Land use and soil management in Estonia – past and current status Alar Astover 21 May 2015

Soil degradation and protection Land use changes Soil management Soil degradation and protection 21 May 2015

Global land use changes in 800…1992 21 May 2015

Changes in agricultural land in Estonia Allikad: erinevad kirjanduse allikad, Statistikaamet ja PRIA (2013 a) * Estimation 21 May 2015

Proportion of agricultural land 2010 Eestist esitab Eurostati andmed Statistikaamet. Data source: Eurostat 21 May 2015

Arable land per capita in 2010 Eestist esitab Eurostati andmed Statistikaamet. Data source: Eurostat 21 May 2015

There was huge regional differences of changes in agricultural land use in 1990s 21 May 2015

Regional differences of changes in land use are caused beside socio-economic alteration by pedo-climatic conditions In Estonia quality of arable soils (on 100-point scale) is spatially extremly variable. 21 May 2015

Decrease of arable land in 1990s depending on the soil quality Agricultural land use has declined most of all in the rural municipalities located in the regions with low fertility soils. 21 May 2015

Pressure on soils is increasing: Soils are “non-renewable”, changing in time and space, and with limited quantity Pressure on soils is increasing: Food Feed Fuel (bioenergy) Fibre Fun but not only… soil has more to do 21 May 2015

Multi-functionality of soils Ecological functions Biomass productivity (food-feed-fibre-fuel-fun-finance) Environmental interaction: storage, filtering, buffering, transformation of water, gases, minerals/nutrients, energy Biodiversity Socio-economic functions Source of raw materials Physical and cultural heritage Platform for man-made structures Modified after W. Blum 21 May 2015

Soil quality and degradation Soil quality is an account of the ability of soil to provide ecosystem and society services through its capacities to perform its functions and respond to external influences (threats) (Toth et al 2007). Soil degradation can be defined as a decline in soil quality Changes in soil quality can be fast (runoff by erosion), but often very slow and difficult to reveal Historic experience – reaction after degradation, pro-active policy has been rare 21 May 2015

Main soil degradation processes in Europe: erosion, decline in organic matter, local and diffuse contamination, sealing, compaction, decline in biodiversity, salinisation, floods and landslides In Estonia also… Acidification, drainage status, soil nutrient „mining“ EU Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection (2006) 21 May 2015

Legislation Specific soil protection legislation is missing Local awareness is rather low Responsibility is dispersed in state government EU „dependency“ Currently positive changes from Ministry of Agriculture Process of defining „valuable agricultural land“ and saving it from soil sealing Optional agri-environmental subsidy to avoid excessive tillage of eroded soils and peat soils 21 May 2015

Loss of peat soils in arable land According to Estonian legacy soil map (scale 1:10,000, mapped in period 1960–1980) about 10% of utilized agricultural land is covered with peat soils Recent pilot study (Penu et al 2014) showed that up to 25–30% of agriculturally utilized peat soils has been for nowadays actually mineralized… 21 May 2015

Soil of the Year 2015 in Estonia is limestone rendzina Alar Astover, professor Head of department Estonian University of Life Sciences, Institute of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Department of Soil Science and Agrochemistry Estonian Soil Science Society E-mail: alar.astover@emu.ee 21 May 2015