The question of so-called “new forest areas” is quite debatable because it is necessary to distinguish between two things that often cause disputes – forest land and forest-covered areas. In this regard, we can recall the information that appeared here some time ago stating that forest areas in Latvia were decreasing. The reason for this was simple: the study was conducted with no knowledge of the Latvian forest fund or forest land, relying solely on satellite imagery..
Another perspective is: we have plenty of forest area and it is increasing, but we are talking about forest land – that is 52% or 54% – and we are talking about wood volume – by how much Latvia's timber stock increases every second.
My postdoctoral research project is based on the use of remote sensing data. It can be called a so-called “Western approach”. It may not be fully understood, but it is a study of land cover and its state at a given moment, using English terms in the work – land cover, land cover change, land use, “forest transition”,land use legacies – these terms are intended for an internationally understood perspective. My train of thought, as a geographer, is to step back and look at the perspective from this point. The concept of “forest transition” is similar to demographic transition – how birth rates change as a country develops, how the gender and age pyramid changes (as a country develops, birth rates decrease). We speak of “forest transition” from the moment when everything in the territory of Latvia was wild, when socio-economic changes began in Europe, many forests were felled, whereas later, as a result of other changes, the areas increased again. This happens not only here, but also, for example, in America and elsewhere in the world.
The second concept – “land use legacies” – is understood as follows: when looking at the modern landscape and the processes taking place within it, keep in mind how the management of past landscapes (forests, fields) is visible (discernible) in the modern landscape.
How far back into the past can one go? It depends on the location and circumstances. It is permissible that there are places on Earth where economic activity has taken place for thousands of years, and furthermore, economic activity in this context should be evaluated broadly and diversely – it can be soil fertilization practices, it can be the question – how intensively or extensively the land was managed, how diverse the forest stands were, etc. There are cultural-historical aspects – for example, the so-called “strip fields” in Latgale. There is a project called “Landscapes Speak” where, by using photographs taken in earlier years, it is possible to compare the situation then and now.
Many scenically attractive places in Latvia have become overgrown, which raises the question: what should be done? There is landscape felling, but who will carry it out? In public discussions, there will be no clear answers – some will say – “Do not touch!”, others – “Must fell, must maintain!”
In the sustainable development triangle, a park can be “placed” in the social corner… In Latvia, we are quite close to nature and not as industrialized or urbanized as elsewhere in Europe. Latvia's traditions of mushroom and berry picking are ancient and strong.
Driving forces in the landscape. (It is admissible that many pay more attention to driving factors in landscape change.) For example, urbanization is considered one and a very important one, which “does not happen in an instant” but is a very long process, one might say – continuous. Currently, more than 50% of the world's population lives in cities; in Latvia, this figure is >60%. If we are talking about processes affecting land cover change, urbanizationwould be No. 1. A typical, classic Latvian story – grandparents in the countryside, children and grandchildren moving to live in the city. Of course, the opposite story is also observed – the desire of young families to live in the countryside is increasing. I think the virus (Covid-19) will also influence this somewhat. Often, the desire for peace and quiet, which is directly associated with life outside cities, is also linked to age or a certain maturity of personality: “Well, you've lived, you've studied, you've gone wild, now it's time for a quieter life!” That is very simplified! The reasons and situations are very different. It should be added, however, that Riga and the Pieriga region, in my opinion, should be considered a very distinct and financially expensive region of Latvia compared to the rest of the country.