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The planted forest stands of pedunculate oak (Quercus roburL.) were carefully cultivated in Latvia for wood harvesting since the end of the 19th century. Today, felling of Q. robur forest stands in Latvia is prohibited, and according to the nature conservation rules are included in the list of habitats of European interest 9160*. According to the State Forest Service [14], the share of oak stands in all forests in Latvia is 0.1% (9354.58 ha). During their lives, oak forest stands are threatened by various risk fac...

Wind is by far the most important natural disturbance, shaping the forest composition and age structure in Europe. Birch (Betula spp.) is among the wind-resistant species, especially during the season of extra-tropical cyclone storms, when it typically is in leaf-less state. However, predicted shifts in the frequency and seasonality of storms will affect also this species, therefore modelling of its wind resistance is important. For this purpose, among others, data on wood properties are essential. Typically such ...

Naturally regenerated birch (Betula spp.) stands, to a large extent formed on abandoned agricultural lands, is a notable part of the privately owned forests in Latvia. Birch is fast growing and less frequently affected by abiotic and biotic factors (like dendrophagous insects, cervids, drought) than other main commercial tree species in Latvia. However, wind storms, predicted to increase in frequency in future, is an important risk in birch stands. Therefore, the aim of our study was to assess the snapping height ...

The development of rural areas is important for the economy of any country. In Latvia, the development of rural areas depends on economic growth in the key industries for the rural areas ? agriculture and forestry. Accordingly, it is important to use the various support instruments of the European Union (EU) Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for rural development, which include financial support not only for agriculture but also for forestry. Therefore, the overall aim of the present research is to assess the use o...