I program: Research into the status and change of biological resources and quality of
environment, scientific justification of conservation
1. Programme implementing entity: Nature Research Centre
State-determined staff positions allocated to the programme: 20.06 (ca. 5% annual increase
projected depending on the research output appraisal)
2. Objectives:
2.1. To create a comprehensive system of knowledge about plant and animal, micro- and
macro-organism functioning patterns, population and environmental quality assessment and
management principles as well as to scientifically justify the regeneration and conservation of
biological resources under global and local changes by means of complex research into the
Lithuanian biological resources and quality of environment, bringing together the most
competent scientific potential and using modern methods of analysis.
2.2. To create long-term strategies for conservation of biological resources (economic plants,
mammals, birds, fish, crayfish populations), involving the sustainable use of resources as well
as regeneration methods and techniques; to develop recommendations to biological resource
managers, methodological means for study programmes.
3. Tasks:
3.1. To perform qualitative evaluation of resources of priority plant species – to establish
regularities of phenotypic and genotypic diversity of economic plant (medicinal, aromatic, etc.)
populations, status and trends in the changing ecosystems; to optimize techniques for
ecological restoration of vulnerable plant communities as well as scientifically justify the
strategies of resource conservation.
3.2. To evaluate animal (mammals, birds, fish, crayfish) resource status and trends of change,
to develop scientifically-based management and conservation strategies and measures; to
establish informative methods for the environment and ecosystem health status assessment
appropriate to Lithuanian natural conditions.
3.3. To investigate species diversity of micromycetes and the peculiarities of their communities
formation in anthropogenic environment, their importance to environmental biota, destruction
processes of natural and synthetic materials; to identify regularities of distribution of plant
pathogens, the effects of genetic structure of populations on their functioning and attacks on
economic plants as well as to substantiate the selection of plant protection measures.
4. Methodological basis:
Research will be carried out in accordance with modern methodology, modern methods
such as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), gas chromatography with mass
spectrometry (GC/MS), microchemical analysis (EPMA, ICPMS), telemetry, stable isotope
analysis (SIA), molecular methods (ISSR, AFLP-PCR, etc.). Most of the equipment required
for these methods is available at the NRC: various chromatographs and spectrometers,
telemetric equipment, genetic analysis equipment. Traditional research methods, field studies
as well as modern ecosystem restoration methods, mathematical modelling and methods for
statistical-economic evaluation of resources will be applied. It is expected to make use of open
access centres – the integrated science, studies and business valley ‘Santara’ infrastructure
developed by Joint Nature Research Centre. For the research, it is intended to use GIS
applications, various specialized databases and registers of natural resources, to participate in
training and seminars on new methods and new research techniques mastering issues.
6. Expected outcomes:
The carried out research will enable to create a system of knowledge about the medicinal
and other economic plant populations diversity patterns, accumulation characteristics of
biologically active substances in plants, the most productive populations; to acquire new
knowledge on micromycetes species diversity and peculiarities of their communities formation
under anthropogenic conditions, their metabolites as well as their significance to biodestruction
processes of natural and synthetic materials. There will be selected active microorganism strains
for the improvement of the quality of the environment; the possibilities of making use of
parasitic fungi for undesirable plant control will be established. The assessment of biological
resources in different water bodies of Lithuania will be carried out, and, according to the
worked out provisions on fish and crayfish conservation, it will be possible to balance the use of
stocks and their protection. It is projected to carry out the identification of the main factors that
influence the structure of hydrobiont communities and populations of model hydrobiont species,
to clarify mechanisms of impact and implement methods for the assessment of population
parameters-based impact on fish stocks and population response, and, thus, justify rational
exploitation of hydrobiont resources, management as well as reduction of impact on populations
in the Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon and Kauno Marios Reservoir, the Nemunas delta, river
and lake ecosystems.
The results obtained will be used for the preparation of the State programme on fish and
crayfish stock restoration and the development of the national monitoring programme. The
measures used for the control of large carnivores and game ungulate mammal populations in
Lithuania, their applicability and public tolerance will be evaluated; the influence of habitats
and their changes (due to human activity or global changes) upon the status of game mammal
populations will be studied.
The fulfilment of the planned research will allow, for the first time in Lithuania, to
obtain the consistent data on original ecological restoration research and their potential use in
developing ecological restoration of damaged and degraded raised bogs, recreating conditions
for biological resources development.
Implementation of the programme will facilitate the conditions for the student research
works, the Bs and Ms theses preparation as well as development of doctoral programmes. As a
result, at least 10 young researchers (undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and postdoctoral
fellows) will contribute to the implementation of the programme.
It is also foreseen:
– to develop economic plant (crop wild relatives) conservation strategy;
– to develop recommendations to the Ministry of Environment on the restoration of damaged
and degraded wetland ecosystems;
– to develop recommendations to the Ministry of Environment on the management of large
carnivore populations and their conservation possibilities in the European and Baltic countries
context;
– to create a database on game mammal and bird population abundance and use;
– to prepare a long-term programme for prospective fish and crayfish species conservation and
rational use;
– to create methods for prospective fish species breeding, fish fry introduction and reintroduction into rivers and lakes;
– to develop recommendations to the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Agriculture
on the rational use of fish stocks and protection in the Baltic Sea, the Curonian Lagoon and
Kauno Marios Reservoir, the Nemunas delta, rivers and lakes;
– to develop recommendations to the Lithuanian business companies on using or otherwise
affecting fish stocks, for sustainable management and development of these resources in the sea
and the lagoon;
– to prepare a recommendation to the Ministry of Environment for the establishment of marine
protected areas in the Lithuania's exclusive economic zone;
– to create methods based on macroinvertebrates for the assessment of ecological status in
different types of Lithuanian water bodies;
– to develop recommendations to the Ministry of Environment, the Lithuanian Association of
Municipalities and other interested institutions on the improvement of phytosanitary state in
suburban forests, recreational areas, including biological control methods and measures;
– to develop methodological tools for the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stage study programmes of
universities;
– to provide factual information to the Ministry of Environment on the issues of biological
resources for the development of legislation.
The main research results will be presented in 31 papers in ISI Web of Science journals and
1 monograph (with tentative title ‘Salmon (Salmo salar L.) in Lithuania: distribution,
abundance and status’).
9. Programme duration:
2012–2016
10. Chief executive:
Dr Juozas Labokas, chief researcher, (+370) 2729930, juozas.labokas@botanika.lt