Prospects for nature and landscape protection in Estonia

The current article focuses on the past, present and future of nature conservation and landscape protection in Estonia. Five stages of nature conservation can be distinguished: (1) the common law phase, (2) the phase of narrow regulations restricting the use of nature resources, (3) the protection of nature monuments and species protection, (4) the establishment of multifunctional protected areas, and (5) the nature protection outside protected areas, cross-sectoral approach to preserving landscape and biological diversity. The main problems of current landscape protection and future trends are outlined. Designing the national ecological network and connecting it to the European ecological network is the priority for further nature and landscape conservation policy. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.