Guntars Šņepsts

• Latvian State Forest Research Institute "Silava"

In any forest stand, the theoretically modelled output of sawlogs (the most valuable roundwood assortments) will differ from what is actually obtained. The aim of this study was to assess whether it is possible to characterise this difference by site properties or forest inventory parameters for birch, black alder, and aspen. We compared theoretica...

Damage to birch (Betula spp.) trees after an extensive freezing rain and snowing event was assessed in hemiboreal stands aged from 2 to 30 years. Tree diameter, height, and stem bending were measured, stand age and time of thinning were obtained from inventory data, and the relative distance from a sample plot to the nearest adjacent stand was calc...

In the Eastern Baltics, climatic changes are expected to alter forest composition favouring broadleaved species. The height growth of trees influences the productivity of stands and the competitiveness of species, particularly in mixed sites, thus emphasising the necessity for accurate projections. Accordingly, height models are paramount for proje...

Forest ecosystems are significant carbon pools on a global scale, and also a source of renewable raw materials. Moreover, the European Union (EU) aims to tackle climate change and reach climate neutrality; therefore, forest regulations are designed to promote sustainable forest management practices and ensure the long-term health and productivity o...

Forests play a significant role in the mitigation of climate change through carbon storage and sequestration. However, a forest’s capacity to absorb carbon is influenced by a number of factors, such as soil characteristics, the selection of tree species, and the application of silvicultural practices. A study in Latvia was conducted to evaluate the...

In any forest stand, the theoretically modelled output of sawlogs (the most valuable roundwood assortments) will differ from what is actually obtained. The aim of this study was to assess whether it is possible to characterize this difference by site properties or inventory parameters of forest element for birch, black alder and as-pen. The differe...

The breeding of economically important forest tree species in the Baltic Sea region has contributed notably to the availability of quality wood for bioeconomy. Accordingly, the altered stand dynamics of improved trees should be identified and incorporated in growth models to accurately reflect these gains. Such advanced models can be used for asses...

Birch (Betula pendula Roth, Betula pubescens Ehrh.) and European aspen (Populus tremula L.) stands dominate the deciduous forests of Northern Europe. Due to increasing forest protections, more deciduous stands will reach the old-growth stage. Thus, data on the carbon storage potential in such areas are essential. We aimed to establish a benchmark f...

The interactions between wind damage and biotic agents, such as root-rot and cervids (bark-stripping), amplify the effects of storms on forests in Europe and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands, in the Eastern Baltic region in particular. Due to uneven manageability of the biotic agents, the information about their effects on susceptibil...

Latvijai piemērotākā zemes izmantošanas, zemes izmantošanas maiņas un mežsaimniecības attīstības scenārija izvērtēšana

Latvijai piemērotākā mežsaimniecības Latvijai piemērotākā mežsaimniecības attīstības scenārija izvērtēšana iespējamā attīstības scenārija izvērtēšana iespējamā Eiropas līmeņa zemes izmantošanas, zemes Eiropas līmeņa zemes izmantošanas, zemes izmantošanas maiņas un mežsaimniecības izmantošanas maiņas un mežsaimniecības sektora siltumnīcefekta gāzu e...

At the beginning of the 19th century, common ash was a rare species in the forests of Latvia. Back then, the first ash plantations were cultivated in Western Latvia (Cīrava), but the attempt was not successful. After that, the ash spread gradually, with a particularly sharp increase during the second half of the 20th century. In 58 years (1940-1998...

At present, 87.9% of all ash stands in Latvia are found on dry soils, where groundwater does not affect the root system of trees, and 94.3% of ash stands are distributed in eutrophic habitats, saturated with exchange bases and biologically active nitrogen. In Latvia, ash stands are found mainly on the loose sediments of sandy till and clayey till i...

Post-disturbance salvage logging mitigates economic loss after windthrow, and the value of salvaged timber is strongly linked to its quality and dimensions. We studied the occurrence of wind-induced damage of aspen in the hemiboreal forests of Latvia based on data from the National Forest Inventory and additional measurements. Individual tree data...

Climate forecasts indicate that in the future the climate will become more and more suitable for growth of broad-leaved tree species in Latvia. It is therefore very important to recognise and understand the growth potential of these broad-leaved stands in Latvia and the factors affecting the increment of growing stock. The results of the study show...

European aspen deadwood is extensively studied as a habitat for saproxylic species, while less is known of its dynamics and role in carbon sequestration. We studied unmanaged mature (41–60 years), moderately overmature (61–80 years), overmature (81–100 years), and old-growth (101–140 years) and managed mature and moderately overmature aspen stands...

The scope of the study is to estimate GHG mitigation potential of birch plantations under different management conditions, depending from initial land use and nutritional regime using methodologies harmonized with National GHG inventory.

Strong wind is the major natural disturbance in European forests, that periodically causes tremendous damages to forestry. Yet, factors that affect the probability of wind damage for birch ( Roth and Ehrh.), the most common deciduous tree species in hemiboreal forests, are studied scarcely. This study aimed to assess the effects of several tree- an...

As one of the most abundant tree species in the hemiboreal zone, birch is important from both commercial and biodiversity perspectives. While old-growth deciduous stands are important for biodiversity conservation with an emphasis on deadwood availability, the role that deadwood in these stands plays in carbon sequestration remains unclear. We stud...

Bark stripping caused by cervids can have a long-lasting negative effect on tree vitality. Such trees of low vitality might be more susceptible to other disturbances. The amplifying effects of disturbance interactions can cause significantly more damage to forest ecosystems than the individual effects of each disturbance. Therefore, this study aime...

Latvia's forest reference level (FRL) should take in account the future impact of dynamic age-related forest characteristics in order to avoid unduly constraining the forest management intensity as a core element of sustainable forest management practice, with the aim of maintaining or strengthening long-term carbon sinks. The basic for calculation...

Continuous cover forestry (CCF) aims to emulate small natural disturbances and take advantage of natural regeneration. To implement these management practices successfully, knowledge of advance regeneration under the canopy in different conditions is crucial. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the influence of stand inventory parameters...

Monocultures of Norway spruce widely used for afforestation of drained peat soils often have low productivity and decline in vitality. The research aim was to elucidate: (1) imbalances in the nutrient status of soil and plants in relation to Norway spruce crown status and annual increment on drained peat soil in the sub-boreal zone; (2) the suitabi...

Updated Latvia’s National Forestry Accounting Plan (NFAP) is elaborated under the Regulation 2018/841 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 30 May 2018 on the inclusion of greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use, land use change and forestry (further in the text – LULUCF Regulation 2018/841) in the 2030 climate and energy fra...

INTRODUCTION Storms are the primary factor reducing carbon sequestration in Europe’s forests, thus negatively affecting the ability of countries to fulfil their targets related to greenhouse gas balance (emission vs. sequestration). The impact of storms is rising due to an increase in forest cover, a preference for less wind-firm species (namely th...

The height growth of trees influences the productivity of stands and the competitiveness of species, shaping the range of their distribution. Dominant height growth was assessed for European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.), growing outside of its natural distribution range in the western part of Latvia. In 10 neighbouring experimental stands, 20 dominan...

Norway spruce used for afforestation of drained peat soils frequently has low productivity and decay in a long-term, which could be related to soil chemical composition and nutrient status. The research aim was to elucidate the effect of PSM on new Norway spruce plantings (1st experiment) and 20-year-old spruce stands (2nd experiment) on drained pe...

In managed European hemiboreal forests, windstorms have a notable ecological and socio-economic impact. In this study, stand properties affecting windstorm damage occurrence at the stand-level were assessed using a Generalized Linear Mixed model. After 2005 windstorm, 5959 stands dominated by birch ( spp.), Scots pine ( L.) and Norway spruce ( (L.)...

...Baltijas jūras reģionā kopš 1871. gada ir novērojams nozīmīgs gaisa temperatūras pieaugums. Tomēr tas šajā periodā nav bijis vienmērīgs. Kopumā var izšķirt trīs periodus: temperatūras pieaugums līdz 20. gadsimta trīsdesmitajiem gadiem, temperatūras samazināšanās līdz seš­desmitajiem gadiem, kam atkal sekoja posms, kurā bija vērojams temperatūras...

Pruning requires significant investment, therefore, the aim of the study was to characterize occlusion of branch wounds and changes in radial increment as well as frequency of browsing damages after pruning of Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) in order to provide data for financial calculations and recommendations for practical forestry. Alto...

Fire as disturbance of forests has an important ecological and economical role in boreal and hemiboreal forests. The occurrence of forest fires is both climatically and anthropogenically determined and shifts in fire regimes are expected due to climate change. Although fire histories have been well documented in boreal regions, there is still insuf...

For forest inventory data updating in Latvia are used equations elaborated in 1970-ties. Whereas there is evidence that over the last decades growth of forest trees has changed in the Europe and forestry activities in Latvia has intensifed, there is a need to develop new forest inventory data updating models. Te study aims to develop a statisticall...

Norway spruce is an economically important tree species in Latvia, but knowledge on one of its management measures with a potential to improve monetary value of the tree – pruning – is limited. Th erefore aim of our study was to characterize healing of branch scares of pruned Norway spruces and factors aff ecting the process as well as changes in b...