Current issues of the Russian language teaching XIV

Collection of papers “Current issues of the Russian language teaching XIV” is devoted to issues of methodology of teaching Russian as a foreign language, to issues of linguistics and literary science and includes papers related to the use of online tools and resources in teaching Russian. This collection of papers is a result of the international scientific conference “Current issues of the Russian language teaching XIV”, which was scheduled for 8–10 May 2020, but due to the pandemic COVID-19 took place remotely

Economic value of Lithuanian forests and the possibilities to enhance it

Magistrantūros studijų baigiamasis darbas, 56 puslapiai, 30 paveikslų, 2 lentelės, 5 priedai, 59 literatūros šaltiniai, lietuvių kalba. RAKTINIAI ŽODŽIAI: bendroji ekonominė vertė, privačios gėrybės, viešosios gėrybės, bioįvairovė, miškų ekonominė vertė, didinimo galimybės. Tyrimo objektas – miškų ekonominė vertė. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti Lietuvos miškų ekonominę vertę, numatant jos didinimo galimybes. Tyrimo uždaviniai: • išanalizuoti miško gėrybių bei jų verčių nustatymo ypatumus; • išnagrinėti miško gėrybių sukuriamus efektus; • išanalizuoti miško ekonominės vertės nustatymo metodus; • nustatyti Lietuvos miškų ekonominę vertę; • numatyti Lietuvos miškų ekonominės vertės didinimo galimybes. Tyrimo metodai: mokslinės literatūros, statistinių duomenų analizė ir sintezė, anketinė apklausa, palyginimo, grafinio vaizdavimo būdai. Tyrimo rezultatai: • pirmoje darbo dalyje išnagrinėta miško daugiafunkcinio naudojimo reikšmė, identifikuoti miško gėrybių bei jų verčių nustatymo ypatumai, išanalizuota miško bendrosios ekonominės vertės koncepcija, išnagrinėti miško gėrybių sukuriami efektai; • antroje darbo dalyje išanalizuoti miškų ekonominės vertės nustatymo metodai, sudaryta tyrimo metodika; • trečioje empirinėje darbo dalyje išnagrinėta miškų ūkio reikšmė šalies ekonomikai, apskaičiuota per rinką teikimų miško gėrybių ekonominė nauda, taikant kontingentinį vertinimą nustatyta miško ekologinė ir visuomeninė estetinė vertė, numatytos Lietuvos miškų ekonominės vertės didinimo galimybės. Pagrindinės išvados: miškų bendrąją ekonominę vertę sudaro naudojamų ir nenaudojamų miško gėrybių verčių visuma. Vadovaujantis atlikto tyrimo duomenimis, siūloma Lietuvos miškų ekonominę vertę didinti gerinant ekonomines, ekologines ir socialines savybes.Master‘s Thesis, 56 pages, 30 figures, 2 tables, 59 references, 5 appendixes, Lithuanian language. KEY WORDS: total economic value, private goods, public goods, biodiversity, economic value of forests, enhancing possibilities. Research object – economic value of forests. Research aim – to assess the economic value of Lithuanian forests providing the possibilities to enhance it. Objectives: • to reveal the singularities of forest goods and their values; • to identify the effects determined by forest goods ; • to examine economic valuation techniques of forests; • to assess the economic value of Lithuanian forests; • to provide the possibilities to enhance Lithuanian forests economic value. Research methods: scientific literature analysis, statistics analysis and synthesis, questionnaire survey, comparison, graphic analysis. Research results: • the first part of the thesis investigates the importance of multifunctional forests’ use, identifies singularities of forest goods and their values, analyses the total economic value of forests concept, and then, reveals the effects determined by forest goods; • the second part of the thesis examines economic valuation techniques of forests. The methodology of forest’s economic value is presented at the end of the part; • the third part of the thesis reveals the importance of the forest sector to economics of the country, estimates the value of market goods and non market goods, supposes the possibilities to enhance the economic value of forests. General conclusions: the total economic value of forests consists of use and non – use goods’ values. The research data suggest that the economic value of Lithuanian forests should be increased by improving economic, ecological, and social aspects.Žemės ūkio akademijaVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

Range of problems of farming systems efficiency Assessment by integration of externalities

Visuomenėje ilgai vyravo požiūris į žemės ūkį vien tik kaip maisto gamintoją, o ekonomikos mokslas ilgą laiką dėmesį skyrė žemės ūkio gamybos intensyvinimo ir jo ekonominio efektyvumo didinimo problematikai. Mokslininkai pradėjo kelti klausimą ar intensyvus žemės ūkis yra palankus visuomenės vystymuisi, nes vis didėjantis žemės ūkio gamybos mastas bei intensyvus cheminių trąšų ir pesticidų naudojimas sąlygoja neigiamus išorės efektus, tokius kaip dirvos erozija, biologinės įvairovės nykimas, maisto tarša cheminėmis medžiagomis ir pan. Dėl to padidėjo visuomenės susirūpinimas dėl gamtinės aplinkos taršos bei blogėjančios žmonių sveikatos, o ekonomistai iškėlė idėją dėl šių neigiamų išorės efektų integravimo į žemės ūkio efektyvumo vertinimą būtinybės. Kita vertus, tradiciniai ekonominio efektyvumo vertinimo metodai grindžiami rinkoje parduodamų prekių ir paslaugų verte. Tuo tarpu žemės ūkyje kuriami neigiami (taip pat ir teigiami) išorės efektai neturi rinkos vertės. Dėl to atsirado poreikis praplėsti minėtus tradicinius ekonominio efektyvumo vertinimo metodus, į juos integruojant ūkininkavimo išorės efektų vertęSociety has predominantly viewed agriculture only as a food producer, and the science of economics has long concentrated on the issues of intensification of agriculture and promotion of its economic efficiency. Scientists have started raising the question of whether such intensive production-centred agriculture is sustainable and favourable to development of society, because the increasing scope of agricultural production and exorbitant use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides have led to such adverse consequences as soil erosion, depletion of biodiversity etc. The increased awareness and concern of society over environment and health has become particularly supporting in these matters. Economists have raised the idea of importance to integrate externalities in valuation of agricultural efficiency. On the other hand traditional economic evaluation methods are based on the variables that carry market value. However positive and negative externalities formed in agriculture do not carry any market value. This has led to the necessity to improve traditional economic evaluation methods by integrating the dimensions of externalities of farming in the mentioned traditional methodsVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Consumers’ attitudes towards the creation of agri-environmental services: Lithuanian case study

1 elektroninis optinis diskas (CD-ROM)This study aims to identify consumers’ attitudes towards the creation of agri-environmental services (i.e. reduction of underground water pollution, preservation of biodiversity, sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape) in Lithuania. The survey of 460 Lithuanian citizens aged above 18 was performed in October and November 2015. The sample is representative stratifying the population by gender and the area of residence, i.e. approximately 40% respondents of the survey were males; about 30% of the respondents were from the rural areas. Results show that Lithuanian consumers find reduction of underground water pollution as the most important attribute, while sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape are viewed as the least important. The provision of agri-environmental services is more important to women than men, while reduction of underground water pollution and preservation of wildlife species diversity are more important to younger generation than older generation. The majority of consumers of all income groups believe that preservation of biodiversity is either important or the most important. Sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape are more important to respondents with lower income than respondents with higher income. It has been found that sustenance and improvement of agricultural landscape are less important to those who are better aware of the effects of agriculture on the environment than to those who do not have this knowledge. The majority of respondents believes or tends to believe that agri-environmental services significantly contribute to their well-beingVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Valuation of agricultural externalities: analysis of alternative methods

The paper focuses on the analysis of agricultural externalities and their valuation methods. Agricultural activity beyond supplying food and fibre, can also be instrumental in forming the landscape, providing natural resources, and preserving biodiversity. Furthermore, agriculture contributes to the achievement of societal goals such as the viability of rural areas and their development, food security, and preservation of cultural heritage. Positive externalities of agriculture assert in the form of public goods, whereas intensive environmentally unbalanced agricultural activity causes damage to the environment. The objectives of this paper are to define agricultural externalities and to analyse methods of their valuation. In order to achieve the research aim, characteristics of agricultural externalities in farming systems have been analysed; evaluation methods of the benefit and cost of externalities in farming systems, revealing their advantages and disadvantages have been examined, and scientific studies on evaluation of externalities have been reviewed. Methods of systemic and logic analysis were applied for analysis of agricultural externalities and their evaluation. The analysis has showed that stated preference methods are commonly used for determination of the positive externalities. The most limited methods are travel cost and hedonic pricing methods, which are suitable only for the evaluation of public goods related toVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Assessment of farming systems efficiency by integration of externalities

Vytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Methodology for estimation of Lithuanian residents’ willingness to pay for agricultural public goods

Žemės ūkis kaip ūkio šaka yra didžiausias žemės naudotojas, jis lemia kaimo aplinką ir kraštovaizdį. Žemėnauda, pasėlių struktūra, taikomi ūkininkavimo būdai ir aplinkosauginės praktikos, ūkinės, rekreacinės, kultūrinės paskirties objektų priežiūra turi įtakos išskirtiniam Lietuvos kraštovaizdžiui. Tyrimas sietinas su metodų, leidžiančių įvertinti agrarinio kraštovaizdžio viešųjų gė - rybių vertę, analize ir metodikos, tinkamos Lietuvos atvejui, kūrimu. Tyrimo tikslas – patikrinti pasirinkimo eksperimentų metodo taikomumą Lietuvos gyventojų polinkiui mokėti už agrarinio kraštovaizdžio viešąsias gėrybes vertinti ir sudaryti patikimą metodiką tolimesniems tyrimams. Pasirinkimo eksperimentai – tai apklausa grįstas metodas, leidžiantis nustatyti sumas, ku - rias vartotojai sutiktų mokėti už jų pageidaujamus teigiamus agrarinio kraš - tovaizdžio pokyčius. Sudaryta metodika siekiama atskleisti, kaip Lietuvos kaimiškųjų vietovių gyventojai ir jų lankytojai vertina agroekosistemose ku - riamas kraštovaizdžio gėrybes bei alternatyvias politikos priemones jų būklei pagerinti ir ekonominei vertei padidinti. Bandomojo tyrimo metu paaiškėjo, kad tematika yra įdomi ir aktuali respondentams, atskleista paklausa agrari - nio kraštovaizdžio gėrybėms. Ekonometrinio modeliavimo rezultatai parodė sąlyginio logit modelio tinkamumą naudoti pagrindiniame tyrime nustatant Lietuvos gyventojų polinkį mokėti už agrarinio kraštovaizdžio viešąsias gėry - bes. Pagal sukurtą ir patikrintą metodiką pagrindiniame tyrime bus nustaty - tas polinkis mokėti už agrarinio kraštovaizdžio viešąsias gėrybes, kuris ypač reikšmingas priemonės „Agrarinė aplinkosauga ir klimatas“ programų, su - sijusių su kraštovaizdžio tvarkymu, tobulinimui – išmokų ūkininkams dydį susiejant su realia sukuriamų kraštovaizdžio viešųjų gėrybių verteThe agricultural sector is the biggest user of land and affects mostly the environment and landscape. Land use, cropstructure, application of good practice and preservation of recreational and cultural objects determine the unique Lithuanian landscape. This study focuses on the application of the special method, which could let to evaluate the agricultural impact on landscape goods and creation of such methodology. The objectives of this paper are to check the applicability of the choice experiments method for estimation of Lithuanian residents’ willingness to pay for agricultural public goods and to create the trusty methodology for further research. CE is a survey-based method implying creation of repetitive choice situations about alternatives of agri-environmental schemes for revealing how much inhabitants of Lithuania are willing to pay for the positive improvements of agricultural landscape. This methodology is focused to reveal how Lithuanian inhabitants value public goods created in agroecosystems and what they think about alternative measures to enhance the economic value of these goods. The results of the pilot survey have shown that the questionnaire was interesting to the respondents, revealing that the valuation of agricultural landscape is in demand by the society. The results of modelling, applying the conditional logit, have shown a good model fit, allowing to use the estimation framework for the main survey and estimate consumers’ willingness to pay for public goods/improvements from agricultural landscape. Applying the constructed and checked methodology, consumers’ willingness to pay for agricultural public goods will be elicited during the main survey. It will contribute to the development of the agri-environmental and climate programme, linked with the landscape management, by relating agri-environmental payments with the real value of agricultural public goodsVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij

Valuation of non-market outputs in dairy system

https://doi.org/10.7220/9786094674648This study aims to present the results of evaluation of non-marketable outputs of milk production in Lithuania. For the case study, we constructed the evaluation framework considering both organic and conventional milk production. Choice experiments were invoked for valuation. The present research employs the Nested Logit model because of its ability to accommodate differential degrees of interdependence between subsets of alternatives in a choice set. For comparison of the results, the general model as multinomial logit is employed to see the importance of the choice attributes in explaining consumer preferences towards different options of non-market farming outputs. Four attributes of non-market dairy farming outputs were analyzed during the research: scenic views and aesthetic value of landscape, water quality soil erosion, biodiversity and climate change. Personal payment for five years in the future was included to the choice set as the cost attribute. Both the MNL and NL models’ results showed that all the attributes are significant except for the climate change attribute. Research results show that an additional price for ecosystem services produced were more than twice for organic farming than for conventional. More than 80% of the respondents thought that organic livestock had a positive effect on the natural environment and human wellbeing, and only about 60% for conventional. The respondents were mostly concerned about water quality (about 80%), climate change (about 55%) and landscape formation (45%). In addition, the results suggest that there are differences between the organic and conventional farming systems in terms of consumers’ willingness to pay. Organic farming seems to be under higher preference in comparison to conventional farmingBioekonomikos plėtros fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

The evaluation of the consumer benefit from forest public goods

Valuation techniques, peculiarities, advantages and limitations of the consumer benefit from forest public goods are analysed in the paper. It was defined that methods used for this purpose are attributed to stated, revealed preference and benefits transfer methods. The benefit of forest public goods provided for the inhabitants of Kaunas district as well as their willingness to pay for forest public goods was analysed using empirical investigation when applying contingent valuation method. After the fulfilment of the questionnaire it was defined that air quality improvement and forest aesthetical value are the most important forest functions for inhabitants. Indirect use and bequest values of public goods provided by forest are important to inhabitants. However, existence and option values are not significant. It was defined that inhabitants are unwilling to pay for forest public goodsVytauto Didžiojo universitetasŽemės ūkio akademij