The lasting drought has damaged agricultural crops and young forest stands, according to information compiled by Forests Service Centre (MKPC).
MPKC notes the early and late spring planted stands have suffered from the lasting shortage of moisture.
While the damage of early spring saplings varies between 20% and 30%, the damage among late spring saplings reaches 50%.
MPKC Madona office’s senior forestry consultant, forest owner Madara Bondare explained that spring and the entire June were unusual when compared with the previous years.
She said this spring’s sapling planting was done immediately after Easter, in the beginning of April, when the soil had just thawed. Saplings with improved root system were planted.
“May brought about cold temperatures and then defoliation came. New saplings had to go through one challenge after another. Nevertheless, we observed at the beginning of June that our birch saplings have started growing bit by bit. While it seemed at first that our saplings had succeeded, June hit us with lasting drought. After examining the sites after Jani celebration we noticed the soil was dry and even split in places. Rain will decide everything,” said Bondare.
The drought has mostly affected birch and pine saplings.
In Kurzeme and Zemgale regions the range of damages varies between 30% and 50%.
In other regions of Latvia damages reach 20% to 30%. Damages are observed both in forested areas not used in agriculture and restored forested areas.
“In south Latgale region we’ve noticed yellowing of needles of our newly-planted pines. This indicates the trees don’t have enough moisture.
Pines are still fighting for survival. Perhaps they might survive if conditions improve. But they will still be weakened,” says MKPC south Latgale office’s forestry consultant Edgars Sušinskis,
adding that this increases the risk of trees suffering from pests and various diseases.
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