There are 60 habitat types in Estonia that we must protect and preserve on Estonian territory The pan-European Natura 2000 network of protected areas was established on the basis of the European Union (EU) Birds Directive and the Habitats Directive. Annex I of the Habitats Directive lists the natural habitat types in need of protection. Areas that occur in different locations but have similar...

A habitat (biotope, ecotope) is a set of natural conditions that is necessary for a species or its population to live in that place. The European Union’s Habitats Directive defines the habitat types that must be protected in the Natura 2000 sites. Jaanus Paal has adapted the classifications of these habitat types [1] to the Estonian conditions, based on his own classification of Estonian habitat...

Soil erosion causes the loss of 25–40 billion tonnes of soil worldwide every year It is estimated that three square kilometres of soil are destroyed every day in Europe [1]. Due to urbanisation and road construction, an area of around 200,000 square kilometres in Europe, or the size of the United Kingdom, has lost its function permanently. The global economic damage from deforestation and land...

After the oceans, soil is the next largest carbon sink on our planet Soil is one of the largest reservoirs of biodiversity: it is home to an estimated quarter of the world’s biota [1]. Soil has an important role to play in regulating climate change, floods, landslides, and droughts [2]. After the oceans, soil is the next largest carbon sink on our planet: it holds 75% of the land's carbon. The...

About a quarter of the world’s biodiversity is located in the soil Soil consists of mineral and organic parts. The organic part of the soil consists of living organisms and organic residues at different stages of decomposition. It is estimated that only 1% of soil organisms are known and described to date. About a quarter of the world’s biodiversity is located in the soil [1]. The importance of...

The weathering of the source material and the organisms that decompose organic material play an important role in soil formation Soil is the superficial loose layer of the earth’s crust, formed as a result of the weathering of the source material and the activity of plants and microorganisms. Soil is formed over a very long period of time by the interaction of many natural factors. Soil thickness...

More alien species are found in anthropogenic habitats than in natural habitats There are a wide variety of species in the anthropogenic habitats, from the first inhabitants of waste lands and landfills, many of whom are considered weeds (e.g. dandelion, plantains), to exotic plants planted in parks and arboretums. Anthropogenic terrestrial habitats can be broadly divided into two: purposefully...

The species richness of settlements is mainly concentrated to parks and gardens, where there are also more natural species Human activities affect most of today’s communities. In Estonia, humans have only refrained from significantly interfering with the development of bogs, other primitive communities are extremely rare. Even some forests that appear to be primeval forests grow on sites that were...

The North Estonian Klint has also been presented as a geological monument worthy of global attention for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List The North Estonian Klint, often referred to simply as the cliffed coast, is one of Estonia’s greatest geological values and attractions. In Swedish and Danish, klint means a coastal terrace. By North Estonian Klint, we mean primarily the terraces of...

The Estonian coast, including the cliffed coast, is a flat coast in its entirety The coast is the zone between the shore region (the bottom and land of the sea or large lake, formed mainly by waves) and the bottom and mainland of the adjacent sea or large lake (Lake Võrtsjärv, Lake Peipsi). The coast is generally divided into steep coasts and flat coasts. The Estonian coast, including the cliffed...