EAP - Estonian Journal of Ecology Publications

Estonian Journal of Ecology

2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 Vol. 57, Issue 4 Vol. 57, Issue 3 Vol. 57, Issue 2 Vol. 57, Issue 1

Open Access Journal

Change in agriculturally used land and related habitat loss: A case study in eastern Estonia over 50 years; pp. 119–132

PDF | doi: 10.3176/eco.2008.2.04

Authors

Silja Kana, Tiiu Kull, Merit Otsus

Abstract

This study investigates land use changes on an area of 128 km² in Jõgeva County, eastern Estonia, by comparing landscape types in a vegetation map from the 1950s with the land use structure described on the Estonian Basic Map produced in 2002. We concentrated in particular on changes in agricultural land, but also changes of both species-rich and species-poor habitats were studied. The most widespread process was forestation, which reduced the total area of arable land by 21% and of grassland nearly by 4%. During the 50 years the land use of 90% of the forest land area, 46% of the arable fields, and only 11% of the grasslands had remained spatially stable. The extremely high spatial turnover of grasslands is due to loss of historical meadows and wooded meadows. This suggests a decreased habitat quality of present grasslands. Most of the new agricultural land was created on species-rich grasslands and species-poor fens. Forest expanded mostly on species-rich grasslands and fertile arable land.

References

Aaviksoo, K. & Meiner, A. 2001. Satellite monitoring of Estonian landscape. In Development of European Landscapes. IALE European Conference Proceedings. Vol. I. Publ. Inst. Geogr. Univ. Tartu., 92 (Mander, Ü., Pritsmann, A. & Palang, H., eds), pp. 233–238. Institute of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu.

Bürgi, M. & Turner, M. G. 2002. Factors and processes shaping land cover and land cover changes along the Wisconsin River. Ecosystems, 5, 184–201.
doi:10.1007/s10021-001-0064-6

Calvo-Iglesias, M. S., Fra-Paleo, U., Crecente-Maseda, R. & Diaz-Varela, R. A. 2006. Directions of change in land cover and landscape patterns from 1957 to 2000 in agricultural landscapes in NW Spain. Environ. Manage., 38, 921–933.
doi:10.1007/s00267-005-0276-1

Commission of the European Communities. 2006. Halting the loss of biodiversity by 2010 – and beyond. Sustaining ecosystem services for human well-being. COM (2006) 216. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/site/en/com/2006/com2006_0216en01.pdf (visited 10 Apr. 2008).

Estonian Land Board. 2003. The Guide for Digital Mapping of Estonian Basic Map. Eesti põhikaardi 1 : 10 000 digitaalkaardistuse juhend. http://www.maaamet.ee/index.php?lang_id=1&page_id= 15&menu_id=36 (visited 30 May 2007).

European Environmental Agency. 1995. Dobriš assessment. Copenhagen. http://reports.eea.europa.eu/ 92-826-5409-5/en/ (visited 7 Apr. 2008).

Gellrich, M. & Zimmermann, N. E. 2007. Agricultural land abandonment and natural forest re-growth in Swiss mountains: A spatially explicity economic analysis. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 79, 65–76.

Hansson, M. & Fogelfors, H. 2000. Management of a semi-natural grassland; results from a 15-year-old experiment in southern Sweden. J. Veg. Sci., 11, 31–38.
doi:10.2307/3236772

Henle, K., Alard, D., Clitherow, J., Cobb, P., Firbank, L., Kull, T., McCracken, D., Moritz, R. F. A., Niemelä, J., Rebane, M., Wascher, D., Watt, A. & Young, J. 2008. Identifying and managing the conflicts between agriculture and biodiversity conservation in Europe – a review. Agric. Ecosyst. Environ., 124, 60–71.
doi:10.1016/j.agee.2007.09.005

Ihse, M. 1996. Monitoring cultural landscape in Sweden – methods and data for changes in landuse and biotopes. In Ecological and Landscape Consequences of Land Use Change in Europe. Proceedings of the First ECNC Seminar on Land Use Change and Its Ecological Consequences, 16–18 Febr. 1995 Tilburg, The Netherlands (Jongman, R. H. G., ed.), pp. 103–129. Ramona, Brussels.

Jõgiste, K., Vares, A., Uri, V. & Tullus, H. 2005. Baltic afforestation. In Restoration of Boreal and Temperate Forests (Stanturf, J. A. & Madsen, P., eds), pp. 225–234. CRC Press/Lewis Publishers, Boca Raton.

Jongman, R. H. G. 1996. Introduction. In Ecological and Landscape Consequences of Land Use Change in Europe. Proceedings of the First ECNC Seminar on Land Use Change and Its Ecological Consequences, 16–18 Febr. 1995 Tilburg, The Netherlands (Jongman, R. H. G., ed.), pp. 9–15. Ramona, Brussels.

Laasimer, L. 1965. Eesti NSV taimkate. Valgus, Tallinn.

Lauringson, E., Kull, T., Vipper, H. & Talgre, L. 2000. Mahajäetud põllud biosüsteemis. Agraarteadus, 11, 232–248.

Lippmaa, T. 1937. Eesti vegetatsioonikaardi koostamise alused ning senise töö tulemusi. Eesti Loodus, 2, 59–62.

Mander, Ü. & Reintam, L. 2001. Development of Estonian landscapes. In Development of European Landscapes. IALE European Conference Proceedings. Vol. I. Publ. Inst. Geogr. Univ. Tartu., 92 (Mander, Ü., Pritsmann, A. & Palang, H., eds), pp. 25–31. Institute of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu.

Nikodemus, O., Bell, S., Grine, I. & Liepinš, I. 2005. The impact of economic, social and political factors on the landscape structure of the Vidzeme Uplands in Latvia. Landscape Urban Plan., 70, 57–67.
doi:10.1016/j.landurbplan.2003.10.005

Öckinger, E., Eriksson, A. K. & Smith, H. G. 2006. Effects of grasslands abandonment, restoration and management on butterflies and vascular plants. Biol. Conserv., 133, 291–300.
doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2006.06.009

Palang, H., Mander, Ü. & Luud, A. 1998. Landscape diversity changes in Estonia. Landscape Urban Plan., 41, 163–169.
doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(98)00055-3

Peterson, U. & Aunap, R. 1998. Changes in agricultural land use in Estonia in the 1990s detected with multitemporal Landsat MSS imagery. Landscape Urban Plan., 41, 193–201.
doi:10.1016/S0169-2046(98)00058-9

Peterson, U. & Püssa, K. 2001. Forest area and agricultural land use change in the Eastern Baltic region. In Development of European Landscapes. IALE European Conference Proceedings. Vol. I. Publ. Inst. Geogr. Univ. Tartu., 92 (Mander, Ü., Pritsmann, A. & Palang, H., eds), pp. 301–303. Institute of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu.

Pykälä, J., Luoto, M., Heikkinen, R. K. & Kontula, T. 2005. Plant species richness and persistence of rare plants in abandoned semi-natural grasslands in northern Europe. Basic Appl. Ecol., 6, 25–33.
doi:10.1016/j.baae.2004.10.002

Sammul, M., Kull, K. & Tamm, A. 2003. Clonal growth in a species-rich grassland: results of a 20-year fertilization experiment. Folia Geobot., 38, 1–20.
doi:10.1007/BF02803124

Schneider, C. & Fry, G. 2005. Estimating the consequences of land-use changes on butterfly diversity in a marginal agricultural landscape in Sweden. J. Nature Conserv., 13(4), 247–256.
doi:10.1016/j.jnc.2005.02.006

Sepp, K., Mänd, M. & Truu, J. 2001. The influence of landscape pattern on bumble bee communities. In Development of European Landscapes. IALE European Conference Proceedings. Vol. I. Publ. Inst. Geogr. Univ. Tartu., 92 (Mander, Ü., Pritsmann, A. & Palang, H., eds), pp. 89–92. Institute of Geography, University of Tartu, Tartu.

Statistics Estonia. 2006. Environment 2005 Yearbook. Statistikaamet, Tallinn.

Strijker, D. 2005. Marginal lands in Europe – causes of decline. Basic Appl. Ecol., 6, 99–106.

Tasser, E., Walde, J., Tappeiner, U., Teutsch, A. & Noggler, W. 2007. Land-use changes and natural reforestation in the Eastern Central Alps. Agricult. Ecosyst. Environ., 118, 115–129.
doi:10.1016/j.agee.2006.05.004

Tullus, H. 2000. Põllumajandusmaade metsastamine ja metsastumine. Agraarteadus, 11, 22–27.

Back to Issue

→ Back issues