Trilemma of Nordic–Baltic Forestry—How to Implement UN Sustainable Development Goals

Forests are the dominant land cover in Nordic–Baltic countries, and forestry, the management of forests for improved ecosystem-service (ES) delivery, is an important contributor to sustainability. Forests and forestry support multiple United Nations Sustainability Goals (UN SDGs) and a number of EU policies, and can address conflicting environmental goals. Forests provide multiple ecosystem services and natural solutions, including wood and fibre production, food, clear and clean water and air, animal and plant habitats, soil formation, aesthetics, and cultural and social services. Carbon sequestered by growing trees is a key factor in the envisaged transition from a fossil-based to a biobased economy. Here, we highlight the possibilities of forest-based solutions to mitigate current and emerging societal challenges. We discuss forestry effects on forest ecosystems,focusing on the optimisation of ES delivery and the fulfilment of UN SDGs while counteracting unwanted effects. In particular, we highlight the trilemma of (i) increasing wood production to substitute raw fossil materials, (ii) increasing forest carbon storage capacity, and (iii) improving forest biodiversity and other ES delivery

Forest and society’s welfare: impact assessment in Lithuania

Effective formation and implementation of forest policy can only be achieved with orientation to the most important goal—increasing society’s welfare. The global problem is, at present, that the impact of forests on society welfare indexes have not been identified. The aim of the study is to design an assessment model and assess the impact of Lithuanian forests on the society welfare index. The impact of forests was determined by multiplying the country’s welfare of society index by the forest contribution coefficient. In this study, to assess the index of the welfare of Lithuanian society, a five-dimensional model with 16 indicators was applied. The study is based on the Eurostat database and on Lithuanian forestry statistics. The Lithuanian welfare of society index calculated according to the model was 51.4% and the contribution of forests in this index was 3.9%. It represented 7.6% of the index of the welfare of society. Forests have the greatest impact in the environmental dimension, according to the assessment results

Stumpage pricing in Lithuania

The state stumpage pricelist was developed and approved after the Lithuanian independence declaration in 1990. However, it does not fully meet the changes in the forest sector. The biggest portion of stumpage is sold in private forests while the pricelist is valid for the stumpage, which is sold in state forests and comprises only few percent of the total amount. The improvement of the stumpage pricelist is relevant because the assortment and classification of stumpage has been changed. The aim of the research is to evaluate the stumpage pricing in Lithuania. In this article the existing stumpage prices are evaluated in compliance with the roundwood market prices in Lithuania, availability of information on real stumpage transactions is estimated, theoretical potential stumpage price calculation models are described and their practical application in Lithuanian forestry is assessed, as well as the factors influencing stumpage prices are described. Feasible stumpage pricing improvement directions have been determined in Lithuania: 1) stumpage pricing based on the roundwood assortment structure; 2) statistics of the aggregated stumpage price and the main influencing factors; 3) creation of a registration system for stumpage transactions; 4) application of the stumpage transactions analysis method

Relevance of the nominal price method for forest value assessment in Lithuania

Th e issue how to evaluate Lithuanian forests as financial assets exists in accounting. The method of nominal price is used by the State Forest Service for the evaluation of forest economic value through the forest cadastre. There are suggestions for these assessments to be considered as the real forest value and to be used in accounting. The Governance Coordination Centre, analysing the efficiency of forest enterprises, assesses the economic value of their forests with the help of the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method. These estimations differ more than two times. The aim of the present research is to assess the appropriateness of the nominal price method for the fair determination of the value of Lithuanian forests. The objectives of the research are the following: 1) to ascertain the relevance of the nominal price method for the forestland and forest stand value assessment to fair value assessment principles; 2) to assess the forest land and forest stand value by using the nominal price method and the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method; 3) to perform a comparative analysis of forest values estimated by the nominal price method and the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method. The results showed that the nominal price method for forest value assessment did not comply with fair forest assessment principles, because this method is not associated with the trends of wood market prices. The Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) method is dominating in the global forest assessment theory and practical assessment of forest value, additionally supplemented by other assessment methods (market, income and expenses). It is necessary to create a monetary forest assessment methodology in Lithuania, which would be suitable for financial analysis of forestry entities

Assessment of forestry impact on society’s welfare in Lithuania

Efektyvus miškų ir su jais susijusių veiklų politikos formavimas ir įgyvendinimas galimas tik orientuojantis į galutinį tikslą – visuomenės gerovės didėjimą. Problema yra ta, kad šiuo metu miškų ūkio poveikis visuomenės gerovei nėra nustatomas. Nėra tam skirtų tyrimų ir metodikų. Tyrimo tikslas – įvertinti Lietuvos miškų ūkio poveikį visuomenės gerovei. Siekiant šio tikslo ir remiantis visuomenės gerovės bei miškų ūkio darnumo vertinimo metodais buvo sukurta metodika ir pirmą kartą įvertintas Lietuvos miškų ūkio poveikis visuomenės gerovei. Vertinimas grindžiamas daugiarodiklės analizės metodais. Vertinimo proceso sudėtinės dalys: 1) kriterijai ir rodikliai, 2) visuomenės gerovės ir miškų ūkio rodiklių palyginimas, 3) kriterijų ir rodiklių svarbumas, 4) miškų ūkio poveikio visuomenės gerovei įvertinimas. Straipsnyje apibūdinti visuomenės gerovės ir miškų ūkio darnumo vertinimo metodai, pateikta Lietuvos miškų ūkio poveikio visuomenės gerovei vertinimo metodika ir šio poveikio įvertinimo rezultatai. Nustatytas šiek tiek didėjantis Lietuvos miškų ūkio poveikis visuomenės gerovei: 2005 m. – 14,5 %, 2010 m. – 17,3 % ir 2015 m. – 17,6 %.Effective formation and implementation of forest policy can only be achieved with the orientation to the ultimate goal – increasing society’s welfare. The problem is that at present, the impact of forestry on society’s welfare is not determined. There are no dedicated research and methodology. The aim of the study is to assess the impact of Lithuanian forestry on the welfare of society. In order to achieve this aim, a method has been developed based on society’s welfare and forestry sustainability assessment methodologies and for the first time the impact of Lithuanian forestry on society’s welfare has been assessed. The assessment method is based on multicriteria methods. Components of the assessment process are as follows: 1) criteria and indicators; 2) comparison of society’s welfare and forestry indicators; 3) importance of criteria and indicators; 4) assessment of the impact of forestry on society’s welfare. The article describes the methods of the assessment of society’s welfare and forestry sustainability, a method for assessing the impact of Lithuanian forestry on society’s welfare and the results of this impact assessment. A slight increase in the impact of Lithuanian forests on society’s welfare was estimated: 14.5% in 2005, 17.3% in 2010 and 17.6% in 2015

Lithuanian forest biomass resources: legal, economic and ecological aspects of their use and potential

The development of bioenergy markets is beneficial from a climate perspective and helps ensure sustainable forest management both locally and globally. This study aimed to provide an overview of the current state of Lithuanian forest biomass resources with a particular focus on the legal, economic and ecological aspects of forest biomass use for energy and to identify the lessons that should be learned from the history of biomass introduction in the country’s energy sector. These experiences and lessons are valuable both nationally and internationally, where good practices and challenges for the introduction and development of forest biomass for energy production are revealed. We examined the question of whether regulatory drivers in the energy sector can increase forest biomass use for energy production and contribute to sustainable development of Lithuania. To answer this question, we described the legal and market instruments regulating forest biomass use for energy production, the forestry sector and renewable energy policy in Lithuania, the current and potential amount of forest biomass available for energy production and ecological considerations relating to forest biomass use for energy. In Lithuania, forest biomass resources are strategically important for the renewable energy sector. The National Energy Strategy of Lithuania aims to increase the share of renewable energy sources, including forest biomass, within the total energy consumption, with targets of 30% in 2020, 45% in 2030 and 80% in 2050. Lithuania successfully achieved the target of EU legislation on renewables in 2015 ahead of the obligation to achieve it in 2020. Renewable energy is mainly used in heating, as well as in the electricity and transport sectors. This has resulted in a significant price reduction for end users due to the increased use of biomass, mainly local forest biomass, for heat energy production and in the emergence of a biofuel exchange, which acts as a system of biomass auctions that to some extent prevent unjustified price increases. Legislation developed for the energy biomass market in Lithuania allows efficient restructuring of the energy sector, especially for heat production. The Lithuanian energy sector has already successfully replaced imported and relatively expensive natural gas with locally available cheaper renewable energy sources (RES). Compliance with formal environmental regulations is required to protect the soil, ground vegetation, understory and biodiversity during commercial tree harvesting. Lithuania has basic guidelines for the use of wood ash as a compensatory fertiliser, with strict requirements for the chemical quality of wood ash. Keywords: Renewable energy sector, Forest biomass for energy, Legislation, Market instruments, Environmental impact

Types of private forest owners (individuals), forest management objectives and their changes in Lithuania

Baigiantis žemės reformos procesui Lietuvoje susiformavo smulkių valdų privatus miškų ūkis. Beveik 250 tūkst. privačių miškų savininkų, skirtingų pagal amžių, išsilavinimą, pažiūras, ekonominį pajėgumą, veiklos aktyvumą, turinčių nevienodo dydžio labai įvairias gamtiniu ir ekonominiu požiūriu bei skirtingai teisiškai reguliuojamas miško valdas, yra sunkiai nuspėjami. Norint numatyti privačių miškų ūkio perspektyvas ir nustatyti politines gaires tolesniam sektoriaus vystymuisi, svarbu suprasti miško savininkų tikslus, elgseną bei jų kaitą. Miškininkavimo tikslų svarbumo ir kaitos tyrimai padeda nustatyti pagrindinius veiksnius, turinčius įtakos miškininkavimo krypčių pasirinkimui, veiklos stimuliavimui ar slopinimui. Straipsnyje aptariami 2017–2018 metais vykdytos Lietuvos privačių miškų savininkų (fizinių asmenų) kiekybinės apklausos rezultatai. Tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti privačių miškų savininkų tipus, miškininkavimo tikslus ir jų pokyčius Lietuvoje. Surinkti apklausos duomenys susieti su respondentams priklausančių miško valdų Miškų kadastro taksaciniais duomenimis. Naudojant nehierarchinį k–vidurkių klasterinės analizės metodą pagal pradinių ir dabartinių miškininkavimo tikslų svarbumo vertinimus buvo nustatyti pagrindiniai privačių miškų savininkų tipai, palyginti ir įvertinti jų miškininkavimo tikslai. Svarbiausiu privačių miško savininkų tikslu išlieka apsirūpinimas malkomis, tačiau lyginant su ankstesniais tyrimais šio tikslo svarba mažėja. Svarbesniais tampa miško savininkų tikslai gauti pajamų mišką parduodant ar iškertant. Tyrimo metu buvo išskirti aktyvus verslininkų ir investuotojų tipas ir pasyvesni epizodinių malkautojų, konservatyviųjų miško naudotojų tipai. Pagal pradinius privačių miškų savininkų tikslus išskirtą pasyviųjų paveldėtojų tipą, skirstant dabartinius tikslus, pakeitė individualistaiAt the end of the Land reform process, small–scale private forestry was formed in Lithuania. Almost 250 000 private forest owners (PFOs) of different age, education, attitudes, economic capacity, activity, owning forest holdings of various size, different natural and economical features also unequal legal restricments, are difficult to predict. It‘s important to recognize the forest management objectives, behaviour and changes of PFOs‘ in order to provide policy guidance for future development of private forestry. The studies of forest management objectives and their changes help to identify key factors, which influence choice of forestry direction and stimulate or suppress forestry activities. This article discusses the results of 2017–2018 quantitative survey of Lithuanian PFOs‘ (individuals). The aim of the study is to determine the PFOs‘ types, forest management objectives and their changes in Lithuania. The collected questionnaire data was combined to the taxonomic data of the Forest Cadastre. According to the importance of initial and current forest management objectives and using a non–hierarchical k–means cluster analysis the basic types of PFOs were identified, their forest management objectives were compared and evaluated. Firewood supply remains the most important objective for PFOs, but the level of its importance is diminishing. The objectives of PFOs to generate income from the sale of forest holding before or after cuttings become more important. There were distinguished PFOs types of active bussinessmen and investors and more passive episodic woodcutters, conservative forest users, while distinguished by initial objectives type of passive inheritors was replaced by current individualistsLietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslo centro filialas Miškų institutasLietuvos agrarinių ir miškų mokslų centro filialas Miškų institutasMiškų ir ekologijos fakultetasVytauto Didžiojo universiteta

ConservePlants : an integrated approach to conservation of threatened plants for the 21st century

Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and most threatened plant species, and even less about their conservation status. Rapid changes in the environment and climate, today more pronounced than ever, affect their fitness and distribution causing rapid species declines, sometimes even before they had been discovered. Despite the high goals set by conservationists to protect native plants from further degradation and extinction, the initiatives for the conservation of threatened species in Europe are scattered and have not yielded the desired results. The main aim of this Action is to improve plant conservation in Europe through the establishment of a network of scientists and other stakeholders who deal with different aspects of plant conservation, from plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation genetics, conservation physiology and reproductive biology to protected area's managers, not forgetting social scientists, who are crucial when dealing with the general public.peer-reviewe