important plant areas in central and eastern europe - Plantlife

Estonia
Apart from nature conservation activities on protected areas the most frequent land
uses on IPAs in Estonia are tourism and recreation (56 IPAs), forestry (40 IPAs),
haymaking or mowing (29 IPAs), grazing animals (26 IPAs), and hunting (11 IPAs).
Qualifying Criteria for IPAs
Criterion No of Criterion A No of Criterion No of IPAs Criterion No of
A IPAs Tax. Group IPAs B C IPAs
Total sites 86 Vascular 82 Total 105 Total 80
with A plants sites with sites with
species B C
richness*
habitats
Ai 0 Bryophytes 28 A A1 (1),A2(3), Ci 67
A4 (3)
Aii 85 Lichens 1 B B1(13), B2(30), Cii 72
B3 (27)
Aiii 0 Fungi 7 C C1 (19), C2(19),
C3(5)
Aiv 1 Algae 0 D D1(15), D2(19)
D4 (31), D5(6)
HD* 83 E E1(43), E2(22) HD* 80
species E3(20), E5(2) habitats
References:
Kull T., Kukk T., Leht M., Krall H., Kukk Ü.,
Kull K. & Kuusk V., 2002, Distribution trends
of rare vascular plants species in Estonia.
Biodiversity and Conservation
11: 171-196.
Paal, J, 1997, Eesti taimkatte
kasvukohatüüpide klassifikatsioon. –
Tallinn: Keskkonnaministeerium, ÜRO
Keskkonnaprogramm, 297 lk.
Ryttäri T., Kukk Ü., Kull T., Jäkaläniemi A.
and Reitalu M. (eds)., 2003,
Monitoring of threatened vascular plants in
Estonia and Finland – methods and
experiences. The Finnish Environment, 659.
Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki,
122 pp.
Külvik, M., et al., 2005. Eesti tähtsad
taimealad /Estonia Important Plant Areas, in
Estonian/ publication in preparation.
BC* 78 G G3(46), G4(47) BC* 0
species
habitats
HD*= Habitats Directive, BC* = Bern Convention;
B Richness *, codes refer to EUNIS level 1&2habitats
Of the 108 IPAs in Estonia, 52 IPAs (48%), contain features from all three criteria. Eight
Criterion A species have only one site recorded and 26 species have less than ten sites
recorded. 54 IPAs contain threatened forest habitats and 49 IPAs contain threatened
grasslands habitats. Fungi, bryophytes, lichen and algae were used to identify sites under
the three different criteria. Kassari Bay IPA, one of only two marine IPAs to date, was
identified under Criterion B for its unique drifting red algal communities.
Key threats to IPAs
No. of
IPAs
45