A forest is a vast territory covered by trees, which also contains shrubs, herbaceous plants, mosses, lichens, fungi, insects, micro-organisms, molluscs, birds, mammals and many other organisms. The most biologically valuable forests are old forests with moist valleys, dead trees, several species of broadleaf trees and hollow trees.
Lingonberry Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Lingonberries are common in Latvia and throughout the Northern Hemisphere. They grow in dry to moderately moist pine forests and mires. Lingonberries are small evergreen shrubs that often form large colonies in forests. The berries are edible.
Rhododendron lace bug Stephanitis oberti
The rhododendron lace bug is very small – only about 4 mm long – but it is one of the largest species among lace bugs. In coniferous forests, it mainly lives on lingonberries, sitting on the underside of leaves and sucking plant sap. This causes visible damage on the surface of the leaves, which manifest as lighter spots, but they do not harm the plants significantly.
Fallen deadwood
Fallen deadwood is dead, fallen trunks of trees or parts of trunks. Almost one in four forest species is associated with fallen trees – several hundred in total, as well as a large proportion of threatened forest species. Dead wood is used by fungi, slime mould, lichens, mosses, snails, and insects – the fallen wood is both a habitat and a food source for them. It also provides a place to hide, find food or raise their young for birds and mammals. Fallen deadwood is an indicator of a biodiverse, healthy and sustainable forest.
Dyad’s saddle Cerioporus squamosus
Dyad’s saddle is a mushroom with huge fruiting bodies, reaching up to 30 cm in width. It grows in various forests and parks on deciduous wood (ash, maple, willow), both on living trees as well as on stumps and dead wood. It is very common from spring to autumn. It sometimes grows in large groups on the fallen deadwood, surprising the observer with its size and colour.
Scots pine Pinus sylvestris
Pine is the most common tree species in Latvia. The height, crown shape and other characteristics of pine trees depend on the growth conditions. In forests, pine trees can grow up to 40 m tall, while in mires, even very aged pine trees are small. The pine forest is a habitat for many protected plant and animal species.
Long horned beetle Ergates faber
The Ergates faber is one of the largest long-horned beetles found in Latvia. It is a protected, rare species that mainly inhabits old and natural pine forests. Larvae live in dead pine wood – fallen deadwood and less commonly in stumps. It takes 3–4 years to develop, and the adult beetles emerge in late summer. They spend the day in various hiding places and become active only under the cover of darkness.
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martinus
The black woodpecker is the largest of the European woodpecker species. It is a relatively common breeding and sedentary species in Latvia. They mainly occur in old coniferous and mixed forests. They nest in hollows that they most often make in aspen or pine. Other rare and threatened bird species also use these cavities for nesting. The black woodpecker feeds on insects, their larvae and pupae.
Boreal owl Aegolius funereus
The boreal owl is a small bird of the true owl family. It mainly breeds in hollows made by black woodpeckers. It primarily feeds on rodents. It is a relatively common nesting and sedentary species in Latvia. It is most common in larger coniferous forests.
Red Fox Vulpes vulpes
The fox is a medium-sized canid – the most common predator species in Latvia. It mainly hunts for mice and voles and is fond of a variety of plants, berries and fruits. Did you know that the fox has excellent hearing and can hear a mouse squeak from a distance of 140 metres? It has adapted to a wide range of environments and habitats – even large cities.
Pick berries carefully!
Do you want to have a forest without mushrooms?
Don’t cut down forests during the bird nesting season!