At first glance Estonia seems relatively natural – we have a lot of forests, large protected areas and well-preserved bog landscapes – but since the second half of the 20th century the habitats of many species have actually been completely destroyed or have significantly declined.
As a result of natural reforestation, open sandy areas and dunes have almost disappeared from our landscapes, and the area of our forests and coastal meadows has decreased. In the course of ditching, or land improvement, one third of Estonia's land has been drained and many wet forests, open transition mires and lowland fens have been destroyed. Intensive farming has led to the replacement of landscape mosaics with monocultural farmlands on which plant protection products and are used abundantly.
The purpose of the project is to protect and restore Estonian landscapes and ecosystems, as well as improve the condition of the species and habitats of our forests and farmlands.
We operate in four areas — forests, semi-natural grasslands, environmentally friendly agriculture and species conservation.
In addition to large-scale nature conservation works, the nature conservation management and information system will be upgraded over the years, people's general environmental awareness will be promoted together with individual and community-based environmental protection.
Although people have begun to value the natural environment, studies show that practical knowledge of conservation and environmentally sustainable activities is scarce among ordinary people, farmers and forest owners alike.
Therefore, together with scientists, foresters and farmers, land keepers and local communities, the project tests various nature conservation activities and methods — both traditional and innovative — and provides practical guidance on how each of us can act in such a way that we do not harm nature, but on the contrary, contribute to the preservation and restoration of biodiversity.
Restoration of wet and dry woodlands
An Action Plan for Wet Woodland Habitats has been completed, based on which RMK will restore 3,500–4,000 hectares of various wet woodland habitats in the course of the project. The main goal of these activities is to reduce the impact of drainage.
When the Action Plan for Dry Woodland Habitats will be completed in 2025, RMK will also restore 500 ha of dry woodlands in the framework of the project.
The sites to be restored have been selected by the forestry working group of the University of Tartu led by professor Asko Lõhmus and researcher Raul Rosenvald.
For both wet and dry woodland habitats, restoration activities may also include thinning the stand by felling and developing a more natural tree species composition, as well as producing dead wood.
New measures for private forestry
The current subsidy scheme for compensating the loss of income from forests in protected areas is outdated and, therefore, the project aims to involve private forest owners and the organisations connecting them in the process of updating the subsidy scheme and to give forest owners a more active role in planning and implementing conservation activities.
In addition, the current support for private forestry is a passive compensation that compensates for the loss of income. However, active measures are needed to improve the condition of many woodland habitats. Under the leadership of Professor Asko Lõhmus from the University of Tartu and as a result of brainstorming among forestry practitioners, a set of active forestry practices promoting nature conservation has been prepared, which will be tested in order to see whether and to what extent forest owners, cooperatives and forestry companies are able to implement them.
Launch of an advisory service for managers of semi-natural grasslands
The Environmental Board will be placing a greater focus on advising landowners who are willing to manage or lease grassland areas. The Environmental Board advisor can help find the right restoration and maintenance solution for each grassland. Together with the landowner, the advisor will review the grassland on site, discuss possible solutions and inform about best practices for the restoration and management of semi-natural grasslands, as well as support measures.
We will monitor whether this approach increases the involvement of landowners and thus helps to restore and manage semi-natural grasslands more effectively than before. On the website, landowners can find relevant information about where to start, how to restore and maintain semi-natural grasslands and what subsidy schemes are available.
On 17 February 2022, we acknowledged outstanding managers of semi-natural grasslands for the first time, and on 25 January 2023 for the second time. This is going to be a tradition.
Performance-based support
Subsidies are paid to landowners for the management of grasslands. We want to update the subsidy system and make it more motivating for landowners and managers of grasslands. To this end, we are testing the concept of performance-based support where experts define the criteria and methodology that land managers can use to assess the quality of their grasslands. Based on the results, we will see whether such a support system gives additional incentive for managers to take care of their grasslands and increases their awareness of natural assets on their lands, as well as their knowledge about how to conserve and promote them through management. Such an approach should create a closer link between the land manager, their lands and the biodiversity there.
Restoration of 20 coastal meadows
We are restoring 20 coastal meadows that are important habitats for many protected and endangered species, including waders and amphibians. Researchers at the University of Tartu have found that the current coastal meadows are too narrow for the southern dunlin, black-tailed godwit, common redshank and ruff that nest and feed on the ground. To a great extent, this is due to forests that were planted in the higher parts of the coastal meadows in Soviet times and that are not suitable for these birds of open country. The more tree stands and shrubs there are on a coastal meadow, the easier it is for foxes and raccoon dogs to find a hiding place there and prey on bird nests on the ground.
On the 20 coastal meadows selected at the beginning of the project, trees and shrubs will be felled during the restoration process, the water regime will be restored, reed will be removed and the number of small predators will be kept under control. These activities provide valuable knowledge and experience, on the basis of which it will be possible to improve the practices for restoring coastal meadows in the future.
Much of the biodiversity in Estonia and the rest of Europe is linked to agricultural landscapes. The livelihood of several insect species, vascular plants and birds depends on food production practices, but the impact works in both directions – the quality and sustainability of food production depend, in turn, on the biodiversity surrounding the fields, the state of the soil, and our ability to mitigate and adapt to climate change.
Farmers, in cooperation with researchers from the University of Tartu, are setting up demo sites where the impact of various agroecological practices (such as creating strips of grassland, establishing field islands, leaving patches for larks in crop fields, etc.) on biodiversity and yield are monitored. Based on the data obtained during the experiments, we will identify the most suitable practices for using in Estonia, which will allow us to design more practical subsidy schemes for agriculture in the future.
Studies on the habitat use of farmland birds
Between 1983 and 2020, the population of Estonian farmland birds decreased by 50%, which means that in less than 40 years, we lost half of our farmland birds. We are testing measures in the fields (such as later mowing, strips of grassland, leaving unsown patches for larks) that could halt the deterioration of the birds’ situation and increase the number of at least some species.
All breeding birds on the entire agricultural landscape fall within the field of interest of research under the project, and we are monitoring three species – the corn crake, the grey partridge, and the common starling – via GPS transmitters.
Establishing an action plan for pollinator conservation
The state of habitats, especially on farmland, can be judged by the abundance of pollinators. Intensive agriculture, the use of pesticides, environmental pollution and climate change reduce the number and species richness of pollinators both in Estonia and worldwide. Under the leadership of the University of Tartu, a research-based pollinator action plan appropriate to the Estonian context will be prepared by 2025, with a focus on natural pollinators, but many methods affecting the condition and issues of honey bees are also indirectly related to the topic.
Restoration of small bodies of water
The loss of habitats and the deterioration of their quality is one of the reasons why, according to the Red List assessment of 2018, five species of amphibians living in Estonia are endangered and the green toad is completely extinct. As amphibians need both land and aquatic habitats, their successful reproduction and species diversity are ensured by a varied set of small water bodies that fit in well with surrounding nature. To restore such habitats, experts from the University of Tartu have selected nine Natura 2000 sites, adjacent to intensively managed agricultural landscapes, where a total of 100 amphibian breeding water bodies will be restored.
60 water bodies have been restored by the summer of 2024, and in the autumn of 2024, 12 water bodies are to be restored in South Estonia.
Testing of methods for the control of alien species
Alien species are the second biggest threat to natural diversity after habitat loss and fragmentation. In the course of the project, we test various methods for the control of four large-growing plants – goldenrod, knotweed, snowberry and false spirea – using various methods, including a steam device.
The species described above become a problem when they grow outside gardens, because by spreading uncontrollably in the wild, they threaten the natural balance. Mapping of field work and experimental sites (44) has revealed that these plants are dispersed into the wild mainly from garbage and garden waste storage sites and abandoned farm gardens, as well as from places to which soil has been moved.
Based on the results of control activities (which started in the summer of 2023 and will last for five years), we will develop new cost-effective methods for controlling alien species, focusing also on preventive measures, which are crucial to limiting the spread of alien species.
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