Forest Biodiversity
Forests are a characteristic element of Latvian landscape and cover 44% of
the land area of the country. In forests, tree form the environment and
store organic substances. Forest in Latvia is an ecologically stable
ecosystem that secures a balanced maintenance of the environment. In Latvia,
forests are diverse, their distribution and characteristic features differ
quite greatly in various parts of the country. These differences are
determined by climatic and edaphic (soil) conditions, as well in a time span
- by human economic activities.
Threats and cevelopment tendences
Forests are dynamic ecosystems. In total, during the last 100 years
forests have become more fertile. Area covered by Cladinoso-callunosa has
decreased as well as diminished area covered by oligotrophic peaty forests.
Also the area covered by conifers decreases, in parallel increasing the area
of secondary deciduous tress, like birch and grey alder. Such change of
forest species is connected with land use type transformation - overgrowing
of agricultural lands and possibly also with the climate change. In the last
century, areas covered by forest have increase in the Alūksne, Augszeme and
Vidzeme Uplands.
Responsible institutions
State administration and state forest property management
institutions:
Scientific institutions:
Non-governmental organizations:
Legislation and policy
Research and monitoring
Forest habitat composition, plant communities, structure and dynamics,
species variety is studied at higher education establishments of Latvia. The
main centres are:
- University of Latvia, Faculty of Biology
Forest habitats, plant communities, plant, animal and
fungi species
- University of Latvia, Faculty of Geography and Earth
Sciences
Forest habitats, plant communities, forest
monitoring
- University of Latvia,
Institute of Biology
Plant, animal, fungi, forest monitoring
- Latvia University of
Agriculture, Faculty of Forestry
Plant, animal and fungi species, forest gene
pool
- Daugavpils
Pedagogical University
Plant and animal species
Branch institutions and offices:
Integrated monitoring
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