UNHIDE Agroforestry - A Knowledge Exchange Latvia- Sweden 2023-25 - Report - Page 49
Andris Špats.
WETLANDS ARE CRITICAL FOR
MITIGATING FLASH FLOODING,
FUNCTIONING LIKE A SPONGE
BY ABSORBING EXCESS WATER
AFTER STORMS AND
RELEASING IT GRADUALLY.
WITH ONGOING CHANGES IN
PRECIPITATION PATTERNS, THE
IMPORTANCE OF THIS
REGULATING FUNCTION IS
LIKELY TO INCREASE
root rot, are required. Irrigation systems are often
used to supplement rainfall, for adequate moisture.
Even though cranberry plantations provide ecosystem services, such as storage and regulation
of water and nutrients, and creating habitat for
birds, insects and amphibians, the value of these
services is lower than in natural wetlands.
Can a berry plantation protected by tree lines be
considered agroforestry? The tree lines serve primarily as windbreaks and frost protection, while
heather and cranberry plants provide nectar and
food for pollinators and birds. The trees are not
harvested and do not form an economically integrated component of production, so the agroforestry aspect is largely a by-effect. The vegetation,
however, contributes to biodiversity and habitat
values. The system thus sits between intensive
agriculture, restoration after peat extraction, and
tree-integrated cropping.
It certainly seems to be a huge industry in Latvia.
During our visit, bare black soil stretched beyond
the Nature Gift site to the horizon, while heavy
machinery at A neighbouring enterprise prepared
new plantations.
With the exception of Andris Špats, a female
workforce was engaged in processing and storing
the berries. While showing us around, Andris remarked that “women are not mentally equipped to
understand the complex processes that the berries
undergo,” a statement that made us hesitant about
including this system in the reporting.
•
Several LIFE projects focus on restoring and
protecting priority bog habitats, including hydrological restoration and management. About
12% of Latvia’s mires are now part of protected
areas, under state protection.
•
Sustainable and responsible after-use of peat
extraction areas (2019)
•
Greenhouse Gas Fluxes from Cranberry and
Highbush Blueberry Plantations on Former Peat
Extraction Fields Compared to Active Peat Extraction Fields and Pristine Peatlands in Latvia.
(2024)
