and abandoned agricultural lands. Due to the species relatively high prevalence in private forest areas in Latvia, which according to the forestry statistics data, equaled 11% in 2023, it has crucial significance to the economy. The paper analyses 40-year-old grey alder stands on abandoned agricultural land, forest land, and forests along the rivers...

This study presents a hexagonal-based geoinformation approach for monitoring forest ecosystems and detecting anomalous changes in Ukraine, where forest resources are under severe anthropogenic and military pressure. Using Sentinel-2 satellite imagery, vegetation indices were processed to classify vegetation dynamics and identify areas of significant degradation. A hexagonal spatial partitioning method was applied to improve spatial accuracy, reduce edge effects, and support the quantitative assessment of forest co...

Green space is an integral part of human life. Many aspects of the population's activity and well-being are associated with this process. Green space is equally important for both rural and urban settlements. Tbilisi, Georgia, is a city where the loss of green space has recently intensified due to excessive urban sprawl. However, this growth is not well planned in most cases. Accordingly, analysis of green space dynamics is crucial for strategic planning in Tbilisi. However, there is a lack of similar data for Tbi...

Sclerocarya birrea (marula) is a key multipurpose species in West African agroforestry and silvopastoral systems, essential for ecological stability, biodiversity conservation, and rural livelihoods. This study examines phenotypic variation in growth traits of S. birrea in northern Ferlo, Senegal, across three sites: Amaly, Tessekere, and Labgar. Field measurements focused on morphometric parameters influencing tree growth, including diameter at breast height, canopy diameter, and total height. Multiple regression...

As a result of rapid climate change, forest ecosystems are transforming, leading to insect outbreaks, such as the large pine weevil (Hylobius abietis L.). In Europe, the pine weevil is considered one of the most significant pests of coniferous trees, causing substantial financial losses estimated at around - 120 million annually. To limit or reduce the impact of this pest, it is essential to take preventive measures; otherwise, in unprotected stands, the extent of damage can reach 60-80%. Damage caused by the weev...

In the more developed European countries, because of the importance given to the poplar species, research in this field has increased, while feeling the need to set up an international coordinating forum. Due to the particularly rapid growth, poplar crops soon produce an important quantity of wood mass that satisfies to an increasing extent the wood needs of society. The wood of this species, with special characteristics, has multiple industrial uses: Timber and light packaging, fibro-woody plates and plywood, fur...

The goal of present paper is to study the influence of investments and forest resources on gross value added in forestry. To achieve this goal are used comparable data from Eurostat for the period 2015-2022 for 12 European union (EU) member states: Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czechia, Finland, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia and Sweden. A panel regression model with fixed time effects is specified. The dependent variable is the gross value added per hectare (euro/ha) and as regressors are used...