Plant Conservation in Estonia

Number of Nationally Threatened Species

Plant Group	RE	EN	VU	R	CD	ID	Total Protected	Total Red-listed
Vascular plants	27	31	29	100	54	68	185	309
Bryophytes	10	5	14	117	5	48	23	199
Lichens	18	5	24	41	21	1	-	110
Algae	-	-	10	4	-	-	-	14
Fungi	4	21	16	43	7	-	30	91
Totals	59	62	93	305	87	117	238	723

RE=Regionally Extinct; EN=Endangered, VU=Vulnerable, R=Rare, CD=Care Demanding; ID=Indeterminate

National Red Data Books

Punane Raamat. Eesti NSV-s kaitstavaid taime- ja loomaliike [The Red Data Book of the Estonian SSR. Protected Plants and Animals of the Estonian SSR] E. Kumari (Ed). Pp. 244, [3]. 1982. Valgus, Tallinn.

Eesti Punane Raamat. Ohustatud seened, taimed ja loomad [Red Data Book of Estonia. Threatened Fungi, Plants and Animals]. Pp. 150. 1998. The Commission for Nature Conservation of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, Tartu. Web version.

Fungi. Compiled by Kuulo Kalamees (kuulo@zbi.ee), Mall Vaasma (mall@zbi.ee)

Red List of Estonian Lichens, compiled by Tiina Randlane, 1998 (randlane@ut.ee)

Algae. Compiled by Erich Kukk (ekukk@ut.ee)

Bryophytes. Compiled by Nele Ingerpuu (nele@zbi.ee)

Vascular plants. Compiled by Vilma Kuusk (vilma@zbi.ee)

Red Data Book of the Baltic Region. Part 1. T. Ingelög, R. Anderson & M. Tjernberg (Eds). 1993. Swedish Threatened Species Unit, Uppsala, Sweden. Includes threatened vascular plants from Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Germany and Denmark.

Floras

Eesti NSV floora. Kd. 1–11 [Flora of Estonian SSR. Vol. 1–11]. 1953–1984. Index 1998. Academy of Sciences of the Estonian SSR. Institute of Zoology and Botany. Eesti Riiklik Kirjastus; Valgus, Tallinn.

Eesti taimestik [Vascular Plant Flora of Estonia]. T. Kukk. Pp. 464. 1999. Institute of Zoology and Botany of Estonian Agricultural University a.o. Teaduste Akadeemia Kirjastus, Tartu; Tallinn. English summary and background.

Flora of the Baltic Countries. Compendium of Vascular Plants. 1. L. Laasimer, V. Kuusk, L. Tabaka & A. Lekavicius (Eds). Pp. 362, [15]. 1993. Estonian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology and Botany, Latvian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biology, Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany, Tartu.

Flora of the Baltic Countries. Compendium of Vascular Plants. 2. V. Kuusk, L. Tabaka & R. Jankeviciene (Eds). Pp. 372. 1996. Estonian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Zoology and Botany, Latvian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Biology. Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, Institute of Botany. Eesti Loodusfoto, Tartu.

See also Eesti sammalde maaraja [Field guide of Estonian bryophytes]. N. Ingerpuu & K. Vellak. Pp. 239. 1998. Institute of Zoology and Botany of Estonian Agricultural University. Eesti Loodusfoto, Tartu.

Eesti taimede maaraja [Field-guide of Estonian plants]. M. Leht (Ed); H. Krall, T. Kukk, T. Kull, V. Kuusk, M. Leht, T. Oja, Ü. Reier, S. Sepp, H. Zingel & T. Tuulik. Pp. 447. 1999. Institute of Zoology and Botany of Estonian Agricultural University. Eesti Loodusfoto, Tartu.

Eesti taimkatte kasvukohatüüpide klassifikatsioon [Classification of Estonian vegetation site types]. J. Paal. Pp. 297. 1997. Eesti Keskkonnaministeerium & ÜRO Keskkonnaprogramm, Tallinn. English summary.

Paal, J. Rare and threatened plant communities of Estonia. - Biodiversity and Conservation. 1998. 7. Pp. 1027–1049.

Vegetation

Estonia is in the southern part of the Boreal forest zone, in the transitional area where the southern taiga forest sub-zone changes into the spruce-hardwood sub-zone. Terrestrial plant cover consists of forests (40%), mires (30%) and grassland plant communities; and covering small areas vegetation of rocks, sand dunes and salt marshes. Due to human influence, the vegetation is natural (forest, bog and fen plant communities), semi-natural (wooded meadows, grasslands, drained peatlands) and cultivated (fields, orchards, gardens, parks, etc.). The northern and western parts of Estonia were strongly eroded by the Continental Ice Belt thus becoming flat and having habitats of thin layers (alvars). The alvar spruce forests, alvar pine forests and some other types of alvar forests are original and especially characteristic of north-west Estonia and islands of the Baltic Sea. So also are the alvar pastures, which have evolved from these forests due to prolonged sheep grazing.

Plant Conservation Programmes

The Estonian Environmental Monitoring Programme.

Monitoring of Protected Plant Species (List and coordinates of monitored plants). Coordinator: Ulle Kukk (ylle@envinst.ee)

Monitoring of Plant Communities. Coordinator: Anneli Palo (palo@envinst.ee).

Eesti Metsakaitsealade Võrgustik (The Estonian Forest Conservation Area Network), Rõõmu tee 2, Tartu 51013.

EELIS - Estonian Nature Infosystem

The Estonian Environmental Protection Institute is coordinating a project to identify Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Estonia as part of the European IPAs Programme led by Plantlife International with the Planta Europa network.

Key Institutions

Ministry of the Environment, Toompuiestee 24, 15172 Tallinn.

Institute of Botany and Ecology, Lai 40, Tartu 51005.

Institute of Ecology, Tartu Department, Riia St. 181, Tartu 51014.

Institute of Zoology and Botany, Riia 181, Tartu 51014.

Environmental Protection Institute, Akadeemia 4, Tartu 51003. (An independent scientific and teaching institution of the Estonian Agricultural University)

Eesti Teaduste Akadeemia Looduskaitse Komisjon. [Commission for Nature Conservation of the Estonian Academy of Sciences]

Union of Protected Areas of Estonia, Pk. 30, 45202 Viitna.