Latvian State Forest Research Institute “Silava”
June 7, 2024
The Latvian State Forest Institute “Silava”(hereinafter – LSFRI “Silava”) is the national forest science center in Latvia, a support institution for the Latvian forest industry, which creates new knowledge on the basis of new or existing research objects and tools, ensures the transfer of global knowledge and critical evaluation, as well as the institutional environment for the growth of young scientists.
Research directions and competences
LSFRI “Silava” realizes its activity in next directions: science and knowledge transfer; forestry support competencies; execution of delegated functions of the state; property management.
The research of LSFRI “Silava” is developed in six directions, the division of which corresponds to the cycle of forestry production and which logically complement each other: forest cultivation; the interaction of forestry and environment; non-timber and ecosystem services; tree plantations in non-forest lands; forest technologies; forest fauna and hunting.
The scientific staff of LSFRI “Silava” is involved in the academic education process, thereby promoting the development of the competence of young specialists entering the forest sector and the skills to work with innovations (lecture courses, guest lectures).
Research projects and achievements
LSFRI “Silava” is currently implementing more than 40 research projects and research programs: two projects of the LIFE program (“Demonstrating the possibilities of reducing climate change in fertile organic soils in the Baltic States and Finland” (LIFE OrgBalt; LSFRI “Silava” as a leading partner) and “Latvian river basin management implementation of plans for achieving good surface water status” (LIFE GoodWater IP)), 4 Horizon 2020 projects, 3 projects of EEZ programmes’ projects, one ESF project, 4 EAFRD studies, 18 ERDF studies (including 4 as PostDoc activity), as well as participation in State Research Programme LandLat4Pol, grants of Latvian Council of Sciences, research projects supported by state administration institutions, as well as research programs supported by business companies. Research project covers all directions of forest research, mentioned in point 2.
The entire list of current research projects and their descriptions: https://www.silava.lv/en/research/active-projects
Infrastructure
In recent years, LSFRI “Silava” has impressively developed its research infrastructure. LSFRI “Silava” has seven scientific laboratories – Forestry and forest resources, Forest fauna and hunting management, Forest environment, Climate and plant physiology, Forest phytopathology and mycology, Forest raw material processing and Molecular genetics laboratory. For its activities, LSFRI “Silava” uses the network of specific research objects – long-term sample plots, forest ecology stationary “Vesetnieki” and hunting management stationary “Noras” – and in them collected information.
Information about LSFRI “Silava” scientific equipment is collected in the Scientific equipment and software database of the National Scientific Activity Information System: https://sciencelatvia.lv/#/pub/iekarta/list
Leading researchers:
- Āris Jansons, Dr.silv., h-index 21, ORCID 0000-0001-7981-4346
- Roberts Matisons, Dr.biol., h-index 18, ORCID 0000-0002-4042-0689
- Ozoliņš Jānis, Dr.biol., h-index 16, ORCID 0000-0002-6647-9128
- Donis Jānis, Dr.silv., h-index 16, ORCID 0000-0002-3365-0566
- Dagnija Lazdiņa, Dr.silv., h-index 13, ORCID 0000-0001-8280-3912
- Andis Lazdiņš, Dr.silv., h-index 12, ORCID 0000-0002-7169-2011
- Dainis Edgars Ruņģis, Dr.biol., h-index 11, ORCID 0000-0001-5173-2912
- Dārta Kļaviņa, Dr.biol., h-index 8, ORCID 0000-0002-1455-9062
- Zane Lībiete, Dr.silv., h-index 6, ORCID 0000-0003-1622-7472
More information: www.silava.lv