Pursuant to the Forest Act, a forest owner must apply the reforestation methods to an extent that ensures the regeneration of the forest not later than five years or, in the event of a marsh, mesotrophic mire, Vaccinium myrtillus drained peatland, bog, marsh, Equisetum, Carex and marshland site type, ten years after the cutting or the perishing of the forest.
A clear cut area is deemed to be regenerated if tree species suitable for the forest site type with the dimensions and in the quantity which guarantee the generation of a new forest generation grow on the whole area where the forest perished or was cut. The existence of trees is not required in natural kettle holes located on clear cut areas or in perished parts of forest, on branch piles and drag roads strengthened with slash. Detailed rules are specified by the rules of forest management.
The tree species suitable for the forest site type and taken into account in reforestation are provided in Annex No. 2 to regulation No. 88 of the Minister of the Environment "Rules of Forest Management".
As from 9 April 2021, linden is also taken into account in deeming the forest to be regenerated.
Alien tree species that can be used for reforestation of clear cut areas in Estonia are set out in Regulation No. 69 of the Minister of the Environment "The list of alien tree species permitted to use in reforestation".
Forest planting
To get a new forest, bareroot or so-called potted plants are planted on the clear cut areas. Planting has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is lower maintenance cost later. The disadvantage is higher time and labour costs. Advantages and disadvantages have been compared to sowing.
Forest seeding
Pine seeds are most often used to obtain a new forest by means of sowing. Sowing can be performed together with the soil scarification. The advantage of sowing is its good mechanization, speed and low cost of work. However, the disadvantage is higher maintenance cost compared to planting.
Contributing to natural regeneration
In order to achieve better natural regeneration, trees that give seed are left on the cutting area, soil cover is crushed so that the seeds that have fallen off the trees can get more favourable conditions for germination and growth. Naturally occurred reforestation is not evenly located in the clear cut area. Tree seeds can be sown suitable plants can be planted on the soil left empty of trees or.
The Environmental Board monitors the regeneration of clear cut areas and prepares reforestation expert assessments. The minister responsible for the field will establish the procedure for the commissioning and conducting reforestation expert assessments in the rules of forest management. An expert assessment of reforestation will be carried out on the basis of a reasoned order placed by a forest owner or based on other information received by the Environmental Board, at the expense of the state for the purpose of verifying the performance or extension of the reforestation obligation or of release from the reforestation obligation.
Requirements for deeming the forest as regenerated:
§ 16. Minimum number of trees per hectare required for deeming the forest as regenerated and minimum height of trees taken into account
(1) A forest is deemed as regenerated, if at least 1,500 Scots pine trees with the height 0.5 m or higher, or at least 1000 Norway spruce trees with the height 0.5 m or higher, or at least 1,500 common oak trees with the height 0.5 m or higher, or at least 1500 trees of other tree species taken into account in deeming the forest as regenerated with the height 1.0 m or higher are growing in an area of one hectare.
(2) Trees shall be viable and shall be located evenly throughout the entire area of reforestation. The existence of trees is not required in natural kettle holes located on clear cut areas or in perished parts of forest, on branch piles and drag roads strengthened with slash.
[RT I, 26.02.2014, 13 - in force 01.03.2014]
(3) In the event of reforestation with several tree species, the number of plants exceeding minimum height of every tree species shall be counted and the ratio of the number of trees to the required minimum number of trees shall be calculated for each tree species. If the sum of such ratios is equal to or higher than 1, the area shall be deemed regenerated. The following formula is used: A more detailed regulation is described in § 14-18 of the Rules of Forest Management.
A forest owner can also check the number of plants in the cutting area by measuring all the plants, to be taken into account in forest regeneration, on a circular plot with a radius of 3.99 meters and by multiplying the result by 200. So, the number of plants per hectare is obtained, if the plants are evenly located in the cutting area all over the surface. For example, if 12 birches grew on the sample plot, then the number of plants is 12 x 200 = 2400 pcs/ha.
Last updated: 29.11.2022
