2015

Cultivation of young plantations resumes

Intensive cultivation of young plantations in state forests starts again in July. Every spring, cultivation of young plantations is temporarily discontinued due to the bird nesting period. A total of 42 percent or more than 17 thousand hectares of young plantations out of the planned 40.7 thousand were cultivated this year. Cultivation is meant to ensure optimal growing conditions for tree species suited for specific areas.

"The majority or 12.5 thousand hectares was completed in the first three months of the year. Thanks to a snowless winter, we were able to intensively cultivate plantations exceeding 2 meters in height. Later on, work continued also at coniferous plantations, where the average height was below 1 meter, as well as in pine and deciduous plantations older than 10 years, and in fir-tree plantations older than 30 years," according to Dace Ozola, LVM forest restoration and cultivation manager.

Cultivation  is conducted not only to create a composition of plantations suitable for growing conditions and to improve growing conditions for trees, at the same time reducing future forestry costs, but also to reduce the snow and wind risks, preserve and create diversity of species, visual quality, and culture-historical heritage.

In order to preserve the proportion of species and biological diversity, a total of 3,400 hectares were planted with pine-trees this spring, 2,100 hectares – with fir-trees, 668 hectares – with birches, 24 hectares – with oaks and black alders.

Between April 1 and June 30, cultivation of young plantations in economic forests is discontinued in pine and deciduous plantations up to ten years old, and fir-tree plantations up to 30 years old, except for places where the height of coniferous trees does not exceed 0.7 meters, but deciduous trees – 1 meter. During the spring and summer period, cultivation is discontinued also in bird microreserves, their buffer zones, especially protected natural territories, as well as in water and quagmire protective zones.