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 comprehensivesystem of knowledgeaboutplant andanimal, micro- and macro-organismfunctioning patterns, population and environmental qualityassessment andmanagementprinciples as well as to scientifically justify the regeneration and conservation of biological resources under globaland localchanges by means of complex research into the Lithuanianbiological resourcesand quality of environment, bringing togetherthe most competentscientificpotential andusing modernmethods of analysis.
2.2. To create long-term strategies for conservation ofbiologicalresources (economic plants,mammals, birds, fish, crayfish populations),involving thesustainable useof resources as well as regenerationmethods andtechniques; to develop recommendations to biologicalresourcemanagers, methodological means for studyprogrammes.
3. Tasks:
3.1. To performqualitative evaluation of resources of priority plant species – to establish regularities of phenotypicandgenotypicdiversity of economic plant(medicinal, aromatic, etc.) populations, status and trends in the changing ecosystems;to optimizetechniques for ecological restorationof vulnerable plant communitiesas well asscientifically justify the strategies of resource conservation.
3.2. To evaluate animal (mammals, birds, fish, crayfish) resource status andtrends of change, to develop scientifically-based management and conservationstrategies andmeasures;to establishinformative methods for the environment and ecosystemhealth status assessment appropriate to Lithuanian natural conditions.
3.3. To investigatespecies diversity of micromycetes and the peculiarities of their communitiesformation in anthropogenic environment, theirimportance to environmentalbiota, destructionprocesses of natural and synthetic materials; to identify regularities of distribution of plantpathogens, the effects of genetic structure of populations on their functioning and attacks on economic plantsas well as to substantiate the selection of plant protectionmeasures.
4. Methodological basis:
Research will becarried out in accordancewith modernmethodology, modern methods such ashigh-performance liquidchromatography (HPLC), gas chromatographywith massspectrometry (GC/MS),microchemicalanalysis (EPMA, ICPMS), telemetry, stableisotopeanalysis (SIA), molecularmethods (ISSR, AFLP-PCR, etc.). Most ofthe equipment required for these methods is available at the NRC: variouschromatographsand spectrometers,telemetricequipment,genetic analysisequipment.Traditionalresearch methods, field studies as well as modernecosystem restorationmethods, mathematical modelling and methods for statistical-economicevaluation of resources will be applied. It is expectedto make use of open access centres – the integrated science, studies and businessvalley ‘Santara’ infrastructure developed by Joint NatureResearch Centre. For the research, it is intended touseGIS applications,various specializeddatabases andregistersof natural resources, to participate in training and seminars onnew 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 re-introduction 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,