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Argiculture
With its ca 4000 years of history, Estonian agriculture serves as an expression of our traditional and environmentally clean way of life. Traditional farming that has been used over centuries has shaped versatile landscapes and left space for valuable communities and habitats. As these landscapes are mostly semi-natural cultural landscapes, we should take good care of that national resource. E.g. 23.3% of vascular plants species enlisted in the Estonian Red Data Book are associated with grasslands. Relations between agriculture and natural diversity are direct and versatile. Intensive agricultural production (fertilisation, land improvement, use of pesticides, etc.) has had negative impact on the diversity, first and foremost in terms of open landscapes and internal waters. Mass production with its extensive production range has depleted the general picture of agricultural landscape and destroyed traditional landscape pattern in many locations. However, semi-natural areas mostly common in West-Estonia have revealed positive impact of extensive agricultural production on biodiversity, e.g. rich alvars, wooded meadows, coastal and floodplain grasslands.
Nature conservation support is paid from the budget of the Ministry of the Environment to maintain and restore semi-natural communities since 2001. Total value of nature conservation support and relevant works was more than 30 million kroons in 2006. It was used to maintain and restore ca 22 thousand hectares of Estonian semi-natural communities. The payment of nature conservation support is regulated by the Regulation "The procedure for application for nature conservation support, review of applications and payment of support, the requirements for payment of support and rates of support". Nature conservation works are commissioned on the basis of the order of the Minister of the Environment.
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