Estonia has an obligation to rehabilitate at least 2,000 ha of cut-over peatlands in the period of 2014–2020 Cut-over peatlands are former peat mining areas and mire areas used for agricultural purposes where economic activity has ceased [1]. Cut-over peatlands can be classified according to their formation and characteristics [2]; two of the most common indicators are the thickness of the peat...

When building new buildings or other infrastructure, wildlife usually has to retreat: habitats can be destroyed and green networks fragmented In order to preserve biodiversity, the planning of new settlements in the areas of the green network and in their immediate vicinity must be avoided. At the same time, there may be a lot of pressure from real estate developers in such places. The surrounding...

The purpose of the Ramsar Convention is to protect the wetlands of the world, which are in danger of disappearing due to drainage, pollution, and economic uses Each year, on 2 February, the World Wetlands Day is celebrated. On that date in the year 1971, the convention for the protection of the world’s wetlands was signed in Ramsar, Iran. The convention entered into force in 1975. The purpose of...

Many former quarries have been successfully reclaimed in Estonia Quarry reclamation means the restoration of post-mining land to forest land, cultivated grassland, or arable land, as well as the creation of a new type of land or landscape (water body, park, recreation area, etc.) [1]. The reclamation of the world’s mining landscapes began in Germany as early as in the eighteenth century [2], but...

Protection rules are legislative acts approved by the Government of the Republic or the Minister of the Environment that define the protection procedure of an area. The management plan or action plan for the protection of a habitat and species is an operational action plan for nature conservation works The protection of protected natural objects is organised mainly on the basis of two documents...

A protected species is a taxonomic unit of an animal, plant, or fungal species whose specimens, habitats, or places of finding are protected under the Nature Conservation Act or are listed in Annexes A to D of EU Council Regulation (EC) No 338/97. A protected fossil or mineral is a fossil or mineral included in a protected category, the specimens or deposits of which are protected on the basis of...

Estonian protected species are divided into three categories according to their endangerment and the strictness of their protection It is estimated that there are almost 40,000 species of biota in Estonia. So far, just over 30,000, or about 75%, have been found. The other nearly 10,000 species, or more than 25% of the biota, are undiscovered so far, although they are mostly known to science. The...

Protected areas can be divided into three types of zones on the basis of existing operating restrictions: strict nature reserve, conservation zone, and limited management zone A protected area is an area kept untouched by human activity or used in accordance with special requirements, where nature is preserved, protected, restored, studied, or introduced. Protected areas are divided into national...

What is organic production? How does it support biodiversity? Organic production is an agricultural method that takes into account the principles of the natural matter cycle for the production of food and other agricultural products [1]. In crop production, the aim of organic production is to maintain soil fertility by using only organic fertilisers, natural plant protection products, and non...

Conservation management plans and action plans for the protection of species provide for activities and works to improve and/or maintain the status of protected natural objects and protected species. In addition to inventories, surveys and monitoring, it may be necessary to carry out various practical activities, such as closing ditches and roads, removing bushes, milling to restore semi-natural...