Abstract
Detailed analysis of the land cover of the Estonian coastal zone is presented based on Estonian laws on coastal zone management, the CORINE Land Cover (CLC) system, the status of protected areas, and administrative division data of Estonia. By law the coastal zone is defined as a 200-m wide zone landward from the mean sea level line. The length of the Estonian coastline (including the islands) is 3794 km. The 200-m zone of the Estonian coast is very diverse. Out of the 34 CORINE land cover types represented in Estonia 30 are found in the coastal zone. Three dominating land cover types in the coastal zone of Estonia are inland marshes, coniferous forest and semi-natural grassland. Their total share is 47%; the other 27 land cover types represented here cover 53% of the coastal zone. The Estonian coastal zone is generally in a good natural condition. The proportion of artificial surfaces throughout the zone is merely 4.7%, while agricultural landscapes cover only ca. 10%. Land cover data for the coastal zone are also presented by county. Of the 200-m coastal zone 24% is under protection, which is more than twice the value for Estonia as a whole (11%). Legislative protection of the coastal zone is presently satisfactory. The use of the CORINE Land Cover system enables comparisons with other European regions since CLC data have been compiled for most of Europe.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- CLC:
-
CORINE Land Cover
References
Anon. 2000.European Topic Centre on the Terrestrial Environment, http://terrestrial.eionet.eu.int/CLC2000
Ehrlich, Ü. 1997. Management of coastal and floodplain meadows. In: Leibak, E. & Lutsar, L. (eds.)Estonian coastal and floodplain meadows, pp. 78–92. WWF, Tallinn, EE.
Ehrlich, Ü. 1999. Ecological economics of coastal and riparian seminatural grasslands (A case study of Estonia). In:The joint conference land-ocean interactions: Managing coastal ecosystems Nov. 9–13, pp. 1163–1174. Antalya, TU.
Ehrlich, Ü., Habicht, K. & Krusberg, P. 1999. Territories with limited economic utilisation as a factor of economic and social development. In: Ennuste, Ü. & Wilder, L. (eds.)Harmonisation with the Western economics: Estonian economic developments and related conceptual and methodological frameworks, pp. 303–327. Estonian Institute of Economics at Tallinn Technical University, Tallinn, EE.
Gren, I.-M., Ehrlich, Ü. & Pedersen, M.B. 1997.Economic valuation of flood plains and coastal wetlands in Estonia. Estonia fund of Nature. WWF Denmark, Tallinn, EE.
Kastepõld, T. (1998).Matsalu looduskaitseala (Masalu Nature Reserve). Lääne Maavalitsus, Haapsalu, EE.
Kukk, T. & Kull, K., 1997. Puisniidud (Wooded meadows).J. Est. Mar. 2: 1–249.
Leibak, E. & Lutsar, L. (eds.) 1996.Estonian coastal and floodplain meadows. Estonian Fund for Nature and WWF Denmark, Tallinn, EE.
Martin, G., Palo, A. & Möller, K. 1998. Introduction to the marine and coastal environment of Estonia. In: Red List of Marine and coastal biotopes and biotope complexes of the Baltic sea. Belt sea and Kattegat, compiled by H. von Nordheim & D. Boedeker—Baltic Sea Environment proceedings No. 75, pp. 30–35. Helsinki, FI.
Meiner, A. (ed.) 1999.Land cover of Estonia. Implementation of the CORINE Land Cover project in Estonia. Tallinn, EE.
Orviku, K. 1992.Characterization and evolution of Estonian seashores. Ph.D. Thesis University of Tartu, EE.
Raukas, A. (ed.) 1995.Estonia Nature. Tallinn, EE.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Ehrlich, Ü., Krusberg, P. & Habicht, K. Land cover types and ecological conditions of the Estonian coast. J Coast Conserv 8, 109–117 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1652/1400-0350(2002)008[0109:LCTAEC]2.0.CO;2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1652/1400-0350(2002)008[0109:LCTAEC]2.0.CO;2