On pine forests with beans and butterflies

We have both heard and heard a lot of good words from tourists in Latvia's relatively little modified natural beauty everyday. At the same time, natural and natural changes are occurring in nature, which change the composition of both landscapes and tree and plant species, causing even concerns about the overall disappearance of certain plants and insects. In the world, scientists have developed techniques and environmentally friendly farming methods to prevent this, but not all techniques in Latvia have been well known so far. For example, fire in forests may not only be timber-destructive, but also natural-friendly progress. We offer more information about one of the most magnificent coniferous forests and the possibilities to preserve it.
What is oss?
Although we do not have a high mountain and deep valley, the terrain is special and landscape because most of the land is covered by glacial shapes. Both glaciers and glaciers have participated in these processes, which have transformed the surface of the earth by destructing it, as well as precipitating sand and arable stones.
Terrain forms called osse (from the Swedish word äsar – kore) are formed in times when the cous glacial waters. In places where there were solid dolomite and limestone rocks under the glacier, the streams of water could not be deeply rooted. The melting waters in the tunnels sank sands and gravel, which, by the time of the glacial melting, became visible as the arches of curves and the strings of hills. These arbitrary geologists are called osses.
Osi is a long loose hill with steep slopes. They consist of pebbles, gravel or sand, so many are already under way. Osi is very rare in Latvia. The most familiar osi Latgale is Numernes Valnis, Grebļakalns and osi at Andrupenes, but elsewhere in Latvia, small Kangari, big Kangari and Ogre Blue Hills.
Natural diversity in forests on oscillating terrain forms
The most commonly grown pine forests, which have been covered by a specific and wealthy composition of plant species, are the most frequently growing forests of pine trees. Since there are rarely both osi and related specific, species rich forests and rare species, these forests are recognised as specially protected.
The specially protected habitat “coniferous forests on oscillating terrain forms” is one of the most rare types of forest to be protected in Latvia, which occupies only around 14 km2 in the country. The area of the relatively Rēzekne city is 18 km2. Osi is also found in the south-east edge of Razna National Park, extending into a wide range OF “Latvian State Forests” in economic forests in the border area of the national park.
Why are these woods so rich?
The characteristic characteristic of ocial forests is the richness of species. One of the prerequisites for the preservation of their diversity is natural (or minor, man-made) disturbance: limited forest fire, small pests and disease outbreaks, gentle rearing of forest stands, etc. Such disturbance, although destroying part of the tree, generates new places of residence and contributes to a diverse generation of species and is important for the long-term existence of oscillating species.
What to do to preserve diversity?
Pine forest forests are negatively affected by natural eutrophication or soil enrichment and subsequent extinction of light, rare plant species. The bright pine forest grows with spruce, a thick layer of moss, but the ornate flowers and associated insects, such as butterflies, disappear. The conservation of habitats requires forestry, which removes the skimmed, light pine forest. In part, it can be provided in intelligent care and random felling in pine forests on osses. But it does not prevent the accumulation of needles, the acidification of soil and the formation of a thick layer of moss, which is the main reason for the disappearance of typical rare species.
There has been a fire in such places, especially in the past. As a result of burning, pine trees are usually mostly survived, but ruins and bushes are killed. When the moss is burned, the moss is reduced or completely burned, the uncovered mineral grease becomes considerably more diverse and more suitable to accommodate a larger number of species. Many species of dry pine forests, such as spiders, have been applied to fire and are rapidly abandoned. Some gorgeous beetles go straight to the trees of the trees, to meet and eat eggs in the warm, Cooper bark, otherwise these species are not able to multiply. It should be noted that these beetles are not forest pests. After a short time in the burned soil, the mushrooms, the beautiful plateums and other plants are emerging. The forest continues to live, and some plants finally have the chance to sprout and flower.
As mentioned above, osa forests in Latvia are one of the most rare habitats, unfortunately their quality is deteriorating rapidly, growing with spruce and a thick layer of moss. A man has significantly reduced natural disturbances on behalf of economic objectives. Today, fires are relatively rare and the burnt trees are quickly harvested from forest stands. Unfortunately, it is slowly losing many rare species of rare species whose existence is very important.
Is that something new?
In Scandinavia (Sweden, Finland), a harvesting technique is widely used for long periods of time in such places - controlled submarine burning. It is used in the preparation of soil in cuts by promoting natural forest regeneration and in dry pine forests where it is necessary to imitate natural fire disturbance. This is the case for rare species. The measure is carried out in strictly controlled areas, usually in small areas, under the management and supervision of the specialist fire safety specialists. It should be noted that all forestry specialists are taught in the Finnish universities.
If we want to keep the ossal forests in Latvia in the future, so that we can show our grandchildren purple blowy flowers in a bright pine forest, we have to answer ourselves soon to the question we are willing to do and what measures to take. In certain areas, it is necessary to implement the Scandinavian experience for nature conservation purposes - the use of precisely developed methods where, under the supervision of strict fire protection specialists, a moss strawberry is burned in small areas, opening the way for greater variety of species. Latvian legislation has provided for the following cases where fire can be used for the preservation of individual forest habitats and Cabinet regulations are issued in 2013, determining the procedures for doing so.
 
Sandra Ikauniece
Nature Conservation Agency
Project NAT-PROGRAMME
Leader of the forest habitat group
sandra.ikauniece@daba.gov.lv
 
Photo: forest silhouette Pulsatilla Patens (Regina Indriķe)