Northern Gauja Forestland.

Section 11. Spicu Bridge - Zaķi.

The forest path leads through the sparse pine forests where protected habitats may be observed and photographed: lichen-rich pine forests, which are found only on the inland dunes apart from the Piejūra (maritime) lowlands. Here pine forests and marshes grow on the Cirgaļi inland dune massif, which originated at the end of the Ice Age, creating beautiful areas rarely seen in Latvia’s inland. The western capercaillie nests here, and if you happen upon this bird, do not bother it and leave quietly. A white line marks several large pine trees along the route – these are the so called seed trees. Scientists are doing research on CO2 capture in old forest stands. In some places, old pine stands have been preserved with fishtail-shaped scars on the trunk, which have been formed by resin mining during the past century.