Research on biodiversity is essential to help the European Union and EU Member States to implemen... more Research on biodiversity is essential to help the European Union and EU Member States to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as reach the target of halting the loss of biodiversity in Europe by 2010. The need for coordination between researchers, the policy-makers that need research results and the organisations that fund research is reflected in the aims of the BioPlatform network. BioPlatform is a network of scientists and policy makers that work in different fields of biodiversity and aims at improving the effectiveness and relevance of European biodiversity research, fulfilling functions that provide significant components of a European Research Area. BioPlatform supports the existing "European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy" (EPBRS), a forum of scientists and policy makers representing the EU countries, whose aims are to promote discussion of EU biodiversity research strategies and priorities, exchange of information on national biodiversity activities and the dissemination of current best practices and information regarding the scientific understanding of biodiversity conservation. This is a report of the BioPlatform E-conference entitled "Sustaining livelihoods and Biodiversity-Attain ing the 2010 target in the European Biodiversity Strategy" preceding the EPBRS meeting to be held under the Irish Presidency of the European Union in Killarney, Ireland from the 20 th to the 24 th May 2004. This e-conference and meeting aim to identify specific research priorities for the EU Biodiversity Action Plans to reach the 2010 target.
Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, Mar 2, 2021
Collaboration is important for fostering tourism in a region and the creation of a shared collabo... more Collaboration is important for fostering tourism in a region and the creation of a shared collaborative identity facilitates this process. This paper explains the role of individual identities in the process of creating a shared tourism collaborative identity in a postcommunist environment. To this end, it uses multi-grounded theory to analyse 37 individual interviews and 1 focus group interview conducted in 2 tourist destinations in Estonia. In the constantly evolving post-communist tourism environment, collaborative identity creation relates to self-construction at the individual, interpersonal, and group levels. This study shows that the place, occupational, cultural, and environmental identities in a given place shape and form shared tourism collaborative identities; however, a collaborative platform is required for shared collaborative identity creation. Specifically, during the shared collaborative identity creation, stakeholders bring their own identities to the process through the platform, on which individual and collective identities interact. The platform magnifies or weakens the perceptions of the shared collaborative identity. As collaboration broadens, the platform shifts from a small group to bigger groups. Nonetheless, during this the shared tourism collaborative identity creation is vulnerable, as stakeholders may perceive threats to their individual identities.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Nov 30, 2019
Terrestrial orchid life-cycles are complex and dependent on pollinators and mycorrhizal associate... more Terrestrial orchid life-cycles are complex and dependent on pollinators and mycorrhizal associates. Worldwide, orchid populations are declining because of urbanization, atmospheric nitrogen deposition and climate change. To advance understanding of the factors determining orchid population viability, we review knowledge about orchid demography, life histories and population dynamics. Orchids can produce thousands of seeds, although few survive to reach maturity, with mortality rates declining from juvenile to adult life states. Flowering and fruiting rates vary widely between years, and many populations, especially of deceptive species, are pollen-and seed-limited. Many species have long lifespans and periods of vegetative dormancy and exhibit costs associated with reproduction, sprouting, vegetative dormancy, growth and size. Population growth rates range from 0.50-2.92 (mean: 0.983 ± 0.026). Although vital rates can fluctuate widely between years and be strongly correlated, these correlations have little impact on population dynamics. Variation in spatial density of fungi and microsite quality, limited dispersal and competition generate density dependence in vital rates. Future research should elucidate the roles of biotic and abiotic factors on population dynamics to underpin effective management for conservation. Understanding the impact of idiosyncratic individual plant behaviour on population dynamics will also improve demographic parameter estimation, including population growth rate and net reproductive rate.
Estonian rural tourism partnership sustainability is analysed according to the tourism partnershi... more Estonian rural tourism partnership sustainability is analysed according to the tourism partnership life cycle model, which employs qualitative methodology. Leadership, confusing aims, decreasing communication, time availability, uncertain funding, institutional changes and lack of collaboration with urban centretrigger deceleration of partnership and therefore influence partnership sustainability. Social aspects play a major role in affecting partnership and include internal and external influences. While each partnership phase is important for its sustainability, the partnership can simultaneously follow different timeline paths that have formal and informal life cycles. If the partnership exists in multiple timelines, its life cycle follows a more circular than cyclical form. Community-initiated partnerships are evolving and adapting platforms where new partnership forms emerge, creating social and economic benefits for stakeholders. When collaboration is initiated by local communities, partnerships can change and alter their form more sustainably compared to situations in which they have a more centralised character.
Background and Aims Historical changes in environmental conditions and colonization–extinction dy... more Background and Aims Historical changes in environmental conditions and colonization–extinction dynamics have a direct impact on the genetic structure of plant populations. However, understanding how past environmental conditions influenced the evolution of species with high gene flow is challenging when signals for genetic isolation and adaptation are swamped by gene flow. We investigated the spatial distribution and genetic structure of the widespread terrestrial orchid Epipactis helleborine to identify glacial refugia, characterize postglacial population dynamics and assess its adaptive potential. Methods Ecological niche modelling was used to locate possible glacial refugia and postglacial recolonization opportunities of E. helleborine. A large single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset obtained through genotyping by sequencing was used to define population genetic diversity and structure and to identify sources of postglacial gene flow. Outlier analyses were used to elucidate how adaptation to the local environment contributed to population divergence. Key Results The distribution of climatically suitable areas was restricted during the Last Glacial Maximum to the Mediterranean, south-western Europe and small areas in the Alps and Carpathians. Within-population genetic diversity was high in E. helleborine (mean expected heterozygosity, 0.373 ± 0.006; observed heterozygosity, 0.571 ± 0.012; allelic richness, 1.387 ± 0.007). Italy and central Europe are likely to have acted as important genetic sources during postglacial recolonization. Adaptive SNPs were associated with temperature, elevation and precipitation. Conclusions Forests in the Mediterranean and Carpathians are likely to have acted as glacial refugia for Epipactis helleborine. Postglacial migration northwards and to higher elevations resulted in the dispersal and diversification of E. helleborine in central Europe and Italy, and to geographical isolation and divergent adaptation in Greek and Italian populations. Distinguishing adaptive from neutral genetic diversity allowed us to conclude that E. helleborine has a high adaptive potential to climate change and demonstrates that signals of adaptation and historical isolation can be identified even in species with high gene flow.
Understanding the distribution and population dynamics of invasive plant species is fundamental t... more Understanding the distribution and population dynamics of invasive plant species is fundamental to our capacity to appropriately predict and manage plant invasions. The invasion biology of nonnative Solidago canadensis in Estonia was investigated for the first time by assessing its distribution patterns and growth dynamics. First, fifty-two peri-urban populations were surveyed, and population location, size, adjacent communities, number of shoots as well as shoot height were recorded. Then, thirty genets were excavated from previously surveyed populations in order to analyze their age and growth traits in the vicinity of Tartu. The majority of S. canadensis populations were small, i.e. occupying less than 50 m 2 , had 1 to 50 plants per population and were located predominantly on disturbed roadsides. The surveyed populations were young, with the average age of genets estimated to be five years at the time of sampling in 2006. We suggest that S. canadensis is well adapted to a wide range of habitats but predominantly occurs in human-disturbed habitats adjacent to settlements and roads. We found that Solidago canadensis genet age did not affect significantly its growth traits suggesting that growth traits are similar between younger and older genets.
Studies focusing on hybrid zones contribute to a better understanding of reproductive isolation a... more Studies focusing on hybrid zones contribute to a better understanding of reproductive isolation and speciation processes. Reproductive isolation is achieved by various pre- and postmating barriers that act sequentially and together determine whether interspecific mating and hybridization can occur. In this study, we investigated various reproductive barriers acting between Platanthera bifolia and P. chlorantha . These species are known to hybridize in the field, suggesting that reproductive barriers are weak. We conducted a pollen tracking and crossing experiments within and between the species in natural populations in Estonia and germinated seeds in vitro for molecular analysis. We also combined morphological measurements with analysis of 233 AFLP loci to examine variation in P. chlorantha , P. bifolia and their putative hybrids in both sympatric and allopatric populations of these species. Pollen flow occurred from P. bifolia to P. chlorantha but not in the opposite direction. Crossing experiments revealed no postmating isolation between the Platanthera species. Out of nine measured morphological traits, three were intermediate for putative hybrids; for other traits, they resembled either of the parental species. Hybrids with known parents had intermediate molecular traits, as did the putative hybrids. Our results showed weak reproductive isolation between P. bifolia and P. chlorantha and may refer to the early stages of speciation of the species.
Abstract. On the basis of quantitative analysis of the vascular plant distribution maps for Eston... more Abstract. On the basis of quantitative analysis of the vascular plant distribution maps for Estonia, we specified the list of rare species which occur in less than 5 % of grid quadrangles, and studied the possible correlations between their rarity and habitat preference, distribution, and sensitivity to human impact. Rare species occur statistically more often among species that are at the limit of their geographical range. The proportion of rare species was significantly higher among arctomontane and disjunct circumpolar taxa. Among apophytes, there were less rare taxa than would be expected according to the common native flora, but among hemerophobes, there were significantly more rare species than would be expected. The number of rare species was in strong positive correlation with the species richness of the region. Besides the western part of Estonia, where the greatest number of rare species occur, some small areas rich in rare species also lie in East and North Estonia. Key w...
This paper describes the results of using 3D visualization (3DV) in sustainable tourism planning ... more This paper describes the results of using 3D visualization (3DV) in sustainable tourism planning (STP) during the Comcot project in Estonia. Organizers were interviewed on the characteristics of 3DV for STP and on how participants were involved in discourse using 3DV. The study describes experiences from the Setu, Maidla, and Võrtsjärv lake regions of Estonia. The content analysis of the interviews suggested that the precise selection of visualization objects, detalization levels, and user interface characteristics may significantly influence the quality of STP sessions and help to optimize time, financial, and human resources allocated for a project. The coherent design of the 3DV tool and the neutral moderator positively affect the level of participant involvement in STP and support a trusted platform for community decision making. KEYWORDS 3D visualization; sustainable tourism; tourism planning; participatory development; Estonia Sustainable tourism development involves bringing together all major stakeholders to create a mutually approved strategy. The process of such planning ideally connects the interests, needs, desires, and future visions of all major social groups in the area. It also reflects shared responsibilities for local social, cultural, and environmental capital. In practice, this often occurs when a social group appears to be passive toward tourism planning; it does not perceive a need for change, whereas others strongly do (Aref 2011). Whether people have no opinion on the issues discussed or are too busy, frustrated, reluctant, or simply not interested in anything new, all these factors may contribute to a weaker basis for the legitimacy of sustainable tourism planning (STP). Conversely, Cole (2006) suggests that not everyone can and should participate in STP because not everyone has the capacity, skills, or competence to participate in the decision-making process. In addition, such groups are most likely to be passive regarding the enforcement of these decisions, strategies, and so on. Certain STP stages can be visualized in 3D to facilitate the decision-making process for local stakeholders (Wissen et al. 2008; Shojaei et al. 2013; Lovett et al. 2015). Additionally, the visualization tool may serve as common ground and provide a method to bring less interested parties together to engage in dialog. The focus of this research is to establish how 3D visualization (3DV) can be used for STP by CONTACT Sergey Kask
QuestionsLong‐term fragmentation and land use in Europe have created a landscape pattern where sm... more QuestionsLong‐term fragmentation and land use in Europe have created a landscape pattern where small forest patches are embedded among agricultural landscapes. These small forest patches can be one of the few habitats left to maintain the species richness and ecosystem functions within intensively managed agroecosystems. We ask, which factors determine vascular plant species richness, community composition and forest community integrity in small forest patches in an agricultural landscape?LocationNE Estonia.MethodsWe combine island biogeographic theory (patch area and isolation) with the properties of the surrounding landscape and local environmental conditions within a patch to study the drivers of species richness and community integrity.ResultsPatch area together with local environmental factors (understorey light conditions and soil reaction) determined both species richness and community integrity. Total species richness and forest generalists were related to patch area alone, ...
Responses of Cypripedium calceolus and Cephalanthera longifolia individuals among five Estonian p... more Responses of Cypripedium calceolus and Cephalanthera longifolia individuals among five Estonian populations to defoliation and shading in 2002 through 2004.
File List RawMatrices.csv -- (MD5: 4aacec375c600ff3fe151dccb83049a9) Description The data include... more File List RawMatrices.csv -- (MD5: 4aacec375c600ff3fe151dccb83049a9) Description The data included in RawMatrices.csv consists of the raw matrices used in SLTRE analysis. The first 36 matrices comprise the <i>Cephalanthera</i> matrices, and the following 30 matrices comprise the <i>Cypripedium</i> matrices. Treatment, population, and year are given in comments at the head of each matrix.
The presence of Orchids is declining worldwide, mostly due to habitat loss and other factors like... more The presence of Orchids is declining worldwide, mostly due to habitat loss and other factors like climate change, which are likely to increase in severity in the coming decades [...]
Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting a... more Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and most threatened plant species, and even less about their conservation status. Rapid changes in the environment and climate, today more pronounced than ever, affect their fitness and distribution causing rapid species declines, sometimes even before they had been discovered. Despite the high goals set by conservationists to protect native plants from further degradation and extinction, the initiatives for the conservation of threatened species in Europe are scattered and have not yielded the desired results. The main aim of this Action is to improve plant conservation in Europe through the establishment of a network of scientists and other stakeholders who deal with different aspects of plant conservation, from plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation genetics, conservation physiology and reproductive biology to pr...
Research on biodiversity is essential to help the European Union and EU Member States to implemen... more Research on biodiversity is essential to help the European Union and EU Member States to implement the Convention on Biological Diversity as well as reach the target of halting the loss of biodiversity in Europe by 2010. The need for coordination between researchers, the policy-makers that need research results and the organisations that fund research is reflected in the aims of the BioPlatform network. BioPlatform is a network of scientists and policy makers that work in different fields of biodiversity and aims at improving the effectiveness and relevance of European biodiversity research, fulfilling functions that provide significant components of a European Research Area. BioPlatform supports the existing "European Platform for Biodiversity Research Strategy" (EPBRS), a forum of scientists and policy makers representing the EU countries, whose aims are to promote discussion of EU biodiversity research strategies and priorities, exchange of information on national biodiversity activities and the dissemination of current best practices and information regarding the scientific understanding of biodiversity conservation. This is a report of the BioPlatform E-conference entitled "Sustaining livelihoods and Biodiversity-Attain ing the 2010 target in the European Biodiversity Strategy" preceding the EPBRS meeting to be held under the Irish Presidency of the European Union in Killarney, Ireland from the 20 th to the 24 th May 2004. This e-conference and meeting aim to identify specific research priorities for the EU Biodiversity Action Plans to reach the 2010 target.
Scandinavian Journal of Hospitality and Tourism, Mar 2, 2021
Collaboration is important for fostering tourism in a region and the creation of a shared collabo... more Collaboration is important for fostering tourism in a region and the creation of a shared collaborative identity facilitates this process. This paper explains the role of individual identities in the process of creating a shared tourism collaborative identity in a postcommunist environment. To this end, it uses multi-grounded theory to analyse 37 individual interviews and 1 focus group interview conducted in 2 tourist destinations in Estonia. In the constantly evolving post-communist tourism environment, collaborative identity creation relates to self-construction at the individual, interpersonal, and group levels. This study shows that the place, occupational, cultural, and environmental identities in a given place shape and form shared tourism collaborative identities; however, a collaborative platform is required for shared collaborative identity creation. Specifically, during the shared collaborative identity creation, stakeholders bring their own identities to the process through the platform, on which individual and collective identities interact. The platform magnifies or weakens the perceptions of the shared collaborative identity. As collaboration broadens, the platform shifts from a small group to bigger groups. Nonetheless, during this the shared tourism collaborative identity creation is vulnerable, as stakeholders may perceive threats to their individual identities.
Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Nov 30, 2019
Terrestrial orchid life-cycles are complex and dependent on pollinators and mycorrhizal associate... more Terrestrial orchid life-cycles are complex and dependent on pollinators and mycorrhizal associates. Worldwide, orchid populations are declining because of urbanization, atmospheric nitrogen deposition and climate change. To advance understanding of the factors determining orchid population viability, we review knowledge about orchid demography, life histories and population dynamics. Orchids can produce thousands of seeds, although few survive to reach maturity, with mortality rates declining from juvenile to adult life states. Flowering and fruiting rates vary widely between years, and many populations, especially of deceptive species, are pollen-and seed-limited. Many species have long lifespans and periods of vegetative dormancy and exhibit costs associated with reproduction, sprouting, vegetative dormancy, growth and size. Population growth rates range from 0.50-2.92 (mean: 0.983 ± 0.026). Although vital rates can fluctuate widely between years and be strongly correlated, these correlations have little impact on population dynamics. Variation in spatial density of fungi and microsite quality, limited dispersal and competition generate density dependence in vital rates. Future research should elucidate the roles of biotic and abiotic factors on population dynamics to underpin effective management for conservation. Understanding the impact of idiosyncratic individual plant behaviour on population dynamics will also improve demographic parameter estimation, including population growth rate and net reproductive rate.
Estonian rural tourism partnership sustainability is analysed according to the tourism partnershi... more Estonian rural tourism partnership sustainability is analysed according to the tourism partnership life cycle model, which employs qualitative methodology. Leadership, confusing aims, decreasing communication, time availability, uncertain funding, institutional changes and lack of collaboration with urban centretrigger deceleration of partnership and therefore influence partnership sustainability. Social aspects play a major role in affecting partnership and include internal and external influences. While each partnership phase is important for its sustainability, the partnership can simultaneously follow different timeline paths that have formal and informal life cycles. If the partnership exists in multiple timelines, its life cycle follows a more circular than cyclical form. Community-initiated partnerships are evolving and adapting platforms where new partnership forms emerge, creating social and economic benefits for stakeholders. When collaboration is initiated by local communities, partnerships can change and alter their form more sustainably compared to situations in which they have a more centralised character.
Background and Aims Historical changes in environmental conditions and colonization–extinction dy... more Background and Aims Historical changes in environmental conditions and colonization–extinction dynamics have a direct impact on the genetic structure of plant populations. However, understanding how past environmental conditions influenced the evolution of species with high gene flow is challenging when signals for genetic isolation and adaptation are swamped by gene flow. We investigated the spatial distribution and genetic structure of the widespread terrestrial orchid Epipactis helleborine to identify glacial refugia, characterize postglacial population dynamics and assess its adaptive potential. Methods Ecological niche modelling was used to locate possible glacial refugia and postglacial recolonization opportunities of E. helleborine. A large single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) dataset obtained through genotyping by sequencing was used to define population genetic diversity and structure and to identify sources of postglacial gene flow. Outlier analyses were used to elucidate how adaptation to the local environment contributed to population divergence. Key Results The distribution of climatically suitable areas was restricted during the Last Glacial Maximum to the Mediterranean, south-western Europe and small areas in the Alps and Carpathians. Within-population genetic diversity was high in E. helleborine (mean expected heterozygosity, 0.373 ± 0.006; observed heterozygosity, 0.571 ± 0.012; allelic richness, 1.387 ± 0.007). Italy and central Europe are likely to have acted as important genetic sources during postglacial recolonization. Adaptive SNPs were associated with temperature, elevation and precipitation. Conclusions Forests in the Mediterranean and Carpathians are likely to have acted as glacial refugia for Epipactis helleborine. Postglacial migration northwards and to higher elevations resulted in the dispersal and diversification of E. helleborine in central Europe and Italy, and to geographical isolation and divergent adaptation in Greek and Italian populations. Distinguishing adaptive from neutral genetic diversity allowed us to conclude that E. helleborine has a high adaptive potential to climate change and demonstrates that signals of adaptation and historical isolation can be identified even in species with high gene flow.
Understanding the distribution and population dynamics of invasive plant species is fundamental t... more Understanding the distribution and population dynamics of invasive plant species is fundamental to our capacity to appropriately predict and manage plant invasions. The invasion biology of nonnative Solidago canadensis in Estonia was investigated for the first time by assessing its distribution patterns and growth dynamics. First, fifty-two peri-urban populations were surveyed, and population location, size, adjacent communities, number of shoots as well as shoot height were recorded. Then, thirty genets were excavated from previously surveyed populations in order to analyze their age and growth traits in the vicinity of Tartu. The majority of S. canadensis populations were small, i.e. occupying less than 50 m 2 , had 1 to 50 plants per population and were located predominantly on disturbed roadsides. The surveyed populations were young, with the average age of genets estimated to be five years at the time of sampling in 2006. We suggest that S. canadensis is well adapted to a wide range of habitats but predominantly occurs in human-disturbed habitats adjacent to settlements and roads. We found that Solidago canadensis genet age did not affect significantly its growth traits suggesting that growth traits are similar between younger and older genets.
Studies focusing on hybrid zones contribute to a better understanding of reproductive isolation a... more Studies focusing on hybrid zones contribute to a better understanding of reproductive isolation and speciation processes. Reproductive isolation is achieved by various pre- and postmating barriers that act sequentially and together determine whether interspecific mating and hybridization can occur. In this study, we investigated various reproductive barriers acting between Platanthera bifolia and P. chlorantha . These species are known to hybridize in the field, suggesting that reproductive barriers are weak. We conducted a pollen tracking and crossing experiments within and between the species in natural populations in Estonia and germinated seeds in vitro for molecular analysis. We also combined morphological measurements with analysis of 233 AFLP loci to examine variation in P. chlorantha , P. bifolia and their putative hybrids in both sympatric and allopatric populations of these species. Pollen flow occurred from P. bifolia to P. chlorantha but not in the opposite direction. Crossing experiments revealed no postmating isolation between the Platanthera species. Out of nine measured morphological traits, three were intermediate for putative hybrids; for other traits, they resembled either of the parental species. Hybrids with known parents had intermediate molecular traits, as did the putative hybrids. Our results showed weak reproductive isolation between P. bifolia and P. chlorantha and may refer to the early stages of speciation of the species.
Abstract. On the basis of quantitative analysis of the vascular plant distribution maps for Eston... more Abstract. On the basis of quantitative analysis of the vascular plant distribution maps for Estonia, we specified the list of rare species which occur in less than 5 % of grid quadrangles, and studied the possible correlations between their rarity and habitat preference, distribution, and sensitivity to human impact. Rare species occur statistically more often among species that are at the limit of their geographical range. The proportion of rare species was significantly higher among arctomontane and disjunct circumpolar taxa. Among apophytes, there were less rare taxa than would be expected according to the common native flora, but among hemerophobes, there were significantly more rare species than would be expected. The number of rare species was in strong positive correlation with the species richness of the region. Besides the western part of Estonia, where the greatest number of rare species occur, some small areas rich in rare species also lie in East and North Estonia. Key w...
This paper describes the results of using 3D visualization (3DV) in sustainable tourism planning ... more This paper describes the results of using 3D visualization (3DV) in sustainable tourism planning (STP) during the Comcot project in Estonia. Organizers were interviewed on the characteristics of 3DV for STP and on how participants were involved in discourse using 3DV. The study describes experiences from the Setu, Maidla, and Võrtsjärv lake regions of Estonia. The content analysis of the interviews suggested that the precise selection of visualization objects, detalization levels, and user interface characteristics may significantly influence the quality of STP sessions and help to optimize time, financial, and human resources allocated for a project. The coherent design of the 3DV tool and the neutral moderator positively affect the level of participant involvement in STP and support a trusted platform for community decision making. KEYWORDS 3D visualization; sustainable tourism; tourism planning; participatory development; Estonia Sustainable tourism development involves bringing together all major stakeholders to create a mutually approved strategy. The process of such planning ideally connects the interests, needs, desires, and future visions of all major social groups in the area. It also reflects shared responsibilities for local social, cultural, and environmental capital. In practice, this often occurs when a social group appears to be passive toward tourism planning; it does not perceive a need for change, whereas others strongly do (Aref 2011). Whether people have no opinion on the issues discussed or are too busy, frustrated, reluctant, or simply not interested in anything new, all these factors may contribute to a weaker basis for the legitimacy of sustainable tourism planning (STP). Conversely, Cole (2006) suggests that not everyone can and should participate in STP because not everyone has the capacity, skills, or competence to participate in the decision-making process. In addition, such groups are most likely to be passive regarding the enforcement of these decisions, strategies, and so on. Certain STP stages can be visualized in 3D to facilitate the decision-making process for local stakeholders (Wissen et al. 2008; Shojaei et al. 2013; Lovett et al. 2015). Additionally, the visualization tool may serve as common ground and provide a method to bring less interested parties together to engage in dialog. The focus of this research is to establish how 3D visualization (3DV) can be used for STP by CONTACT Sergey Kask
QuestionsLong‐term fragmentation and land use in Europe have created a landscape pattern where sm... more QuestionsLong‐term fragmentation and land use in Europe have created a landscape pattern where small forest patches are embedded among agricultural landscapes. These small forest patches can be one of the few habitats left to maintain the species richness and ecosystem functions within intensively managed agroecosystems. We ask, which factors determine vascular plant species richness, community composition and forest community integrity in small forest patches in an agricultural landscape?LocationNE Estonia.MethodsWe combine island biogeographic theory (patch area and isolation) with the properties of the surrounding landscape and local environmental conditions within a patch to study the drivers of species richness and community integrity.ResultsPatch area together with local environmental factors (understorey light conditions and soil reaction) determined both species richness and community integrity. Total species richness and forest generalists were related to patch area alone, ...
Responses of Cypripedium calceolus and Cephalanthera longifolia individuals among five Estonian p... more Responses of Cypripedium calceolus and Cephalanthera longifolia individuals among five Estonian populations to defoliation and shading in 2002 through 2004.
File List RawMatrices.csv -- (MD5: 4aacec375c600ff3fe151dccb83049a9) Description The data include... more File List RawMatrices.csv -- (MD5: 4aacec375c600ff3fe151dccb83049a9) Description The data included in RawMatrices.csv consists of the raw matrices used in SLTRE analysis. The first 36 matrices comprise the <i>Cephalanthera</i> matrices, and the following 30 matrices comprise the <i>Cypripedium</i> matrices. Treatment, population, and year are given in comments at the head of each matrix.
The presence of Orchids is declining worldwide, mostly due to habitat loss and other factors like... more The presence of Orchids is declining worldwide, mostly due to habitat loss and other factors like climate change, which are likely to increase in severity in the coming decades [...]
Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting a... more Even though plants represent an essential part of our lives offering exploitational, supporting and cultural services, we know very little about the biology of the rarest and most threatened plant species, and even less about their conservation status. Rapid changes in the environment and climate, today more pronounced than ever, affect their fitness and distribution causing rapid species declines, sometimes even before they had been discovered. Despite the high goals set by conservationists to protect native plants from further degradation and extinction, the initiatives for the conservation of threatened species in Europe are scattered and have not yielded the desired results. The main aim of this Action is to improve plant conservation in Europe through the establishment of a network of scientists and other stakeholders who deal with different aspects of plant conservation, from plant taxonomy, ecology, conservation genetics, conservation physiology and reproductive biology to pr...
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