ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2009

25 000
pine
spruce
birch
aspen
common alder
grey alder
other
20 000
15 000
10 000
5 000
km 2
0
1999
2000
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Figure 7.3. Change in forest land based on forest inventory by statistical sampling method, 1999–2007. Data: Statistics Estonia.
7.2.3. Land cover, CORINE data
compared to Statistics Estonia data
Comparing Statistics Estonia land use data to CORINE
Land Cover, we see that the forest area as shown by
CORINE data in 2006 coincides with the total area of forest
stands obtained from official statistics with a less than 1%
discrepancy; but there is nevertheless 6–7% more forest
land according to Statistics Estonia data (figure 7.4).
The differences are greater when it comes to interpreting
agricultural land – even cropland, which should
explicitly be cultivated fields, accounted for 5,600 km 2 in
2006; at the same time CORINE data suggest that there
should be 6,750 km 2 of cultivated land. The difference is
20%, which cannot be explained by agricultural land not
in use (which is not necessarily distinguishable in land
cover) (figure 7.4).
According to CORINE data, there was nearly 15,000 km 2
of total agricultural land cover (including partially cultivated
areas and areas with partial natural vegetation),
but Estonian statistics reports nearly one-half of that
amount (8,500 km 2 ) (figure 7.4). Integrating land cover
and land use data is much more difficult in the case of
agricultural lands.
Viewing the changes in land cover in the Statistics
Estonia data from 2002–2008 and comparing it to the
CORINE land cover database, significant differences
become evident in interpretations of land cover and land
use. For example, Statistics Estonia keeps data according
to the purpose of land use (figure 7.5) – the distribution of
land according to planning purposes. Both forest land and
arable land fall under the purpose of profit-yielding land
(34,330 km 2 in 2008) while part of forest land falls under
the purpose of protected lands (1,388 km 2 in 2008).
The dynamics of the Statistics Estonia data indicate
the increase in land with different purposes in the case of
nearly all designated purposes; the relative proportions
do not change very much. In 2008, the total area of all of
the land recognized in the Statistics Estonia data set was
about 21% greater than it was in 2002, but still amounts
to only 84% of Estonia’s total area. The data do not reflect
unreadjusted land (land that is not registered in the land
register), as a result of which a large part of the ostensible
increase in land use is due to the increase in the percentage
of land covered by land readjustment.
Comparing CORINE Land Cover types and distribution
of land use purposes in 2006 (figure 7.6), we find
a few very comparable categories – for instance, there
were 650 km 2 of residential land designated for a specific
purpose and the CORINE land cover data indicated a
total of 545 km 2 of urban fabric. The difference may be
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