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- Public participation is one of the conditions for an effective environmental impact assessment. Quite often public participation is limited to the general public but various organizations, governmental and non-governmental institutions, business enterprises are left aside. The paper analyses the attitudes of different enterprises/organizations with focus on a road construction (Siaurine Street) case in Vilnius, Lithuania in regard to the environmental impact assessment process. The survey indicated that only a very small part of respondents from different enterprises and organizations has been approached in particular environmental impact assessment process, although the construction project was relevant for nearly half of all surveyed enterprises. Companies, located in the territory of the planned Siaurine Street, highlighted that the major significant components of environmental aspects are noise and air pollution, between socio-economic environment - suitable infrastructure, human well-being and business and job opportunities. The type of company’s activity, income, number of employees and their distance to the Siaurine Street were the main factors determining respondent choices.

The factors of global climate change specifically affect crop and weed performance. Peas (Pisum sativum L.), spring barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), and wild mustard (Sinapis arvensis L.) were exposed to elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) (1400 or 700 vs. 400 μmol mol−1) and air temperature (25/18 vs. 21/14°C, day/night) to study the single and combined effects on plant growth, photosynthetic performance, and carbohydrate metabolism. Significantly greater stimulation of the photosynthetic rate was determined at the corresponding growth CO2 concentration (Agrowth), and water use efficiency (WUE) and biomass production were detected for crops than for weed exposed to elevated [CO2]. The possibilities to translocate total soluble sugars (TSS) and starch into roots are considerably higher for crop species, especially N2–fixing pea plants compared with wild mustard, while the accumulation of photosynthates in leaves of wild mustard led to higher photosynthetic downregulation and considerably lower stimulation of Agrowth. Moreover, an increase in WUE was completely eliminated at 4°C above ambient air temperature ([25/400]) in wild mustard grown under elevated [CO2], while crops still maintained slightly higher WUE. These findings suggest that investigated crop species, especially pea plants, have higher advantage than weed under rising [CO2], and this benefit is detected to be even higher under elevated [CO2] and temperature.

Trinitrotoluene (TNT), a commonly used explosive for military and industrial applications, can cause serious environmental pollution. 28-day laboratory pot experiment was carried out applying bioaugmentation using laboratory selected bacterial strains as inoculum, biostimulation with molasses and cabbage leaf extract, and phytoremediation using rye and blue fenugreek to study the effect of these treatments on TNT removal and changes in soil microbial community responsible for contaminant degradation. Chemical analyses revealed significant decreases in TNT concentrations, including reduction of some of the TNT to its amino derivates during the 28-day tests. The combination of bioaugmentation-biostimulation approach coupled with rye cultivation had the most profound effect on TNT degradation. Although plants enhanced the total microbial community abundance, blue fenugreek cultivation did not significantly affect the TNT degradation rate. The results from molecular analyses suggested the survival and elevation of the introduced bacterial strains throughout the experiment. Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Nõ lvak, H.; Truu, J.; Limane, B.; Truu, M.; Cepurnieks, G.; Bartkevičs, V.; Juhanson, J.; Muter, O. 2013. Microbial community changes in TNT spiked soil bioremediation trial using biostimulation, phytoremediation and bioaugmentation, Journal of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Management 21(3): 153Á162. http://dx. abstract.In 2011, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Law amendment was approved and a socio-economic assessment formally became an integrated part of EIA in Lithuania. Therefore, this study examines a socio-economic assessment in the environmental impact statements (EIS) and the perceptions of the EIA experts towards a socio economic assessment. Although formally a socio-economic assessment has been validated only recently, 30% of specialists claimed having conducted a socio-economic assessment in detail prior to the amendments to the law. Thus, the EIS analysis has shown a rather poor consideration of these issues as mainly creation of work places was addressed. The survey has shown that preparation of the EIA documents after the formalisation of a socio-economic assessment would change mainly nominally. The EIA experts working in the private sector were more optimistic than those from state institutions. Reluctance of changes and personal attitudes have to be addressed, especially those particular to the experts of state institutions. In addition, methodological guidance, integrative approach and public involvement into the decision-making process could change the current situation and increase the effectiveness of the EIA process and the social impact assessment in general.

In studies on plant responses to climate change more attention has been given to aboveground processes although carbon input by plants into the soil is a major flux in the global carbon cycle. The objective of study was to investigate the effects of elevated CO2 and temperature on carbon allocation and partitioning in different parts of plant, soil, and microbial biomass. An experiment was conducted on summer rape (Brassica napus L.) under increased levels of air temperature and atmospheric CO2 in controlled environment chambers. Results showed that the amount of leaf, stem and root carbon statistically significantly increased under elevated CO2 and temperature conditions. Microbial biomass carbon significantly increased by 11.2% and 13.5% under elevated CO2 and elevated CO2 and temperature, respectively, although soil carbon under both treatments decreased. It is concluded that carbon allocation is controlled under different climate conditions; however, elevated CO2 and temperature together will have a more significant effect for carbon allocation to different plant parts and microbial biomass carbon compared to elevated CO2 alone.