Carbon sinks in Estonia

Facts about Estonia

 The total area of Estonia is 45,227 km2,
including 43,200 km2 of land area. More than
a half of the land area is forest land, one-third
is agricultural land, and one-fifth is covered by
mires and bogs.
 The population of Estonia was 1.361 million
as of 1 January 2002.
 The climate ranges from maritime to continental:
coastal areas and islands have maritime, and
Southeast Estonia has continental climate. Sun shines
1600–1870 hours a year. The sum of effective
temperatures (over 5°C) is up to 1350°C in north
Estonia and up to 1500°C in south Estonia and the
west Estonian islands.
 The average vegetation period lasts for 183 days; 189
days on the coast and 174 days on the Pandivere
highland. The average air humidity is 80%. The
average precipitation is 650 mm; 500 mm in east
Estonia and 700 mm in Southeast Estonia.
 Agricultural land in agricultural
holdings by size class of agricultural
land, 2001
0>-<1 5-<10 10-<20 20-<30 30-<50 50-<100 >=100
Total 0 ha 1-<2 ha 2-<5 ha
ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
Number of
agricultural
holdings
Total 68987 118 13450 14065 16545 10818 7759 2534 1705 973 1020
Natural person 67984 75 13368 14004 16473 10769 7684 2505 1653 910 543
Legal person
and state 1003 43 82 61 72 49 75 29 52 63 477
Agricultural
land, ha
Total 875799 0 4694 19631 52658 76356 107814 60999 64752 66346 422549
Natural person 548130 0 4659 19553 52431 76014 106703 60284 62745 61976 103765
Legal person
and state 327669 0 36 78 227 342 1112 715 2007 4369 318783

 As of February 2003, 3,16 million ha, i.e. 73.1% of Estonian

land area had been entered in the land cadastre.
 Agricultural land use
 According to the Statistical Office and the
agricultural census of 2001, the end of 2001 ha
of agricultural land of the total 1.33 mln ha of
cultivated area had abandoned an area of
441,977.
 The soil quality rating is below 35 points in
376,750 ha.
 According to the SFI analysis, up to 150,000
ha of land is suitable for afforestation.
Changes in agricultural land use in
1993–2001
Land use
total from year19 93 to 2001

72,2 - 98,7 % (3)

0,26
66,1 - 72,2 % (2) 0,17
58,2 - 66,1 % (4)
55,1 - 58,2 % (2) 0,38
44,8 - 55,1 % (4)

0,32 0,38
0,19 0,3

0,37

Change in land use

47 0,56

0,28 0,4
0,34

0,17
arable in 93
0,34
arable in 01
grassland 93
grassland 01
0,38

Numbers show % of agricultural land from total area of county

 Forest biomass and carbon storage

500000
450000
Thousand tons

400000
350000
300000
250000
200000
150000
100000
50000
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Biomass Carbon storage in forest biomass

Sources of CO2 emissions/removals, Gg
Total CO2 emissions by sector in 1990 and 1999

Source: Ministry of Environment and

Institute of Ecology