Eastern Latvia Research Articles

Maximizing growth without compromising wood density: Selecting superior Norway spruce clones

The study examined a free-growing (initial stand density 400 trees ha–1), 50-year-old grafted clonal Norway spruce plantation in Eastern Latvia to assess the genetic control and variability of growth traits and wood density. The latter was used as a proxy for structural timber strength. Results showed moderately high heritability in growth traits and moderate variability in wood density among clones, with an estimated genetic coefficient of variation CVg, of 8.6%. Even when grown at a very low density on nutrient-rich soil, 85% of the trees met the density requirements for construction timber (C18 in accordance with EN 338). The negative correlation between growth traits and wood density was weak at both individual tree and clonal levels (–0.08 < rP < –0.06; –0.16 < rG < –0.09), making it feasible to select fast-growing clones with wood density required for structural timber. The observed variation underscores the importance of selective breeding to ensure optimal timber quality, with implications for enhancing sawn wood strength grades and promoting climate-resilient forestry practices. Keywords: tree breeding; structural timber; clonal forestry; wood properties; plantation forestry; climate-smart forestry

Late Bronze Age stone axe with a wooden haft from Nagļi (eastern Latvia)

Late Bronze Age stone axe with a wooden haft from Nagļi (eastern Latvia)

Phytosanitary assessment of black and grey alder stands in Latvia

ABSTRACT Black alder Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn. and grey alder Alnus incana (L.) Moench, cover up to 11% of the forest area in Latvia. As alder dieback caused mainly by Phytophthora has been reported in several countries, we aimed to assess the distribution of Phytophthora-like symptomatic alders in Latvia and surveyed 208 alder-dominated forest stands. Symptomatic alders were found in 28% of stands, and in 8% of stands, the infected tree proportion comprised more than 10% of trees. Pocket Diagnostics® tests confirmed Phytophthora or other oomycete infection in 13% of stands, mainly in Central and Eastern Latvia. Trees that tested positive were mainly grey alder (1.0% of the overall number of surveyed grey alders), and fewer black alders tested positive (0.2% of the overall number of surveyed black alders). Grey alder had a significantly higher probability of having symptoms at both the stand level (probability 0.429) and the individual tree level (probability 0.017) in comparison to black alder (probabilities 0.185 and 0.004, respectively). In conclusion, alders with Phytophthora-like symptoms were found throughout the territory of Latvia, however, infection risk for the economically important tree species black alder is low.

Language Policy Implementation in Latvian Pre-School: Latvian Language Skills of Minority Children

Summary Latvian is the only official language in Latvia and one of the symbols of an independent state. The article provides a brief insight into the history of its reinforcement, which has not been easy. Education is one of the areas in which it is very important to develop multilingualism, while not forgetting to strengthen state language skills and their application. As the education system continues to reveal shortcomings in the process of Latvian language acquisition, Cabinet Regulations adopted in 2018 “Regulations Regarding the State Guidelines for Pre-school Education and the Model Pre-school Education Programmes” update the need for a successful transition from pre-school education to primary education at school, from pre-school education to bilingual primary school education or education carried out in Latvian. In minority families with a dominant Russian language, children acquire Russian well before pre-school age, and it is time to start learning the state language at pre-school age if this has not already been done. Taking these requirements into account, the article analyses the Latvian language skills of children of pre-school age, using 375 child speech recordings made by researchers in 2019 and 2020 in three regions – Kurzeme (Western Latvia), Latgale (Eastern Latvia), and Riga (capital). The materials are divided into three groups in each of the territories: recordings of Latvian children, recordings of minority children in groups with the Latvian language on a daily basis, and recordings of minority children in groups with the Russian language on a daily basis. The main problem is that regardless of the region, the Latvian language skills of minority children who attend pre-school education groups with a dominant Russian language on a daily basis are still insufficient and do not comply with the requirements set in Cabinet Regulation No. 716 of 2018 that the children should be prepared to start school with the Latvian as the learning language or bilingually. This suggests that the legislative provisions are not fully implemented and improvements are necessary for the Latvian language training system for minority children.

Spatial dimensions of religious practice in multi-confessional Eastern Europe, circa 1760–1820

The article exemplifies the field of an historical geography of religion, specifically focusing on the spatial aspect of inter-denominational relations. It analyses the impact of routes and distances on religious practice, arguing that space played a pivotal role in administering church services. Three case studies from different regions of Eastern Europe – Bukovina (today divided between Romania and Ukraine), Latgale (eastern Latvia) and Suwałki region (Polish-Lithuanian borderland) – focus on the exchangeability of religious services (baptisms, marriages and funerals) between various Christian denominations, as registered in metrical records. On this basis it is possible to state that in the multi-confessional environment with limited access to a priest of a certain denomination a common practice for the faithful, although officially banned, was to go to a priest of another confession. In this respect spatial realities affected religious practices more than official regulations.

Spring onset and seasonality patterns during the Late Glacial period in the eastern Baltic region

Abstract. Spring onset is an important phenological observation that is sensitive to modern climate change and can be traced back in geological time. The Late Glacial (∼ 14 500–11 700 cal yr BP) spring onset and growing season (growing degree days) dynamics in the eastern Baltic region were reconstructed using the micro-phenological approach based on the dwarf birch (Betula nana) subfossil leaf cuticles. The presented study sites, Lake Lielais Svetinu (eastern Latvia) and Lake Kosilase (central Estonia), are located ∼ 200 km apart in the region affected by the south-eastern sector of the Scandinavian Ice Sheet. During the Late Glacial period the region and its biota were influenced by the retreating glacier and the different stages of the Baltic Ice Lake. The plant macrofossil data confirm that the study sites were in different vegetation zones (arctic-to-boreal) during the Late Glacial period. The dynamics of the estimated length of the growing season and spring onset, combined with the regional collection of plant macrofossil records, suggest the importance of local settings to species migration. During the Late Glacial warming period (Bølling–Allerød), a notable spring warming and longer growing season was calculated based on micro-phenology, but the treeline did not extend beyond central Estonia. The comparison of pollen- and chironomid-inferred past temperature estimations with spring onset, growing degree days, and plant macrofossil data shows coherent patterns during the cooler Older Dryas and warmer Bølling–Allerød periods, while suggesting more complicated climate dynamics and possible warmer episodes during the Younger Dryas cold reversal.

When Description means Control. The example of the Russian General Land Survey in eastern Latvia in 1784–1785

ABSTRACT This paper is a case study of Enlightenment’s cadastral landscape recording exemplified by the General Land Survey, taken by the Russian Empire in the newly acquired region of Latgale (contemporary eastern Latvia) in 1784–1785. The surveyors scrupulously described and showed on maps many natural features, such as trees, animals, birds, and fish species, as well as provided insight into social realities by mentioning inhabitants, settlements, local place-names, religious and ethnic relations. However, it was by no means a pure reflection of Latgale’s natural and cultural landscape. The paper argues that the survey in Latgale simultaneously registered the resources, regulated property boundaries, strengthened landlords’ control over peasants, and imposed the rule of the new state. Similarly, as western and central European states, Russia needed a detailed description of the province in order to control it. It was a fundamental change for Latgale, previously belonging to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth that had not introduced any cadastre or comparable land survey, therefore performed little control at a local level.

Soviet Secularisation: the Experience of the Old Believers in Eastern Latvia

The article provides the first overview on Soviet secularisation and the response of priest-less Old Believers in Latvia. Unlike Russia, Latvian Old Believers had the experience of longterm living in democracy before they were incorporated in the Soviet system. This fact played a crucial role in the strategies of preserving religiosity under atheism. The studied oral life-stories demonstrate that the majority of Old Believers chose living a double life of a trustworthy Soviet citizen in public and a devoted follower of the faith in private. Overcoming restrictions in social career, education and personal realisation allowed passing the religious traditions to the further generations. At the same time, the lack of systematic religious practice and all-round social pressure contributed to the diminution of the role of religion in people’s life and their worldview.

THE PRINCIPLE OF COMPOSITIONAL AND FIGURATIVE COMPLIANCE IN THE ARCHITECTURE OF NON-FORMAL EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

The article presents the author's view on the formation of composition and image in the architecture of non-formal education institutions (NFEI). Brief information about the basic principles of figurative design of the buildings of such institutions from the point of view of a systematic approach to the formation of their architecture is presented. Understanding the formation of the architecture of NFEI covers a fairly wide range of issues and compositional-figurative solutions are an important point, since the artificially created space for learning is now interpreted as a psycho-emotional and functional educational component. The architecture is very diverse and its formation depends on many factors: external and internal. Among the main principles of the figurative solution of the building, the author defines the following: the principle of compositional and figurative correspondence to the purpose of the institution and its planning solutions; the principle of conformity and opposition of the image of the building to the environment; the principle of scale (elements, materials, facade-shaped and interior solutions); the principle of attractiveness of a complex solution of an object (ensemble); the principle of conceptual integrity of architectural and imaginative solutions. The principle of compositional and figurative correspondence to the purpose of the institution and its planning solution is designated in this study as the first one, which requires making decisions related to the spatial and architectural and planning components. It is known that there are two main ways (approaches) of such solutions - from function to form and from form to function. The “function + environment = form” design path has been proven to be modern and productive. Its introduction is possible only with an analytical combination of the characteristics of the environment, its traditions, history and landscape properties with the functional purpose and content of the building. The example that was given (Zeimuls, Center of Creative Services of Eastern Latvia, SAALS Architectur) demonstrates the use of replication as one of the means to implement such a path. When designing in the existing urban development, adapting historical buildings and structures subject to renovation (refunctionalization), the “form-function” approach may turn out to be optimal, where the environment itself dictates certain decisions regarding the architectural formation of a non-formal education institution, and, at the same time, the creation of a unique educational recreational space (Experimentarium Science Center, CEBRA).
 The architecture of such institutions, although it is connected in a certain way with the educational processes and scenarios familiar to us, has a very wide range of creating unique buildings, given the above approaches to shaping.

Finnic language islands in eastern Latvia: Archaeological background and perspective

This article discusses the archaeological background of the Leivu and Lutsi Finnic language islands. In contrast to the earlier research tradition, a hidden Finnic presence is suggested by the distribution area of Roman Iron Age tarand graves up to and including the Medieval Period when the presence of a Finnic population in northeastern Latvia (“the Chud in Ochela”) is noted in 1179/80. The Leivu language island west of Alūksne may be the last descendants of this population, formed by the merging of a Finnic substrate and Latgalian superstrate and standing between the Estonians and Livonians. The borders of this Finnic area in northern and northeastern Latvia – a diverse network of communities, existing in parallel with Latgalian ones and based on various ethnic components – are difficult to determine, as archaeological traces of its cultural pattern in the 12th–14th centuries have much in common with the Latgalians despite definite peculiarities. The Finnic traces in the Lutsi area are more difficult to identify archaeologically, although physical anthropology suggests a former Finnic presence there too.
 
 
 
 Kokkuvõte. Heiki Valk: Lõunaeesti keelesaared Ida-Lätis: arheoloogiline taust ja perspektiiv. Artikkel käsitleb leivu ja lutsi keelesaarte arheolooglist kujunemist. Erinevalt varasemast, baltikesksest vaatenurgast eeldatakse läänemeresoome rahvastiku varjatud püsimist rooma rauaaja tarandkalmete alal kuni keskajani ja ka keskaja vältel – kirjalikud allikad mainivad aastatel 1179– 1180 “Otšela tšuude” (tinglikult “adsele maarahvast”). Leivu keelesaar võiks endast kujutada selle läänemere substraadi ja latgali superstraadi ühtesulamise tulemusena kujunenud ning eestlaste ja liivlaste vahel paiknenud rahvastiku viimaseid järeltulijaid. Läänemeresoome asuala piire Läti põhja- ja kirdeosas on raske määratleda, kuna ilmselt oli tegemist eriilmeliste, läti asustuse kõrval eksisteerinud kogukondade võrgustikuga ja 12.–14. sajandi rahvastiku kultuuri arheoloogilised jäljed on vaatamata teatud iseärasustele paljuski latgalipärase ilmega. Lutsi asualal on läänemeresoome jälgi arheoloogias raskem leida, kuigi füüsilise antropoloogia andmed sellele viitavad.
 
 

Diet composition and food supply of the Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina in the core area of its breeding range

ABSTRACT Capsule Small rodents and amphibians are both important prey items for the Lesser Spotted Eagle Clanga pomarina, and their proportions in the diet depend on their local availability, as well as the degree of involvement of the female in food provisioning to the nestlings, which increases towards the end of the breeding season. Aims To describe the diet composition and aspects of the food supply of the Lesser Spotted Eagle during the nesting period. Methods Cameras were installed at five nests of three pairs of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in eastern Latvia, to collect data on food items brought to the nests. Results Of 3109 identified prey items, small rodents (43.36%) and amphibians (44.81%) were the most important prey groups. The proportion of common (small rodents and amphibians) and uncommon (moles, birds and others) food items differed between nests and years. Among the common food items, the deficiency of small rodents in some years was compensated for by an increase in frogs and vice versa. Male eagles brought 66% of all food items to the nest. Females brought more amphibians and fewer rodents than did males. After hatching, the mean number of food items delivered to the nest was 6.9 per day. The main activity period of food delivery was between the 3rd to 7th hour after sunrise. Conclusion The alternative prey hypothesis explains the diet of the Lesser Spotted Eagle in our study area. Rodents and amphibians are food items of equal importance that can replace each other, depending on their availability. The increasing share of amphibians towards the end of the breeding season was mainly a result of an increasing proportion of prey items brought into the nest by females.

Environmental drivers and abrupt changes of phytoplankton community in temperate lake Lielais Svētiņu, Eastern Latvia, over the last Post-Glacial period from 14.5 kyr

Understanding the long-term dynamics of ecological communities on the centuries-to-millennia scale is important for explaining the emergence of present-day biodiversity patterns and for predicting possible future scenarios. Fossil pigments and ancient DNA present in various sedimentary deposits can be analysed to study long-term changes in ecological communities. We analysed recent compilations of data, including fossil pigments, microfossils, and molecular inventories from the sedimentary archives, to understand the impact of gradual versus abrupt climate changes on the ecosystem status of a regional model lake over the last ∼14.5 kyr. Such long and complete paleo-archives are scarce in North-Eastern Europe. The study site lies in a sensitive area, both climatically and in respect to vegetation. Namely the maritime-continentality line runs west to east in the central Baltic area to NE Europe and its south-north transect lies within the gradual decay of the nemoral forest into a boreal environment. Therefore, the selected location is an ideal sampling point to decipher long term environmental changes in the temperate climate zone. The main objective of the present study was to find out external factors influencing phototroph dynamics at temperate Lake Lielais Svētiņu over the post-glacial period (∼14.5 kyr). We were able to model climate change together with vegetation change and the appearance of anthropogenic forcing, either as a gradual change or as abrupt events that influenced the phototrophs, which are keystone groups within the lacustrine ecosystem. Most interestingly, the gradual increase of species richness of phototrophs was linked to similar increase in fungal parasites of the same group – phototrophs. Abrupt climate change in the Late Glacial period caused abrupt events in the ecosystem but equally abrupt events were caused by gradual changes during the stable period of the Holocene Thermal Maximum (HTM). In addition, we highlight the increased frequency and degree of perturbation in pristine lakes due to low impact human activity over a larger region. Both observations demonstrate an impaired relationship between gradual external drivers and ecosystem response and apply to future scenarios of climate warming and increased human impact in north-eastern Europe.

MANIFESTATION OF ETHNICITY AND VALUES: THE CASE STUDY FROM THE EASTERN LATVIA

Values has been explored in connection to a deeper understanding of human behavior. Values provide the answer to the basic existential questions, help to provide meaning in one’s life. Values are the key aspects of one’s self-esteem. They reflect diverse aspects of one’s social identity. According to a number of scientists, ethnic identity is a part of social identity. A number of studies in psychology has a focus on the connection between ethnicity and ethnic values. There are two main approaches towards the study of values can be distinguished. On the one hand, there are values that have the existential basis for the existence of people. On the other hand, the information about ethnic values can have applied aspect. The aim of this study is to identify differences in value orientation among representatives of two main linguistic groups that live in Eastern Latvia: the group of Latvian and Russian-speaking participants. The second goal is to explore the influence of religion, age and gender on the values of the research participants. The methodology used for the purpose of this study was to determine value orientation towards family, religious and friendship. The authors discovered statistically significant differences only in relation to a value of friendship. This value turned out to be the highest among the Russian-speaking group as compared to the Latvian-speaking group, as well as in the Orthodox group as compared to the group of Catholics.

Sedimentary Ancient DNA (sedaDNA) Reveals Fungal Diversity and Environmental Drivers of Community Changes throughout the Holocene in the Present Boreal Lake Lielais Svētiņu (Eastern Latvia).

Fungi are ecologically important in several ecosystem processes, yet their community composition, ecophysiological roles, and responses to changing environmental factors in historical sediments are rarely studied. Here we explored ancient fungal DNA from lake Lielais Svētiņu sediment throughout the Holocene (10.5 kyr) using the ITS metabarcoding approach. Our data revealed diverse fungal taxa and smooth community changes during most of the Holocene with rapid changes occurring in the last few millennia. More precisely, plankton parasitic fungi became more diverse from the Late Holocene (2–4 kyr) which could be related to a shift towards a cooler climate. The Latest Holocene (~2 kyr) showed a distinct increase in the richness of plankton parasites, mycorrhizal, and plant pathogenic fungi which can be associated with an increased transfer rate of plant material into the lake and blooms of planktonic organisms influenced by increased, yet moderate, human impact. Thus, major community shifts in plankton parasites and mycorrhizal fungi could be utilized as potential paleo-variables that accompany host-substrate dynamics. Our work demonstrates that fungal aDNA with predicted ecophysiology and host specificity can be employed to reconstruct both aquatic and surrounding terrestrial ecosystems and to estimate the influence of environmental change.

Long-term performance of Norway spruce in two provenance trials in Latvia

Norway spruce is economically important tree species in the Baltic Sea region, covering large areas and being productive in pure plantations. The species is often regenerated with planting. It is important to choose not only productive, but also robust reproductive material with good adaptability, hardiness and quality traits. The use of appropriate transferred provenances can be an option to increase forest productivity at final-harvest moment. Thus, it is necessary to know long-term fitness of different seedlots. We examined two provenances trials in Western and Eastern Latvia at the age of 34 and 29 years, respectively. We assessed effect of provenance on growth performance, stem quality, and budburst time. In milder climate of Western Latvia, superior growth showed northward-transferred later flushing provenances from the Carpathian Mountains and Lithuania, resulting in by up to 32 % higher yield than the trial mean. No advantages were observed for early flushing Western Russian seedlots facing southward transfer. Latvian provenances showed variable performance regarding productivity and stem quality. In harsher climate of Eastern Latvia, selection of productive local seedlots seemed reasonable option due to relatively lower probability of trees with stem defects comparing to transferred material.

Do Temperament Traits Predict Social Media Addiction in Vocational School Students in Eastern Latvia?

Do Temperament Traits Predict Social Media Addiction in Vocational School Students in Eastern Latvia?

Estimates of Tree Canopy Closure and Basal Area as Proxies for Tree Crown Volume at a Stand Scale

Research Highlights: Studies on tree canopy dwelling species often require simple proxies of tree canopy volume estimated at a stand level. These include allometrically related tree crown parameters such as crown area and basal area, and canopy cover. Background and Objectives: In monoculture Scot’s pine and mixed pine/Norway spruce forest, we aimed to test the relationships between tree diameter at breast height (DBH) and tree crown volume at a tree level and between densitometer canopy closure estimates and tree crown volume at a stand level. Materials and Methods: The study was carried out in eastern Latvia (hemiboreal zone) in monoculture pine and mixed coniferous stands. On a subset of trees in 22 forest stands (88 100 m2 plots), we determined the best regression model that described the relationship between tree DBH and crown volume for spruce and pine. Tree crown volume at a stand level was determined from the individual tree volume estimates calculated from these regression models. On a stand level, we also calculated regression models for densitometer closure estimates versus total crown volume for pine and mixed stands. Results: Linear mixed effects models showed significant relationships between DBH and crown volume for pine (R2 = 0.63) and spruce (R2 = 0.40), indicating that basal area could be used as a predictor of crown volume at a stand level. Variance explained by a regression model of canopy closure versus tree crown volume at a stand level was R2 = 0.52. Conclusions: Tree basal area and crown closure can be used as proxies of tree crown volume at a stand scale in monoculture stands. In mixed stands estimates of crown volume based on basal area need to be calculated separately for each tree species, while canopy closure will provide an estimate of total crown volume.

Adding another piece to NE European Aeolian Sand Belt puzzles: a sedimentary age case study of Pērtupe site, eastern Latvia

The NE European Sand Belt spreads over three Baltic States and consists of dunefields usually lying directly atop former glacial lakes. Some of these dunefields have so far been investigated in terms of their sediment properties and chronology. Nevertheless, there is a limited number of profiles where both glaciolacustrine and aeolian sediments co-occur and thus provide a unique environmental record where wet and dry conditions alternate. In this study, we investigated the Pērtupe profile, eastern Latvia, that represents sediment transition from glaciolacustrine silt to aeolian sand and along with a few known profiles helps to distinguish three sediment units as glaciolacustrine, transitional, and aeolian. This is most likely typical of the sediments of the NE European Sand Belt. A microstudy of sediments revealed that both aeolian and periglacial conditions alternated. However, this seems to be better expressed through prevalence of weathered quartz grains with some fracturing in the transitional unit. Aeolian deposition did take place in drier conditions, but micaceous interlayers argue for occasional watertable-controlled events. This study provides one more support regarding a start of aeolian deposition at ca. 11.3 ka in the NE European Sand Belt, which took place instantly after deglaciation rather than after a few-thousand-year hiatus. Enhanced aeolian activity is known from the region at a similar time frame, but mostly as its maximum or termination, meaning that aeolian activity must had been asynchronous.

ETHNIC IDENTITY AND ETHNIC CULTURE AMONG THE RESIDENTS OF EASTERN LATVIA

Ethnic identity is an important component of a person’s personal identity. Many studies indicate that a strong and secure ethnic identity positively correlates with an adequate self-esteem, coping mechanisms, and optimism. In this study the authors intend to analyse the socio-psychological theories of the ethnic group, ethnic identity and the relationship of ethnic identity and ethnic culture. This article reflects findings gained as a result of a comparative analysis of the characteristics of ethnic identity and its connectedness with ethnic culture among the students of Eastern Latvia. The authors identify what is common for the ethnic groups of the region, as well as point to the differences in the perceptions of their ethnic identity and its manifestation among the respondents. Research methodology: The authors developed a methodology that combines quantitative and qualitative methods of processing the results. This article reflects part of the data obtained as a result of conducting inquiry, where respondents were asked to name literary works in which their ethnic character is reflected most vividly, as well as to name traditions that corresponds to their ethnic identity. The results of the study suggest that there is an idea of the ideal ethnic character and its manifestation. The ethnic traditions, mentioned by the respondents who has Latvian as their native language, were associated with nature, cyclical rhythms in nature and religious symbols. As for the respondents who had Russian as their mother tongue, the most significant were such public holidays such as the New Year, as well as traditional religious festivals.

Sedimentology and vertebrate fossils of the Frasnian Ogre Formation, Gurova outcrops, eastern Latvia

Sedimentology and vertebrate fossils of the Frasnian Ogre Formation, Gurova outcrops, eastern Latvia