Over the course of this week, several storms have torn through the forests of Riga and the surrounding region, as well as the capital's parks. The consequences are among the most significant of this century and have had a major impact on the operations of Rīgas Meži. The most visible damage occurred at the start of the week in the Riga parks managed by the company, where nearly one hundred trees were broken or snapped. By contrast, the strong winds on Thursday and Friday did not cause significant damage to Riga's parks.
The most significant piece of damage is a century-old white poplar in the canal-side greenery, which was blown down by the wind into the city canal at the beginning of the week. Work is currently underway to lift the large poplar from the canal and determine how to make sustainable use of it in the long term.
Other trees that have fallen in the parks will be processed into firewood, and the branches into mulch, which will be useful in the summer for maintaining flower beds in the city greenery managed by the 'Gardens and Parks' department of Rīgas Meži. There are also plans to leave some fallen tree trunks and logs in the parks and gardens. These would serve as educational elements for the company's 'Green Classroom' environmental education programme, for example, to explain to the public about the preservation of habitats for birds and insects living in large, old trees and the necessity of biodiversity in city parks. The potential use of fallen trees for creating solid wood benches or landscaping elements is also being evaluated. Rīgas Meži has offered the fallen tree trunks to the Riga National Zoological Garden, which requires large-dimension logs and trunks of unusual shapes.
Damage to the forests in Riga and the surrounding area has also been assessed. Across the majority of the company's territory, the strong wind has blown trees down in a scattered manner. The Riga and Tīreļi forest districts have been the worst affected. Following the storm, the first task for forest district staff was to identify and eliminate the consequences of the storm in places where trees had blocked roads or snapped trunks posed a danger to people and third-party property alike. Subsequently, areas with the highest concentration of fallen trees requiring sanitary logging were identified.
To ensure the function of deadwood, which is so important for the forest and nature as a whole, many wind-blown or snapped trees (that do not pose a danger to those around them) are left in the forest after such storms. Deadwood serves as a habitat for insects and a food source for birds.
'The fact that deadwood must be left in forests is determined by both national regulations and the requirements of forest management certification standards. The minimum volume of deadwood to be left in the forest is at least five cubic metres per hectare. Depending on the thickness of the trunk, this usually equates to several trees per hectare. We select the largest wind-blown tree trunks or dry trunks standing at a safe distance from roads and other infrastructure, most often pines,' explains Edmunds Račinskis, a nature and environmental protection specialist at Rīgas Meži. 'Dead trees of various species that gradually decompose in the forest provide a home and feeding opportunities for countless organisms that are vital for the health and sustainability of the forest, boosting the forest's natural immunity. Preserved hollow trees attract various bird species to nest, which in turn feed on insects that are dangerous to the surrounding commercial forest. For example, woodpeckers can help to control the spruce bark beetle larvae that have proliferated in spruce trees, while various species of songbirds help control sawflies, moths, and others.'
Given the unremitting activity of the European spruce bark beetle in recent years, it is essential to clear spruce forest stands of freshly fallen coniferous trees before the start of the active spring season. If left uncollected, these can create optimal conditions for the development of these dangerous forest pests.
The storm hit the Christmas Battle memorial site in the Tīreļi forest district most severely, where both spruces and pines have been blown down or snapped in varying concentrations almost along the entire length of the wooded dune. Timber from the fallen trees is being used for firewood, as well as for the production of sawn timber and other wood products. Trees whose collection is not economically viable will be offered to local low-income residents for a small fee, in accordance with the company's established procedures.
The strong wind this week and the resulting damage in Riga and the forests of the surrounding region are among the most significant of this century. Similar damage was previously caused by storms in 2005 and in the winter of 2013/2014.