Public proposals have been taken into account in the planning of the work

SIA “Rīgas meži” plans to start maintenance work in Šmerlis Forest, located between Kvēles, Murjāņu, and Malienas streets, in early December.

Objectives of the work: to preserve natural values and the pine (Pinus sylvestris) characteristic of the forest; to clear the forest of invasive and growth-inhibiting species; to create an aesthetic landscape with various elements (both untouched areas for forest animals to shelter and specially highlighted terrain features); and to promote natural forest regeneration, as Šmerlis Forest is an urban forest and one of its most essential tasks is to serve as part of the “lungs” of Riga.

Before the forest maintenance, “Rīgas meži” introduced the public to the goals and progress of the work, and listened to the opinions and proposals of residents and specialists. As a result, an additional area, “Relief” (in block 113), was designated – it will be exposed from the outside by shaping the landscape, cutting out the surrounding undergrowth, and freeing the large pines. Also, a new area called “Wet Hollow” (block 113) has been designated, where no work will take place.

Maintenance is scheduled to be completed by the spring of 2024 (excluding the bird nesting season). Afterwards, in the summer and autumn of 2024, it is planned to install recreational areas with benches for the convenience of forest visitors. Furthermore, to prevent vehicles from driving through the forest and illegal dumping, barriers are planned for certain access roads, and video surveillance cameras will be installed in the forest.

The work will be carried out in accordance with a forest landscape design plan created specifically for this forest, which takes into account the specific values of the territory, and in accordance with the company’s “Forest Management Plan” (MAP). This plan gives greater importance to the preservation of biologically valuable, natural, and recreational areas, while reducing areas of intensive forestry.

“Rīgas meži” will continue to keep the public informed about the maintenance of Šmerlis Forest. The easiest way to follow progress is on the social media platform Facebook using the hashtag #ŠmerļaMežaKopšana.

Visitors to the forest are requested to observe safety requirements during the work and stay away from the work area!

Regarding the planned work in Šmerlis Forest:

Goal of the work: improvement and diversification of the forest landscape; maintenance of trees of different ages; reduction of competition for pines, especially older ones; thinning of the forest stand; cutting of invasive trees and shrubs; maintenance of undergrowth; preservation of biological diversity.

Planned duration of work: Early December 2023 – spring 2024 (work will not be carried out during the bird nesting season).

Area and type of work: approx. 70 ha; thinning (marked with blue stripes) and selective logging (marked with green stripes).

Planned sequence of work: clearing roads according to transport needs (already completed); clearing undergrowth; felling trees; removal of materials; removal of branches and logging residues; road maintenance. Work may take place simultaneously, gradually, or may be temporarily suspended due to unsuitable weather conditions.

When evaluating natural values and planning the work in the managed forest mass, several areas have been identified:

Biologically valuable area (coloured pink). To preserve biodiversity, no logging will take place in this area (block 114, section 3).

Recreational area or core zone (coloured yellow). Maintenance work here is planned to be carried out in two ways – thinning and selective logging.

The goal in these areas is to thin the forest stand, thereby creating more favourable growing conditions for the remaining trees – reducing competition for nutrients and increasing the stand’s resistance to environmental conditions such as snow and wind.

Likewise, for selective logging, the trees to be felled will be specially selected and marked to free up the old trees/old pines, to improve the “space” around them and promote the natural growth of these trees.

When carrying out thinning and selective logging in the undergrowth of the recreational area (up to 6 metres in height), non-characteristic and invasive shrubs and trees will be cut, such as the snowy mespilus (Amelanchier spicata) and Norway maple (Acer platanoides). However, hazel (Corylus avellana), crab apple (Malus sylvestris), and juniper (Juniperus) will not be cut.

Such maintenance of the undergrowth will continue to take place every 2-3 years, depending on the speed of regrowth.

In the canopy and lower layer of the recreational area, most of the encroaching broadleaf trees will be removed, with the exception of oaks (Quercus robur), lime trees (Tilia), and select scenic maples and birches (Betula). Generally, the pine stand will also be thinned, primarily by removing stunted, diseased, and infested trees.

Relief (pink hatched area). Logging will not be carried out here. These places are distinct terrain features that will be highlighted in the field and where the landscape will be shaped by cutting out the surrounding undergrowth and freeing up the large pines (block 113 and block 114).

The highlighted relief area contains many individual mounds, hills, and hollows. For example, Dzeguzeņu kalniņš, Zābakkalniņš, Skaistā lauce, Saliņleja, Dzeguzeņu lauce, Žagatiņu kalniņš, Staipekļu kalniņš, Augstā kāpa, etc.

Each object in the relief area has its own story about how it got its name. For example, Augstā kāpa (The High Dune), located in block 114, was named because it is the highest dune in Šmerlis Forest and has two peaks that rise approximately 16 metres above sea level.

Wet Hollow. To ensure the diversity of the forest landscape, as well as to keep this place intact, a part of the forest stand that is wet has been specially set aside – in block 113. No forest maintenance work will take place in this area.

Openings (red circle with a dot). While maintaining the forest stand, two openings of up to 0.2 ha will be created, where all trees and shrubs will be cut. The purpose of the forest openings is to create conditions for the natural regeneration of pine, as well as to create the necessary conditions for the development of a stable, multi-aged forest stand in the long term. Locations have been chosen for the openings where they have already naturally begun to form.

In the spring of next year, to facilitate the natural dispersal and germination of pine seeds in the mineral soil, a light scarification or loosening of the topsoil is planned in the openings. In the future, to reduce competition for young trees, cleaning of the undergrowth – the mowing of herbaceous plants and shrubs – is planned in the openings.

When planning forest maintenance work in Šmerlis Forest, Aivars Jakovičs’ book “Šmerlis – Rīgas ekotūrisma ceļvedis” (Šmerlis – Riga Ecotourism Guide), Rīga, Jumava, 2012, was also used.

About Šmerlis Forest and its natural values

The forest got its name from the Šmerlis manor, which was located on the edge of the current Brīvības gatve – next to the place where the Latvian Academy of Sport Education is currently located. In the past, this forest was often called the Šmerlis Dunes or the Šmerlis Pines.

Šmerlis Forest differs from other forest tracts in the capital in that 200-year-old pine stands have been preserved here. The sandy soils of Šmerlis are mostly covered by dry forests dominated by Scots pine. Among the forest types, the dwarf shrub type and the dry/nutrient-poor type are mainly found here, with small areas of heathland as well. Furthermore, this forest has the greatest biological diversity in the vicinity of the Riga city centre. Specifically, about 300 different plant and herb species grow in Šmerlis Forest.

Several natural values characteristic of Šmerlis Forest are particularly worthy of note:

Mežciems Big Pine: even though it has withered, the pine still has value. It will be tidied up and preserved for biodiversity – as a home for various insect species. The pine is located in block 113, section 2, by the boundary line of block 115, walking from Malienas street along the boundary line, about 250 steps in a NE direction. The circumference of the pine’s trunk is about 3.2 metres.

Great Pine: it is located on a dune ridge by a path, in the central part of block 108, section 4. The circumference of the pine’s trunk is about 2.5 metres.

Witch Valley: a hollow surrounded on all sides by dune ridges. It is possible that the name is related to the other name of the nearby Lake Dambjapurva – Witch’s Lake. Witch Valley is located in block 114, section 6.

First Pine of Witch Valley: at the summit of the Witch Valley hill (central part of block 114, section 6). The circumference of the pine’s trunk is about 2.30 metres.

Second Pine of Witch Valley: in Witch Valley, about 10 steps from the path (central part of block 114, section 6). The circumference of the pine’s trunk is about 1.3 metres.

Former tree nursery: historically, there was a tree nursery in Šmerlis Forest (block 114, section 3). Lime trees were grown there, which were planted previously and still grow there today. To preserve biodiversity, no logging will take place in this area.