ESTONIAN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW 2009

3.3.2 Share of tree species
Major changes have taken place in the structure of tree
species. The share of stands of broad-leaved trees and
mixed stands with a broad-leaved majority has increased
(figure 3.11). The primary reasons for this are the change
in forest inventorying methods and the afforestation of
land no longer used for agriculture. The most common
species of trees in Estonia are pine, birch and spruce.
The relative shares of tree species is affected by use of
forest stocks. In the last decade, spruce and pine stands
have found increasing use. Aspen and grey alder have been
logged less, as a result of which their share is increasing
with respect to pine and spruce in older stands. According
to data from National Forest Inventory, mature aspen
stands make up 66% of the total area of aspen stands,
while the figure is 59% for grey alder.
100
pine
birch
spruce
aspen
black alder
grey alder
80
60
40
20
percentage
0
1958 1975 1988 1994 2000 2008
Figure 3.11. Change in the share of species of trees, listed according to dominant tree species of stands.
Data: Data from stand-wise forest inventories 1958–1994, data from National Forest Inventory are for 2000 and 2008; Centre for
Forest Protection and Siviculture.
3.3.3. Fellings and increment
In the Estonian forestry development plan up to 2010,
the optimum allowable cut for the decade is given as 12.6
million m 3 per year. In the early 2000s annual felling volumes
rose to record levels, on the same order of magnitude
as increment in stands, i.e. around 12 million m 3 (figure
3.12). The reasons were above all the high percentage
of mature stands and not being actively managed, the
active management of lands that have been transferred
into private ownership in the course of land reform, rapid
development of mechanical wood processing and high
demand for wood products, especially real estate and
construction sector.
Starting in 2003, the annual felling volume started
falling. There was more processing of raw material and
provision of services. Roundwood began to be imported.
This situation was brought about by a tax system unfavourable
to private forest owners, the reduction of unused
forest land and mounting expenses of forest harvesting.
A noteworthy drop in felling volume was also caused by
the mild and short winters – a large part of forests suffers
from excessive moisture during mild winters, but logging
can only take place on frozen soil.
The region’s timber market was also thrown into
disarray by the “January storm” in 2005, due to which
the market became saturated with cheap wind-damaged
timber. The main emphasis in logging turned to eliminating
storm damage. The consequences of the storm
were still affecting the market in 2006 and the prices of
wood recovered only in 2007. In these years, clearcutting
and thinning dropped significantly and the area of
sanitary cutting increased. In the conditions of lower
felling volumes, a sudden increase in roundwood import
from Russia helped to alleviate timber industry companies’
demand for raw material. The Russian Federation
established higher export tariffs on roundwood as of
June 2007, followed by a so-called railway embargo in
the wake of the April 2007 civil unrest, which in effect
closed the primary transport route for roundwood. Due
to the deepening global economic crisis in the second
half of 2008, demand for timber and timber products has
significantly dropped.
In 2006 softwoods (spruce and pine) made up 60% of
the amount of timber cut. Of deciduous species, birch
was logged the most (figure 3.13).
hall lepp
sanglepp
haab
kuusk
kask
mänd
46