Within the LIFE FOR SPECIES project (Endangered species in Latvia: improved knowledge and capacity, information circulation and understanding) in the period from 2021. until 2023 in April, an evaluation of the state of mammal species and determination of the risk level of species extinction was carried out using the methodology and criteria developed by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN, https://www.iucnredlist.org/, https://sarkanagramata.lu.lv/par -project/materials/). The activities were carried out within the project B.1 activity "Re-evaluation of the status of species protection and preparation of the list of endangered species using IUCN criteria".
In order to introduce the interested parties to the preliminary results of the evaluation of mammal species, a meeting will be organized on April 28 at 10:00 (on Zoom).
It will consist of:
Estimated meeting length: approximately 2 hours.
To participate in the meeting, please fill out the application by April 25: https://forms.gle/p3rGEQEes7aNgM2H8
A link to the meeting will be sent to the email you provided before the meeting.
39 mammal species were selected and evaluated in the project. The results are available here: 
We invite anyone who is interested in participating, to read the assessments and send comments and questions before the meeting by writing to the email provided below:
On April 27 of this year, at 10:00, we invite everyone interested to the mid-term seminar of the LIFE for Species project. The event will take place in the UL Academic Centre, Magnum Auditorium, Jelgavas Street 1, Riga.
In order to participate in the seminar, it is necessary to register your participation by filling out the registration form by April 24.
The ceremonial opening of the traveling photo exhibition "Green Treasures" and the awarding of the authors of the best photographs will also take place during the seminar.
The agenda for this event is available here.
The aims of the LIFE FOR SPECIES project are to update the list of protected and endangered species based on scientific criteria, to prepare proposals for changes in legislation, to improve data quality and availability of species, as well as to increase public and stakeholder awareness, and active species protection in Latvia.
Although Wetland Month has come to a close, we wanted to highlight one of the wetland species in honor of the March Species of the Month. At the beginning of this month, social media followers of the LIFE For Species project took part in a vote, as a result, Sphagnum pulchrum was chosen as the species of the month for March.
In Latvia, this species is very rare. It can be found in various constantly wet and humid places - in mossy swamps, swampy forests, ditches and on the shores of swampy lakes. In Latvia the common name for the species is “the beautiful sphagnum” and it probably earned this name due to its shades, which vary from yellowish to greenish-brown, and can sometimes even take on a purple hue.
Sphagnum pulchrum is similar to the very common sphagnum (S. fallax), but it is distinguished in nature by its distinct five-rowed branched leaves.
The species of this month - Usnea florida - is a very rare and protected species of lichen in Latvia, which also serves as a clean air indicator.
The species is found throughout the territory of Latvia, but observations are relatively rare. It is difficult to detect because it grows high in the crown of the tree and is only visible when it falls from the tree branches. However, there is also good news - if the lichen has fallen from the tree crown, it is relatively easy to see and recognize. From the other usnea species found in Latvia, Usnea florida is distinguished by its round fruiting bodies or apothecia. Apothecia develops at the ends of branches, reaching up to 1 cm in diameter.
Sources:
Tengmalm’s owl, which has become a rare species in Latvia over the last decades, has been chosen to be the protected species of the month.
Tengmalm’s owl is a small-size owl reaching 235-280 mm in length. The bird's feathers on the back are dark brown with white specks, which together form a row of white spots in the shoulder area. A dark line frames its pale face, forming a pronounced face veil. This is one of the smallest owls in Europe: males weigh only 90-133 g, while females around 112-223 g.
The species is most commonly identified by a typical voice that can be described as a relatively low frequency sound “u-u-u” or “pu-pu-pu” with a truncated sound. Unprovoked birds at the beginning of the breeding season often sing in the same tree as they are about to nest. Relatively often, there is also a “quacking” sound that is relatively easy to blend with, say, the voice of a forest owl. At the beginning and end of the breeding season, one of the more frequently heard voices is a sound like a squirrel cry.
Unfortunately, the species is highly sensitive to interference during the egg laying and hatching period. Even a simple touch on the trunk of the nest tree can disrupt the hatching, causing the female to leave the nest and the eggs.
The most significant threat to the species in Latvia is logging, as the bird most often inhabits old mixed and conifer forests that have been affected by economic activity. Weasels can be mentioned as the biggest enemy of the species in nature. In 2018, a program of artificial nests was started in Latvia, within the framework of which 100 cages were prepared for the protection of breams.
Sources:
Avotiņš jun. A. 2019. Apodziņa Glaucidium passerinum, bikšainā apoga Aegolius funereus, meža pūces Strix aluco, urālpūces Strix uralensis, ausainās pūces Asio otus un ūpja Bubo bubo aizsardzības plāns. Latvijas Ornitoloģijas biedrība, Rīga
The project's species experts are currently working on the preparation of species assessments, gathering information from a variety of data sources. There are species for which data is missing, so experts are also relying on field work to collect the missing data and update the available information.
During the field work, the project experts managed to observe very rare species that have not been seen for a long time, or were even detected in Latvia for the very first time.
On September 24 of 2022, the Society of Mycologists of Latvia had the opportunity to visit Moricsala. There were many interesting finds, and the project expert I. Dāniele was there to witness them. Approaching one of the spruce trees surrounded by observers, project expert I. Dāniele immediately realized that this is the first time she has seen such a mushroom.
On the mossy, rotting soil, golden yellow-brown mushrooms were arranged in a small group. We also found out the first discoverer of this species - it turned out to be Ieva Rožlapa.
Due to the bright and unique appearance of the mushroom, it was not difficult to identify the species - it is a new species for Latvia, Chrysomphalina chrysophylla.
According to GBIF data, this species is found mainly in Europe and North America, also in some places in Asia. It is mainly found in boreal and hemiboreal zone, but it can sometimes also be found in warmer regions, mainly in wet spruce forests, on mossy slopes.
I. Dāniele admits that this species deserves evaluation and inclusion in the Red Book and the list of protected species. So far, only one deposit - so the species is very rare and even critically endangered (CR). Could a Data Deficiency (DD) be considered? Probably no more than many other rare species. The mushroom has a bright enough appearance for it to be discovered by other mushroom experts elsewhere in Latvia.
In the middle of the summer, we shared the news about the findings of the project expert and entomologist N.Savenkovs during field work. The expert had managed to identify a specimen of Sesia bembeciformis species.
The species has a secret lifestyle - it basically lives on the willows of various species. Some specimens have been collected and in the future they will complement the insect collection of the Latvian National Museum of Nature. This species is distinguished by the peculiarities of its life cycle - the larval stage lasts 3-4 years. The species lives in the stems of live plants and the larva feeds on the sap, but is not generally considered a pest.
Considering that the species had not been found in Latvia until now, it does not yet have an official name in Latvian. The appearance of the new species is also interesting - Sesia bembeciformis is a butterfly that looks like a hornet. Despite the appearance of the species, it is peaceful and cannot sting people.
However, Sesia bembeciformis was not the only species newly discovered in Latvia - at the beginning of July, in the vicinity of Krāslava, the project's expert N.Savenkovs managed to discover another new species for Latvia - Simplicia rectalis. We know relatively little about this species.
Several species of butterflies, which are considered very rare in Latvia, were also found during the field work.
After a 60-year break, a rare plant species, Carex distans, has been found in Latvia. It was found by the leading researcher of the Institute of Biology of the University of Latvia, Liene Auniņa, during the expeditions of the LIFE FOR SPECIES project in the 2022 vegetation season.
In 1962, the distant sedge was found in the grasslands around Ainaži, but now the species was found in natural, unimproved grassland in Kurzeme. Unfortunately, it was not possible to find the species again in the vicinity of Ainaži. The new find shows that the remote sedge can be found in grasslands, possibly also in marshes, in a narrow strip along the coast of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga.
LIFE For Species social media followers have chosen the fat dormouse (Glis glis) as the protected species of the month. Thanks to everyone who voted!
During the month of December, the fat dormouse has gone into hibernation. It is the largest species of dormouse, and it can reach up to 18 cm in length. The animal weighs 100-150 grams, but when preparing for hibernation, the animal's weight can reach up to 200 grams. The upper side of the dormouse is monochromatic - gray or even silvery gray in young specimens, while the sides and underside are distinctly lighter, and white or yellowish-white in adults.
The animal feeds mainly on plant food. Most of the food includes seeds, berries, fruits of a wide variety of plants (mostly only their flesh is eaten, not the skin) and mushrooms. Significantly increased nutrition occurs when acorns and hazelnuts ripen. The fat dormouse lives in trees and is active only at night, except for the winter period, when it spends 7-8 months in hibernation. If there are any unfavorable conditions, such as insufficient food resources, the animal can spend a longer time in a sleeping state. The fat dormouse spends its winter sleep burrowing in the soil, but daytime hiding places are mostly found in tree hollows.
This species can hibernate both alone and together with other members of its species. Hibernation begins in October (adults hibernate earlier than young ones), but the awakening period begins around mid-May. Males wake up first, and in the spring the animals come out of the den having lost around 30-40% of their body weight.
The fat dormouse is threatened by logging, clear-cutting and the death of old oaks. The species is included in the Latvian list of specially protected species
At a time when the greyness of November alternates with a beautiful, white blanket of snow, we have chosen the bright and expressive common tree frog (Hyla orientalis) as the protected species of the month!
During the 20th century, the species actually disappeared in Latvia due to the increase in the intensity of agricultural activity. Since then, the entire modern population of Hyla orientalis in Latvia has been created thanks to the reintroduction of the species. Since 1987, the Ecological Laboratory of the Riga Zoo has been reintroducing the species in Latvia for several years, using specimens caught in Belarus. The reintroduction measures have paid off and the artificially created population in Liepāja has strengthened and is able to self-renew.
The common tree frog is easy to spot thanks to its loud voice and roaring calls that can be heard even more than 1 km away! The frog can reach length of up to 5 cm and the coloring of its back depends on the environment in which it lives. In cooler conditions it will be brown, but during a period of activity it may acquire the recognizable bright green color. The sides of the frog's body are decorated with a dark stripe, while the tips of the fingers have small suction cups that allow it to move along vertical surfaces.
The common tree frog is a terrestrial animal that stays in water bodies only during the breeding season, which begins around the end of April and ends in the first half of June. Spawning sites are most often found in ponds surrounded by frequent bushes and willows. The maximum life span of this species in nature is 7-8 years, but in captivity the maximum recorded life span reaches 22 years.
Various species protection and reintroduction measures are also taking place in other parts of Europe. For example, in Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands, the population of the common tree frog species is restored within LIFE program projects.
We are happy to announce that 11th International Conference on Biodiversity Research has been concluded successfully. It was hosted by Daugavpils University and organized by the Institute of Life Sciences and Technologies of Daugavpils University as part of the LIFE FOR SPECIES project. The conference took place in a hybrid format, offering the opportunity to attend it both in person and virtually via Zoom platform. In total, the conference gathered more than 180 participants, 14 of which participated in person, but an impressive number of visitors also participated remotely.
17 countries were represented at the conference with posters and reports: Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Australia, Canada, Ukraine, Czech Republic, Norway, Spain, Portugal, India, Philippines, Taiwan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan.
The conference was opened on October 20 by Arvīds Barševskis, vice-rector of sciences (Daugavpils University), and the head of the UNESCO Department for Sustainable Development of Education - Professor Charles Hopkins also greeted the attendees with a video address. After the opening remarks, the conference continued with a plenary session, in which internationally renowned researchers and experts in their field participated with reports - William F. Laurance - College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, (Australia); Rolands Ratfelders - Association "Green Freedom" (Latvia); Nicole Fenton – Associate Professor and Director of the Forest Research Institute at the University of Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (Canada); as well as Thomas von Rintelen - Berlin Nature Museum, Institute for Evolutionary and Biodiversity Sciences (Germany).
On October 21, visitors were offered to listen to any of the 62 reports in one of the 5 parallel sections on a wide variety of research topics in the field of biological diversity. Among them were also 7 reports from representatives of the LIFE for Species project:
More information about the conference and its program is available here. Anyone interested can download the conference abstract book and get acquainted with the report summaries here. A collection of conference scientific articles is also under preparation.
We thank everyone for their participation and we wish you inspiration and success in the study of biological diversity, and we look forward to seeing you at future events!
The conference was organized by Daugavpils University within the LIFE project "Endangered species in Latvia: improved knowledge, capacity, data and awareness" (LIFE FOR SPECIES, project No. LIFE19GIE/LV/000857).
For the month of October we have decided to feature the only wild plum species in Latvia - blacktorn (Prunus spinosa).
The blackthorn is a medium-sized species of the rose family plum that looks like a shrub or small tree. The plant can be recognized by its thorns, which also gave it its name. The bark of the bush is gray, but the buds of the plant are spiky. Of course, the plant is best known for its dark fruits, which are edible and often used in wine and jams in other parts of Europe.
The blackthorn blossoms in late April and early May, but the fruits ripen very late - from the end of August until the beginning of October. Interestingly, the plant can live up to a hundred years! However, despite its longevity, thorn plums are extremely rare in Latvia and only a few specimens are found in nature. Meanwhile, in Scandinavia and elsewhere in Europe, the plant forms dense, prickly impenetrable clumps and is considered an endangered species. The distribution of the species in Latvia is currently being evaluated and its future protection status is not yet known.
