ELF’s nature conservation database includes majority of Estonia’s natural and semi-natural types of associations. The database consists of digitalized and systematized map and text information acquired in the process of across-Estonian inventories and other projects.

 

The most important accomplished inventories:

 

Primeval forests (1993-1996)

Wooded meadows (1995-1996)

Wetlands (1996-1998)

Meadows (1999-2001, together with Estonian Seminatural Community Conservation Association)

 

It is important that the gathered data would not only remain a historical value, but it could also be used for daily work in establishing nature reserves, specification of protection procedure, determining the network of nature reserves for Natura 2000 etc.

 

At present, the database consists of 9670 entries (to be added by more than 6000 meadow entries), each entry touches upon one habitat (usually covering 1-100 ha) and contains data of its condition, composition of values and species. Excerpts about the protected species and valuable associations have been forwarded also to the Environmental Register.

 

ELF’s database is vital to assure the objectivity of Natura 2000 process from the aspects of nature conservation. This is facilitated by the participation in international cooperation networks (WWF, CEEWEB) and cooperation with European Commission.

 

Comprehensive organization and upgrading of the database in 2002-2004 was supported by Prins Bernhard Foundation through Milieukontakt Oost-Europa and in 2005-2006 by the Centre of Environmental Investments.

 

Contact:

Eerik Leibak