Fauna of Estonia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Estonia is a small, heavily forested country situated on the Baltic Sea. It is a part of Palearctic ecozone (being a transitional area between the Western Palearctic and European-Siberian regions) and Temperate Northern Atlantic marine ecoregion[1].
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[edit] Vertebrates
Estonia's spare population and large areas of forest have allowed stocks of European Lynx, Wild Boar, Brown Bears, Wolves and moose to survive, among other animals [2]. The largest bear populations can be found in North East Estonia in the counties of Ida and Lääne Viru [3]. The numbers of Bears, Lynx and Wolves suffered during the Soviet Occupation as the animals were persecuted heavily. After they were given protection the numbers of the larger carnivores peaked in the early 1990s but they have since fallen slightly from those highs due to increased hunting pressure. Estonia is currently home to 450-550 brown bears, 600-800 lynx, and 100-150 wolves [4]. There were estimated to be only 10 wolves left in Estonia in 1970.
Its birdlife includes Golden Eagles and White Storks. It has around a dozen national parks and protected areas, including Lahemaa National Park, the country’s largest park, on the northern coast. Soomaa National Park, near Pärnu, is known for its ancient wetlands. Reserves such as Käina Bay Bird Reserve and Matsalu Nature Reserve (a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention) are also popular with locals and tourists and support a wide variety of birdlife [5].
[edit] Invertebrates
The following table gives an overview of species numbers of selected invertebrate groups[6].
| Group | Known species | Estimated number of species |
| Amoeboids | 68 | 140 |
| Flagellates | 89 | 200 |
| Apicomplexa | 13 | 50 |
| Ciliophora | 176 | 300 |
| Sponges | 3 | 6 |
| Hydrozoa | 5 | 8 |
| Scyphozoa | 3 | 3 |
| Turbellaria | 55 | 200 |
| Monogenea | 73 | 40 |
| Digenea | 110 | 130 |
| Ribbon worms | 106 | 130 |
| Gastrotricha | 6 | 40 |
| Rotatoria | 230 | 500 |
| Nematoda | 200 | 500 |
| Nematomorpha | 1 | 5 |
| Kinorhyncha | 1 | 3 |
| Acanthocephala | 14 | 40 |
| Nemertea | 4 | 10 |
| Priapulida | 1 | ? |
| Polychaeta | 6 | ? |
| Oligochaeta | 103 | 200 |
| Bryozoa | 7 | 15 |
| Gastropods | 74 | 80 |
| Bivalves | 62 | 70 |
| Crustacea | 326 | 356 |
| Arachnids | 786 | 2055 |
| Myriapods | 38 | 50 |
| Tardigrades | 1 | 50 |
| Insects | ~10000 | 20000-21000 |
[edit] See also
- List of Estonian mammals
- List of birds of Estonia
- List of Estonian fishes
- List of Estonian butterflies
- List of Odonata species recorded in Estonia
[edit] External links
[edit] References
- ^ Spalding, M.D., et al. "Marine Ecoregions of the World: A Bioregionalization of Coastal and Shelf Areas". Bioscience Vol. 57 No. 7, July/August 2007
- ^ Systematic list of Estonian mammals
- ^ status2
- ^ CEEOL Transitions Online , Issue 09/16 /2003
- ^ Birds Of Estonia, Checklist Of The Birds Of Estonia, Its Complete Birdlist
- ^ Eesti Loodus (Ed. A. Raukas), Tallinn, Valgus & Eesti Entsüklopeediakirjastus 1995
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