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 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 Numbers show % of agricultural land from total area of county 0,26 0,38 0,17 0,37 0,32 0,56 0,3 0,19 0,28 0,34 0,4 Land use total from year19 93 to 2001 72 ,2 - 98,7 % (3) 66 ,1 - 72,2 % (2) 58 - 66,1 % (4) 55 - 58,2 % 44 ,8 - 55,1 % Change in land use 47 arable in 93 arable in 01 grassland 93 grassland 01

Forest biomass and carbon storage

Sources of CO2 emissions/removals, Gg

Total CO2 emissions by sector in 1990 and 1999 Source: Ministry of Environment and Institute of Ecology