Natura 2000 in Estonia

Natura 2000 in Estonia
Kadri Möller
Nature Conservation Department

Estonian
Natura 2000 network
• Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) sites
66 Special Protection Areas (SPA)
total area: 12 590 km2
• Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC) sites
531 (proposed) Sites of Community Importance
(pSCI/SCI)
• 33 pSCI
• 498 SCI
total area: 11 320 km2

Estonian
Natura 2000 network
as SPA-s and pSCI-s/SCI-s are mostly overlapping
total area of
Estonian Natura 2000 network
Marine
14 590 km2
6 585 km2
Terrestrial 7 177 km2 (16.5%)
Forest
Private forest
3 539 km2
866 km2

Natura 2000 site protection
All Estonian Natura 2000 sites are protected
according to Nature Conservation Act as
• Protected areas
− National Parks (5)
− Nature Conservation Areas (120)
− Landscape Protection Areas (233)
• Limited-Conservation Areas (336) (e.g. marine and
coastal habitats, lakes and rivers, semi-natural grasslands)
• Species Protection Sites (426) (e.g. courting grounds
of capercaillie)

Protection of Natura 2000 sites -
area
1%
13%
Natio n al Park s
Natu re C o n s e rvatio n
A re as
51%
4%
17%
14%
L an d s cap e
Pro te ctio n A re as
Sp e cie s Pro te ctio n
Site s
L im ite d -
C o n s e rvatio n A re as
Plan n e d Pro te cte d
A re as

Zones of protected areas
Protected areas are divided
into different zones:
Strict nature reserve (all human activities are
prohibited)
Special management zone (economic activities
are prohibited)
Limited management zone (sustainable economic
activities are allowed)

Protection zones (area)
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 forests
Natura 2000 private forests

Protection rules
Protected areas have specific protection rules
approved by the Government
Rules for the protection of Limited-Conservation
Areas are given in the Nature Conservation Act
Protection rules for Species Protection Sites are
approved by the Minister of the Environment

Management plans
• Management plans are compiled and
approved by the Environmental Board
• 56 managament plans (1 804 km2 ) are
approved
• 147 management plans (8 504 km2 ) will
be ready by the end of 2010
• The compilation of management plans
for the rest of Natura 2000 sites will be
completed by the end of 2013

Designation of Special Areas of Conservation (SAC)
• According to Art 4.4 of the Habitats Directive
once a Site of Community Importance (SCI) has
been adopted by the Commission, the Member
State shall designate the SCI as Special Area of
Conservation (SAC) within 6 years.
• The list of Estonian SCI-s was adopted for the
first time by the Commission Decision of 12 Nov
2007 (2008/24/EC).
• Therefore the designation of Special Areas of
Conservation (SAC) needs to be completed by the
end of 2013.

Designation of SAC (2)
Protection rules (legally binding):
– Conservation objectives (list of habitats and species)
– Map
– Restrictions
Management plans
– Conservation status of the species and habitats
– Measurable conservation objectives
– Motivation of site designation: habitats and species are
restored or maintained at favourable conservation status
– Threats
– Conservation actions, their priorities
– Timetable
– Budget

Natura 2000 and forest
~ 50 % of Estonia is covered by forest
~ 20 % of forest is protected (Natura 2000)
Herdis Fridolin

Birds Directive and forest
In Estonia:
– 66 birds species
listed in Annex I of
the Birds Directive
– 20 of them are
forest birds
Egon Niittee

BD Annex I forest species
Eagle Owl - Bubo bubo
Pygmy Owl - Glaucidium passerinum
Ural Owl - Strix uralensis
Tengmalm's Owl - Aegolius funereus
Nightjar - Caprimulgus europaeus
Grey-headed Woodpecker - Picus canus
Black Woodpecker - Dryocopus martius
White-backed Woodpecker -
Dendrocopos leucotos
Three-toed Woodpecker – Picoides
tridactylus
Red-breasted Flycatcher – Ficedula
parva
Black Stork - Ciconia nigra
Herdis Fridolin
White-tailed Eagle –
Haliaetus albicilla
Lesser Spotted Eagle –
Aquila pomarina
Spotted Eagle - Aquila clanga
Golden Eagle - Aquila chrysaetos
Osprey - Pandion haliae"tus
Merlin - Falco columbarius
Hazel Grouse - Bonasa bonasia
Black Grouse - Tetrao tetrix
Capercaillie - Tetrao urogallus

Habitats Directive and forests
In Estonia:
Habitats Directive Annex I
60 habitat types (incl 18 priority habitats)
e.g. 11 forest habitat types (incl 6 priority types)
Habitats Directive Annex II
51 species (incl 3 priority species):
14 plant species (5 in forest)
7 mosses (2 forest)
16 invertebrates (6 forest)
7 fish species
1 amphibian
6 mammals (3 forest)
Uudo Timm

HD Annex I forest habitat types
90. Forests of Boreal Europe
9010 * Western Taiga
9020 * Fennoscandian hemiboreal
natural old broad-leaved deciduous
forests (Quercus,Tilia, Acer,
Fraxinus or Ulmus) rich in
epiphytes
9050 Fennoscandian herb-rich forests
with Picea abies
9060 Coniferous forests on, or
connected to, glaciofluvial eskers
9070 Fennoscandian wooded pastures
9080 * Fennoscandian deciduous
swamp woods
Herdis Fridolin

HD Annex I forest habitat types (2)
91. Forests of Temperate Europe
9180 * Tilio-Acerion forests of slopes,
screes and ravines
91D0 * Bog woodland
91E0 * Alluvial forests with Alnus
glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-
Padion,Alnion incanae, Salicion albae)
91F0 Riparian mixed forests of Quercus
robur, Ulmus laevis and Ulmus minor,
Fraxinus excelsior or Fraxinus
angustifolia, along the great rivers
(Ulmenion minoris)
21. Sea dunes of the Atlantic, North Sea
and Baltic coasts
2180 Wooded dunes of the Atlantic,
Continental and Boreal region
Herdis Fridolin

HD Annex II forest species
Plant species:
Lady s Slipper –
Cypripedium calceolus
Slender Wood Redgrass –
Cinna latifolia
Sandy Pink –
Dianthus arenarius ssp arenarius
Pilose Agrimony – Agrimonia pilosa
Pasque-Flower – Pulsatilla patens
Mosses:
Green Shield-moss –
Buxbaumia viridis
Wood Broom Moss – Dicranum viride
Herdis Fridolin
Invertebrates:
Boros schneideri
Cuculus cinnaberinus
Hermit Beetle – *Osmoderma eremita
Oxyporus mannerheimii
Scarce Heath – Coenonympha hero
Scarce Fritillary – Euphydryas maturna

HD Annex II forest species
Mammals:
Flying Squirrel - *Pteromys volans
European Mink (Marshotter) - *Mustela lutreola (at forest rivers)
Pond (Rough-legged Water) Bat - Myotis dasycneme
Excemptions of Estonian population from Annex II
Brown Bear – Ursus Arctos
Common (European) Wolf - Canis lupus
Northern Lynx - Lynx lynx
European Beaver - Castor fiber
Herdis Fridolin

Habitats Directive Art 17 report
•
In every six years the assessment of conservation
status of each species in Annex 2, 4 and 5 and
each habitat in Annex 1 shall be made.
•
The first report was made in 2007
•
Range, area, trends, reasons for trends, main
pressures and threats were assessed
•
The results:
•
favourable
•
inadequate
•
bad
•
unknown
Herdis Fridolin

Results of assessment – Estonia
All habitat types (60) Forest habitat types (11)
13%
8%
42%
Favourable
27%
18%
Favourable
Inadequate
Bad
Inadequate
37%
Unknown
Bad
55%

Results of assessment – Estonia (2)
All species (97) Forest species (46)
27%
24%
34%
33%
8%
41%
Favourable
Inadequate
Bad
Unknown
7%
26%
Favourable
Inadequate
Bad
Unknown

National compensationsc
Reduced land tax
50 % or 100% depending
on the extent of the
restrictions.
Acquisation of land by state
State will buy the land
parcel if its intended use is
significantly limited by the
protection rules.

EU Funds
• European Regional
Development Fund
(ERDF)
• European
Agricultural Fund
for Rural
Development
(EAFRD)
• Life+
Voldemar Rannap

European Regional Development Fund
21.7 MEUR for nature conservation in 2007-2013
Activities:
• Preparation of management plans for Natura 2000
• Implementation of management plans:
– Habitats restoration
– Infrastructure for habitats restoration or
management
– Infrastructure for improving oppurtunities
for visitors
• Control of non-native species

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development
Estonian Rural Development Plan:
•
Natura 2000 support to private forest owners
110 EUR/ha per year, 60 EUR/ha per year
•
Natura 2000 support to agricultural land user
32 EUR/ha per year
•
Support for the maintanance of semi-natural
habitats
238 EUR/ha per year, 186 EUR/ha per year
In total more than 6.4 MEUR per year

Natura 2000 support to private forest owners
Aim of the support: to compensate the loss of
economic income of the forest resulting from the
restrictions of the Birds and Habitats Directives
Area-based support
Two rates:
– 110 EUR/ha per year
– 60 EUR/ha per year
depends on the extent of restrictions

Natura 2000 support to private forest owners (2)
In order to achieve the favourable conservation status for the most
boreal forest types, all forestry activities, except for restoration are
forbidden.
It is very important to compensate the loss of income to the private
forest owners.
Area-based subsidies are paid for compensation.
The problem is that the requirements for area-based subsidies of
forests are practically the same as for open landscapes (fields).
It is much more complicated to measure the exact declared area in
the forest.
In order to measure the declared area, the landowner needs to
mark it in the forest.
The marking has caused many problems for the landowners and its
not helping to improve the state of biodiversity.

For example the
brown bear may
not like either when
there are too many
marked trees in the
forest. It might
decide to go and
find a better place
to live.
Toomas Tiivel

Example of private land in Natura 2000 forest

Natura 2000 support to private forest owners (3)
• We propose that for the next financing period the
requirements for forest area based subsidies would be
re-evaluated to take into account the conditions of the
forest land (e.g. in dense forest habitats types).
• The best solution would be the possibility to measure
the compensated area by using GIS. The controls on
spot will determine whether the conservation rules are
followed.
• If there is an infringement, the exact location will be
determined.

Conclusions
• Natura 2000 support to private forest
owners has been very important for
Estonia.
• This has created more positive attitude
towards Natura 2000.
• It is extremely important that the support
would continue throughout the next
financing periods.

Herdis Fridolin
Thank you for your attention!
kadri.moller@envir.ee