2.3 Nature

Permanent pasture as percentage of total arable land in BSR countries (1994)

Source: Baltic 21, Series No.2/2000 based on data from FAO

Threats to bio-diversity are difficult to verify. The Baltic 21 report on the development towards sustainability goals states as main causes of loss of bio-diversity: intensive use of arable and forest land, and pollution16 . Some positive trends are noted:

  • less use of mineral phosphorus and to some extent of nitrogen,

  • the existence of large areas of permanent pastures in Estonia, Latvia, Poland and Russia being valuable habitats for wild flora and fauna in the agricultural landscape,

  • large and further increasing forest areas (most significantly in Russia):natural growth exceeding fellings and natural losses.

The great majority of forests are managed according to a management plan or management guidelines.

But the share of undisturbed forests is low, with the exception of Russia and, to a lower degree, of Sweden, is generally small.

Forests in the BSR according to "naturalness" in the 90s (different years depending on data availability 1987 - 1996)

Area of forest and other wooded land in BSR countries

Source: Baltic 21, Series No.2/2000 Definition: Undisturbed = no significant human impact, plantations are defined by the establishment method (planting or seeding), semi-natural forests that are neither classified as disturbed or plantation

Source: Baltic 21, Series No.2/2000 based on data from FAO, UNECE and Federal Forest Service of Russia; Data for Russia don't include St. Petersburg Different reference periods: Denmark (1990), Estonia (1995), Finland (1991-96), Germany (1987), Iceland (1998), Latvia (1997), Lithuania (1996), Norway (1994-96), Poland (1992-96), NW Russia (1998), Sweden (1992-96).