1. Notes on Birds and Habitats Directives in Estonia

2. Key term(s): Favourable Conservation Status (HD) and Art 2 (BD)
According to the Commission’s guidance document which defines favourable reference range, population
and area, FRVs must be at least the value as that when the Directive came into force.

3. Natura 2000 network 66 SPA-s sq km 542 SCI, SAC sq km TOTAL sq km land area 7220 sq km

5. Trends in Estonian forestry

6. Felling volume (qm/year)
More official forest statistics:

7. Article gives very good background comparative data about many improratant key features supporting forest-dwelling biodiversity.

8. Different species groups, different protection strategies different trends

9. Eagles and the Black Stork
5 (6) species of Eagles + Black Stork
Strictest protection
Species action plans are mandatory for all species
Mainly
NGO Eagle Club
is dealing with

10. Eagles and the Black Stork (2)
All known nests protected against logging and disturbance
“Automatic micro-reserve”, species protection site when new nest is discovered
No forestry operations nor other developments; temporary closure
500 m: Golden Eagle (Aquila chrysaetus)
250 m: Black Stork (Ciconia nigra)
Greater Spotted Eagle (Clanga clanga) + mixed pairs
200 m: Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)
White-tailed Eagle (Haliaeetus albicilla)
100 m: Lesser Spotted Eagle (Clanga pomarina)
Later very similar to Latvian scheme – small reserve with “natural” borders established with ministerial decree

12. Eagles and the Black Stork (3)
White-tailed Eagle
Golden Eagle
Osprey
Greater Sp Eagle
Lesser Sp Eagle
Short-toed Eagle
Black Stork

13. Forest owners and eagles
* Some are proud, many are angry * Private owners on Natura 2000 sites has been compensated from CAP Pillar II forestry measure * Private owners outside Natura 2000, but with the same strictest restrictions because of nest were not compensated for years (only property tax was 0%) * From this year also these owners get compensation (110 EUR/ha/year)

14. Other raptors and Owls
Monitoring on permanent plots (total 1000 ha)

15. Other raptors and Owls Mainly doing well
Probably only Goshawk’s trend has been clearly dependent on trends in forestry

16. Other raptors and Owls
Pygmy Owl
Ural Owl

17. Woodpeckers
Very important study from 2015:

18. Historical data of 80 years interpreted
The mean total densities of all woodpeckers
2.6±0.7 (95 % CI) pairs km -2
in commercial forests,
4.0±1.1 pairs km -2
under restricted-harvesting regime
3.6±1.2 pairs km -2
in strict reserves
Non-sinificant difference

19. The main conclusions:
seminatural forestry can serve as a basis for reconciling timber harvesting and biodiversity protection at the landscape scale, given appropriate attention to key structures and landscape zoning
woodpeckers represent a biological indicator system for the sustainability of forest landscapes in Europe.

20. Grouse (3 species)
Capercaillie and Black Grouse Both declining, complex problem, forestry, incl drainage involved Hazel Grouse: +/- stable

21. So. mainly common forest birds left
So.. mainly common forest birds left.. Are they maintained at the favourable conservation status?

22. Common forest birds index

23. BirdLife Estonia: Estonian forests lose 60 th pairs of common breeding birds annually

24. Estonian forests lose 60 thousand pairs of common breeding birds annually
12 mio pairs of forest birds in Estonia
56 species complex index (geomean)
mean trend -0,5% per year (avg -1,0%)
Sedentary species -1,3% / year;
migrants -0,1% / year
Birds of coniferous forests -1,8%,
birds of deciduous/mixed forests -0,3%
Calculated annual decline for Estonia: th pairs