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A. Ruskule et al. 2010. Patterns of afforestation process in abandoned agriculture land in Latvia
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Patterns of afforestation process in abandoned agriculture land in
Latvia
Anda Ruskule * , Olģerts Nikodemus, Zane Kasparinska & Raimonds Kasparinskis
University of Latvia, Latvia
Abstract
Afforestation of the former agriculture land is one of the most typical trends of the
contemporary Latvian rural landscape. The study examines development of landscape
ecological succession, its spatial character and influencing environmental factors within
abandoned agriculture land in Vidzeme, central part of Latvia. The study area comprises
a great variety in the spatial dynamics of the ecological succession. Character of the
ecological succession is influenced by various factors like soil fertility, moisture and
light conditions, species composition of surrounding forest, former land use etc. The
study aims to assess impacts of these factors on dynamics of afforestation process in
order to predict its future development.
Keywords: abandonment, afforestation, landscape ecological succession, environmental factors
1. Introduction
Land abandonment and related natural afforestation process is typical feature of contemporary
landscape in marginal areas all over the Europe and most probably this trend will last for the
coming years - modelling of land use development in Europe until 2030 shows decline of
agricultural land as one of the major factors influencing European landscape in future (Stoate et
al 2009). In Latvia afforestation process has been noted from the beginning of the last century,
resulting from frequentative change of political and economic situation – if in 1935 forest
occupied ca. 27 % of the land area, than by 2008 its area has almost doubled, reaching ca. 50 %
(Ministry of Agriculture 2009; Nikodemus et al. 2005). During the last ten years forest area has
increased mostly due to natural afforestation, twice exceeding artificial afforestation. This is
related to extensive land abandonment after regaining of independence from Soviet Union in
1991 and the following collapse of the collective farming system, urbanisation process and land
reform (big share of the agriculture land was retrieved by the former land owners, presently
living in city and having not much interest in farming).
In the recent years land abandonment has become an important issue in scientific research,
questioning what are the factors influencing this process, how it impacts the landscape structure
and biodiversity as well as the potential of abandoned land for use of natural resources or
restoration of habitats. Socio-economic and political factors driving the marginalisation process
and land abandonment are well studied. However little is known about impacts of
environmental factors on ecological succession process and related changes in the landscape
spatial structure. Some authors argue that role of these factors is less significant compared to
socio-economic factors (Łowicki 2008; Mander et al. 2004).
Though one should bear in mind that once the land has been abandoned, the ecological
succession process takes over and environmental factors becomes determinant. The course of
* Corresponding author. Tel.:371 29222324 - Fax: 371 6750 7071
Email address: anda.ruskule@bef.lv
Forest Landscapes and Global Change -New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology
Working Group International Conference, September 21-27, 2010, Bragança, Portugal. J.C. Azevedo, M. Feliciano, J. Castro & M.A. Pinto (eds.)
2010, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.