Estonian Wetlands and the Water Framework Directive

Abstract

This chapter presents the delineation approach and results of status assessment of Estonian wetlands for implementation of the objectives of the Water Framework Directive (WFD). Determination of WFD important wetlands based on selection and visualisation of wetlands soils from Estonian electronic soil map (data of Estonian Land Board), and corresponding drainage basin delineation, both for wetlands and water bodies by using the ArcMap10.2.2 software. There are 47 WFD important wetlands associated with the flowing water bodies covering more than 27,800 ha, and 19 wetlands associated with the standing water bodies covering 42,000 ha. The number of WFD important floodplain wetlands is 46 covering 15,000 ha, 24 spring mires on 390 ha and 107 coastal wetlands on 265 ha. Due to the heterogeneous landscape structure of Estonian wetlands inside the “zero” wetland contour line, the variability of both water quantity and quality of wetlands is relatively large. Therefore, without field studies of WFD important wetlands, it is impossible to perform a functional classification of the determined WFD important wetlands, i.e., their effect on nutrient retention or leaching, or effect on hydrological regime of connected with them water bodies.