ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2009

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are classified as continuous urban fabric, i.e. if nothing besides potted plants fit between the buildings, figuratively speaking. The category of discontinuous urban fabric includes all of the new residential districts. If we add to this total the 4.6 km 2 new industrial and commercial areas (of which 2.2 km 2 are on former agricultural lands and 1.3 km 2 on forest land) and to a lesser degree other new built-up areas, we obtain a figure of 23 km 2 of new built-up areas. There is a total of 8.2 km 2 of new construction sites, of which 5.6 km 2 are at the expense of former agricultural land and 2.6 km 2 of forest land. Where as 6% of the new residential areas were gained at the expense of forest land, a total of 30% of the new construction sites are on former forest land. New mineral extraction sites have been created (16 km 2 ), peat extraction areas (12 km 2 ) non-irrigated arable land (98 km 2 ) (primarily at the expense of pastures, which may signify an essentially insignificant change). There has been a loss of 13 km 2 of mineral extraction sites, 22 km 2 of non-irrigated arable land, 110 km 2 of pastures and 647 km 2 of forest, including 299 km 2 of it coniferous, 271 km 2 mixed and 76 km 2 broad-leaved. These increases and decreases reflect changes in total area of land cover categories. Considering the appearance and disappearance of individual land cover units, we can identify the net balance for Estonia in the years 2000–2006, in the course of which, as in the previous decade, the area of transitional woodland-scrub on mineral land has again increased – by 274 km 2 . The area under coniferous forest has decreased by 291 km 2 and the figure for mixed forest by 51 km 2 . The decrease in the area of pastureland is continuing – by 109 km 2 . The area of broad-leaved forests increased (125 km 2 ) as well as the area of non-irrigated arable land (84 km 2 ). The area of artificial surface (urban fabric and industrial-commercial sites) increased 25.8 km 2 (map 7.3). A decrease was noted in the area under beaches and coastal dunes (24 km 2 ) and sparse vegetation (21 km 2 ). The addition of artificial surface is not large in terms of percentage – about 0.05% of total land, but unlike many other changes it can be classified as irreversible. Cropland transformed into built-upon land or its vicinity can never be restored to their former use. Viewing the changes regionally, we see that most of the new construction developments are based in Harju County, where 18 km 2 of former croplands and natural areas have been replaced by built-up areas and 2.5 km 2 of areas that were construction sites in 2000 have been completed. A total of 3.8 km 2 of new construction sites accrued. In Pärnu County, 2.2 km 2 of urban fabric and construction sites were added; and 2.9 km 2 in Tartu County. Of the built-up areas accrued in the period 2000–2006, 15.9 km 2 of urban fabric and 2.3 km 2 of construction sites are located within 5 kilometres from the coast. Harjumaa Lääne-Virumaa Ida-Virumaa Hiiumaa Läänemaa Raplamaa Järvamaa Jõgevamaa Saaremaa Pärnumaa Viljandimaa Tartumaa Valgamaa Põlvamaa transitional woodland-scrub area to forest forest to transitional woodland-scrub area forest and transitional woodland-scrub area to artificial surfaces Võrumaa 114 Map 7.3. Changes in CORINE land cover 2000–2006 in the categories with the most significant changes. The areas marked in red are new urban fabric and construction sites, the brownish ones are areas where forests have been replaced with transitional woodland-scrub areas and greenish areas are where transitional woodland-scrub areas have been supplanted by forests. Data: CORINE land cover database.
7.2.2. Changes in land use as reflected by Statistics Estonia data Certain changes in land use can also be seen in the data collected by Statistics Estonia. Statistics Estonia emphasizes that the data are not definitive. Spring-time cultivation areas are registered by the Farm Structure Survey, which may vary from the ultimate cultivation areas classified according to harvest purpose. The data have also been rounded off. Still, they provide some sense of the dynamics at work here. According to data from the Farm Structure Survey, the total area of agricultural land has not changed significantly in the 21st century, fluctuating between 8,000–9,000 km 2 (figure 7.2). The same can be seen in the case of arable land, which fairly consistently makes up 2/3 of agricultural land. Considering the decline in the previous decade, the modest rise from 2003–2007 may represent an important shift. Comparing these data with the agricultural land data in use, we see a variance of up to 10%, which can be put down to margin of error for the data. At the same time, the number of agricultural holdings more than halved from 2001–2007. Agricultural land accounts for 75% of the land in the ownership of holdings – up from 65%. The percentage of agricultural land not utilised for agricultural production compared to agricultural land in use has more than halved – from 8.5% to 3.5%. This along with the modest rise in arable land area (also seen from CORINE data) attests to the rise in the value of cropland. For purposes of comparison it should be said that the area of arable land in the 20th century changed little, ranging between 11,000–12,000 km 2 and a significant decrease to approx. 8,500 km 2 took place in the 1990s. At the same time, the land cover changes do not indicate a similar drop in this period. The decrease in agricultural land and increase of forest land in the 20th century took place mainly through afforestation of grasslands A , but in the first ten years, the growth of forest does not yet show up on satellite imaging of land cover. Data from the forest inventory conducted do not indicate a decrease in the area of coniferous forests or an increase in the area of deciduous forests (figure 7.3). The total areas of forest stands have not significantly changed. On the basis of inventory data, Estonia’s total forested area has remained between 47 and 49 per cent in the 21st century. In interpreting fluctuation of total forest areas, it is difficult to differentiate between margin of error and actual fluctuation – the data show that forest land decreased by 450 km 2 in 2001–2002 and that it increased by 615 km 2 in 2002–2003, for example. Theoretically it is possible that in a given year a quantity of forest land is inventoried under another use and the next year, a quantity of overgrown fields will be recorded as forest land. Yet even then, such a variation would be due to a statistical change (accounting), not actual land use. 10 000 55 702 number of agricultural holdings arable land agricultural land 60 000 8000 50 000 km 2 8 712 6000 4000 2000 0 5 919 7 956 5 356 36 792 8 289 5 844 27 688 23 257 9 068 6 270 40 000 30 000 20 000 number of agricultural holdings 2001 2003 2005 2007 Figure 7.2. Change in the amount of agricultural land, arable land and number of agricultural holdings, 2001–2007. Data: Statistics Estonia. A Mander, Ü., Palang, H. (1994). Changes of landscape structure in Estonia during the Soviet period. – GeoJournal, 33(1), 45-54. 115
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Estonian Environment ESTONIAN ENVIR
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Published in the “Estonian Enviro
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Table of contents Foreword 3 Introd
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10. The environment and health 162
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Summary Socioeconomic background In
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Part 1 Socioeconomic background 1.
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1 600 000 1 550 000 1 500 000 popul
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Sources: • Ainsaar, M., Maripuu L
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2. The economy Estonia’s economy
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Table 2.3. GDP per capita as measur
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agriculture and fishery 3%, 3859 pr
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2.4. Transport Transport gives peop
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2.5. Tourism After independence was
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2.6. Agriculture The relative impor
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Fertilizer use With regard to inorg
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Agri-environmental support monitori
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3. Natural resources
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Construction mineral resources were
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10000 thousands of cubic metres 800
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Status of fish stocks in inland bod
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3.2.3. Restocking As a consequence
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Map 3.2. Average volume per hectare
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15 increment felling volume optimum
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3.3.5. Forest fires One of the exte
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3.4. Hunting Hunting is closely rel
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20 000 population size hunting bag
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4. Weather patterns and causes of c
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o C Ristna -22.9/-28.4 Vilsandi -21
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4.2. Greenhouse gas emissions and o
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agriculture 6% waste 3% industrial
Page 66 and 67: According to Statistics Estonia, CF
Page 68: 5. Ambient air
Page 71 and 72: 5.2. Emissions 5.2.1. Emissions of
Page 73 and 74: 5.2.2. Tropospheric ozone precursor
Page 75 and 76: Finland Bulgaria Spain Latvia tropo
Page 77 and 78: 40 35 fine particulate matter (PM 2
Page 79 and 80: other mobile pollution sources 0.04
Page 81 and 82: 6 5 4 3 2 tonnes 1 0 5.66 5.41 4.30
Page 83 and 84: Compared to years past, the number
Page 85 and 86: Hiiumaa 100 89 Saaremaa Läänemaa
Page 88 and 89: 6. Water The existence of clean fre
Page 90 and 91: 300 250 30 agriculture 200 13 manuf
Page 92 and 93: 6.2.2. Mining and cooling water In
Page 94 and 95: 250 wastewater volume total phospho
Page 96 and 97: Tallinn Kohtla-Järve Rakvere Tartu
Page 98 and 99: 6.4. Status of water 6.4.1. Groundw
Page 100 and 101: 6.4.2. Evaluating the status of sur
Page 102 and 103: 6.4.4. Status of rivers Proceeding
Page 104 and 105: Hirve Imsi Pale Uia Keila_1 Neeva S
Page 106 and 107: 6.4.5. Status of lakes The ecologic
Page 108: 7. Soil and land use
Page 111 and 112: 7.1.2. Soil formation Soil is creat
Page 113 and 114: 7.1.4. Soil status The status of so
Page 115: 7.2. Changes in land use 7.2.1. Cha
Page 119 and 120: partly attributable to unrealized p
Page 121 and 122: 7.3. Urban sprawl Suburban sprawl i
Page 123 and 124: green network core areas and corrid
Page 126 and 127: 8. Biological diversity Considering
Page 128 and 129: Table 8.2 Abundance and trends for
Page 130 and 131: Species habitats The status of habi
Page 132 and 133: non-initiation of Natura environmen
Page 134 and 135: 8.2.3. Achieving protection of biol
Page 136 and 137: Management plans Currently there ar
Page 138 and 139: 8.3. Inland water bodies The divers
Page 140 and 141: Small lakes The equilibrium of smal
Page 142 and 143: 8.4.2. Species: seals With the mild
Page 144 and 145: Proliferation of macroalgae Costal
Page 146: 9. Waste
Page 149 and 150: 20 total waste generated hazardous
Page 151 and 152: 9.4. Municipal waste generation and
Page 153 and 154: The primary reasons for the delay a
Page 155 and 156: 2004 2006 80 2005 2007 target of 15
Page 157 and 158: 9.8. Recovery of waste Recovery of
Page 159 and 160: deposition in landfills other dispo
Page 161 and 162: Table 9.2. Number of landfills in 2
Page 164 and 165: 10. The environment and health The
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a deficiency in the technical condi
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11. Economic instruments for enviro
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and payment, rates and use of the s
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tion, environmental educational ini
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12. Environmental management tools
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12.3. Environmental labels Consumer
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Appendix
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year month, day place event indicat
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Abbreviations used ARC - Agricultur
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ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2009

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