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An Increased Number of Deposits of Rare Species were Found in State Forests Last Year

Every year, LVM employees identify new deposits of protected species, nesting and roosting places of protected birds, and various biotopes of European Union importance in the territory managed by JSC “Latvia's State Forests” (LVM). In 2023, LVM environmental experts and environmental planning specialists recorded new deposits of rare species in the state forests and continued to monitor protected species to ensure favourable living conditions for these and other species in the long term, thus promoting biological diversity.

In 2023, the LVM GEO database was supplemented with a total of 6 295 new deposits of rare and specially protected species of plants, mushrooms, lichens, invertebrates and vertebrates found in the territory managed by LVM, and the company's environmental experts already counted more than 82.7 thousand records of rare and protected species.

Bird monitoring success

In the area managed by LVM, significant populations of protected bird species nest, such as the lesser spotted eagle, the golden eagle, the sea eagle, the osprey, the black stork, and the woodgrouse.  The results of the monitoring carried out by LVM allow us to follow the population changes, development trends, and the total number of these seven species in Latvia.

Positive trends can be observed in the nesting dynamics of several large birds of prey. For example, last year the number of sea eagle nesting couples in the areas managed by LVM continued to increase, which is also characterized by the largest number of inhabited territories known so far – 108. The largest number of such territories was in the South Kurzeme region – 41; the South Kurzeme region also had the highest number of successful nests – 26.   

The year 2023 is notable for the fact that two young eagles were found in one of the successful nests of the protected golden eagles. Since 2001, this is only the eighth case of two young eaglets in the same nest. Golden eagles usually raise one baby bird at a time.

In 2023, a total of 444 large nests were found on the lands managed by LVM, of which nesting of specially protected bird species was found in 144 nests. Moreover, eight nesting sites were found in tree hollows where specially protected species of owls and woodpeckers nest.

To guard the nesting sites of protected bird species, LVM promotes the creation of new micro-reserves in accordance with the regulations, and creates areas determined by LVM for the protection of habitats, and around them – buffer zones; in these territories, restrictions are set for forestry during the nesting period.

Rare mushrooms and plants

Significant finds of various rare mushrooms in the state forests also characterized the year 2023. Last year, in South Latgale, which is one of the biotopes of European Union importance, LVM environmental experts found the first deposit of the velvet shield or Pluteus umbrosus. It is a small cap fungus that lives in deciduous trees, mostly oaks, on fallen trees, in rare cases the species has also been found on dead conifers. Currently, slightly more than 20 deposits of the species are known in Latvia, and this is the first known observation of this species in Latgale. The species is included in the Latvian list of specially protected species.

Among the mushrooms, the most important finds of the last year are the junghuhnia pseudozilingiana, the flaviporus citrinellus, the hapalopilus croceus, the asterodon ferruginosus, the grifola frondosa and the sceletocutis stellae.

In 2023, a rare plant in Latvia – the ranunculus lanuginosus – could be observed much more often in LVM forests. Last year, 181 new records of this species were made, mostly in the forests of South Kurzeme and South Latgale, thus increasing the total number of finds to 294. The ranunculus lanuginosus is a perennial herbaceous plant. It forms groups and large stands in broad-leaved and broad-leaved-coniferous forests, brushwood, heather, and rarely in pine forests. For example, in the Kalupe Forest, the massive species was found not only in the specially created micro-reserves, but it had also spread in nearby forest stands of different ages, in roadside ditches, on neighbourhood paths, and even in clearings. The species is included in the Latvian list of specially protected species.

Mosses and lichens

Last year, the information in the LVM database was mostly updated with such species that are characteristic of natural forest habitats. The most frequently recorded mosses are the crossocalyx hellerianus and the odontoschisma denudatum, which were found in all regions of Latvia. In turn, such mosses as the trichocolea tomentella, the lejeunea cavifolia, the bazzania trilobata, the geocalyx graveolens and the liochlaena lanceolata have been rarely found.

Among the lichens, artonias are the most common: the arthonia spadicea, the arthonia leucopellea and the arthonia vinosa. Relatively often, yet only in Vidzeme and Kurzeme, the mycoblastus sanguinarius has been found.

The preservation of natural diversity is an integral part of forest management planning and the organization of daily forest work. Regular environmental monitoring provides basic information that allows following the progress of achieving the environmental objectives and, if necessary, to justify changes in forest management practices to minimise environmental impacts. Since 2011, the environmental monitoring results are being compiled in the annual LVM Environmental Report, which is a part of the forest management plan and can be found on the LVM website.