Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve
Encyclopedia
Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve is a protected area
in Harju County
, Northern Estonia
, some 50 km east of Tallinn
. With an area of 130.9 km2, it is the third largest nature reserve in Estonia. Dominated by forests and bogs, it aims to protect rare and endangered species
, their habitats, and valuable natural landscapes.
Põhja-Kõrvemaa (meaning North Kõrvemaa) occupies the northern part of Kõrvemaa, which itself forms the northern part of Transitional Estonia, a large forested and sparsely populated area spanning in northeast-southwest direction through Estonia, from Lahemaa
through Soomaa to Latvia
.
for military training and as such was closed to the public. The proving ground
s were established in 1947 and in 1953 expanded to 33 304 ha (333 km2), making it the biggest Soviet military polygon in Estonia. Still, the Soviet Army damaged only about 10% of the proving grounds' territory, leaving the rest intact. Due to unsuitability for agriculture (poor and/or badly drained soil
s) the whole region has always been very sparsely populated – in the beginning of 1950s the population density
was around 1 people per km2 – but still a few hundred people were displaced together with the creation of proving ground.
Põhja-Kõrvemaa nature reserve was formed in the western part of the former Aegviidu
polygon, which had been hidden behind the official name of Pavlov Forest District. In the 1990s, Estonian Defence Forces were interested to begin reusing some areas of the former polygon now situated on the nature reserve's territory. However, due to strong opposition by local people and conservationists, the idea was given up. In 2001, Estonian Defence Forces central proving ground
was established in the eastern part of the former Soviet military polygon.
The Valgejõgi River
is the natural divide between the current proving ground and the nature reserve.
From 1997 to 2007 the nature reserves official status was landscape protection area. In 2007 it was expanded from 12,890 to 13,086 hectare
s and official status changed back to nature reserve. Since 2004 it is part of the European Union
Natura 2000
network.
The landscape in Põhja-Kõrvemaa took shape in the end of the last Ice Age, when the glacier retreated about 12,000 years ago and is as such a typical glacial landscape
. It is characterized by ice marginal formations and glaciolacustrine plains
, the latter of which are now mostly covered by extensive bog
s and, to a much lesser extent, fen
s. Forests cover about 40% of the nature reserve's territory and man-made open areas only 10%.
The region is richest in Estonia in ice marginal formations. The most remarkable relief forms of the region are esker
s, which form steep-sided ridges of very complex relief that extend to a number of kilometers and are up to 25 m high. Along with eskers there are several kame
fields — areas covered with hillocks consisting of sand and gravel. Jussi kame field is the best known in Põhja-Kõrvemaa.
There are more than 30 lakes in Põhja-Kõrvemaa. Most of the lakes are small, situated either in bogs (Kivijärv, Koitjärv, Venejärv and others) or between kames. Jussi Lakes is a group of 6 lakes (spanning from 2 to 20 hectares in area) situated in the eastern part of the Jussi kame field.
In addition to the lakes, the three biggest bogs (Koitjärve, Kõnnu Suursoo and Võhma bogs), which cover about half of the territory, have developed extensive ridges of small bog ponds, which can be counted in hundreds.
, Eurasian Lynx
and Brown Bear
. Small populations of European Mink
endured until the beginning of 1990s, but are now disappeared, as in most of Estonia. Protected bird species include Black Stork
, Golden Eagle
, Capercaillie
and Common Crane
. 19 species of orchids can be found in Põhja-Kõrvemaa (for example, Goodyera repens
and Platanthera bifolia
), among other rare plants growing in the area are Pulsatilla patens
, Sparganium
angustifolium, Isoetes echinospora and Oxytropis
sordida (the only place in Estonia where the plant is found).
Põhja-Kõrvemaa is one of the most visited protected area in Estonia. It's due to its proximity to the capital, Tallinn
(over 500,000 people or around 40% of Estonian population live in Tallinn and the surrounding Harju County
) and its good accessibility - in the north the nature reserve is bordered by the Tallinn-Narva highway (E20) and in the west by Jägala-Aegviidu-Käravete secondary road. The nature reserve itself has also a considerable amount of gravel and dirt roads. Aegviidu
, which is located less than 5 km southwest from the nature reserve and is the end point of Elektriraudtee commuter railway line, can be reached in an hour from the center of Tallinn.
There are several hiking trails, the longest being the 36 km long Liiapeksi
-Aegviidu trail, which crosses the nature reserve from north to south, and also continues to the north in Lahemaa National Park
, which is separated from Põhja-Kõrvemaa by Tallinn-Narva highway. Shorter nature and hiking trails and half a dozen campsite
s are also available, all managed by the State forest management centre (RMK).
Despite the hiking facilities created in recent years, berry and mushroom picking
are still the most popular activities among the visitors.
At summer weekends, up to 700 people visit Põhja-Kõrvemaa daily, most of whom drive from Tallinn.
Protected areas of Estonia
Protected areas of Estonia are regulated by the Nature Conservation Act , which was passed by the Estonian parliament on April 21, 2004 and entered into force May 10, 2004.-Protected areas:...
in Harju County
Harju County
Harju County , or Harjumaa , nowadays one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the south-east, Rapla County to the south, and Lääne County to the south-west.528,468 people...
, Northern Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, some 50 km east of Tallinn
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
. With an area of 130.9 km2, it is the third largest nature reserve in Estonia. Dominated by forests and bogs, it aims to protect rare and endangered species
Endangered species
An endangered species is a population of organisms which is at risk of becoming extinct because it is either few in numbers, or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters...
, their habitats, and valuable natural landscapes.
Põhja-Kõrvemaa (meaning North Kõrvemaa) occupies the northern part of Kõrvemaa, which itself forms the northern part of Transitional Estonia, a large forested and sparsely populated area spanning in northeast-southwest direction through Estonia, from Lahemaa
Lahemaa National Park
Lahemaa National Park is located on Northern Estonia, 70 kilometers east from capital Tallinn. Its area covers 725 km² . It was the first national park of the former Soviet Union...
through Soomaa to Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
.
History
Põhja-Kõrvemaa Nature Reserve was established in the end of 1991, a few months after Estonia regained its independence. Throughout the Soviet Era a large part of the nature reserve's current territory was used by Soviet ArmySoviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
for military training and as such was closed to the public. The proving ground
Proving ground
A proving ground is the US name for a military installation or reservation where weapons or other military technology are experimented or tested, or where military tactics are tested...
s were established in 1947 and in 1953 expanded to 33 304 ha (333 km2), making it the biggest Soviet military polygon in Estonia. Still, the Soviet Army damaged only about 10% of the proving grounds' territory, leaving the rest intact. Due to unsuitability for agriculture (poor and/or badly drained soil
Soil
Soil is a natural body consisting of layers of mineral constituents of variable thicknesses, which differ from the parent materials in their morphological, physical, chemical, and mineralogical characteristics...
s) the whole region has always been very sparsely populated – in the beginning of 1950s the population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was around 1 people per km2 – but still a few hundred people were displaced together with the creation of proving ground.
Põhja-Kõrvemaa nature reserve was formed in the western part of the former Aegviidu
Aegviidu
Aegviidu is a borough in northern Estonia. Administratively it constitutes Aegviidu Parish — a rural municipality within Harju County. The municipality has a population of 873 and covers an area of...
polygon, which had been hidden behind the official name of Pavlov Forest District. In the 1990s, Estonian Defence Forces were interested to begin reusing some areas of the former polygon now situated on the nature reserve's territory. However, due to strong opposition by local people and conservationists, the idea was given up. In 2001, Estonian Defence Forces central proving ground
Keskpolügoon
Keskpolügoon or the Central training area is the main military training field of the six areas used by the Estonian Defence Forces. Defense Forces central training area covers and is located in the eastern part of the Kuusalu municipality in Harju County...
was established in the eastern part of the former Soviet military polygon.
The Valgejõgi River
Valgejõgi
Valgejõgi is a river in Northern Estonia. Its source is in Lake Porkuni in Pandivere and it drains into Hara Bay at Loksa .-Geography:...
is the natural divide between the current proving ground and the nature reserve.
From 1997 to 2007 the nature reserves official status was landscape protection area. In 2007 it was expanded from 12,890 to 13,086 hectare
Hectare
The hectare is a metric unit of area defined as 10,000 square metres , and primarily used in the measurement of land. In 1795, when the metric system was introduced, the are was defined as being 100 square metres and the hectare was thus 100 ares or 1/100 km2...
s and official status changed back to nature reserve. Since 2004 it is part of the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
Natura 2000
Natura 2000
Natura 2000 is an ecological network of protected areas in the territory of the European Union.-Origins:In May 1992, the governments of the European Communities adopted legislation designed to protect the most seriously threatened habitats and species across Europe. This legislation is called the...
network.
Nature
Glacial landforms
Glacial landforms are those created by the action of glaciers. Most of today's glacial landforms were created by the movement of large ice sheets during the Quaternary glaciations...
. It is characterized by ice marginal formations and glaciolacustrine plains
Glaciolacustrine deposits
Sediments deposited into lakes that have come from glaciers are called glaciolacustrine deposits. These lakes include ice margin lakes or other types formed from glacial erosion or deposition. Sediments in the bedload and suspended load are carried into lakes and deposited...
, the latter of which are now mostly covered by extensive bog
Bog
A bog, quagmire or mire is a wetland that accumulates acidic peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses or, in Arctic climates, lichens....
s and, to a much lesser extent, fen
Fen
A fen is a type of wetland fed by mineral-rich surface water or groundwater. Fens are characterised by their water chemistry, which is neutral or alkaline, with relatively high dissolved mineral levels but few other plant nutrients...
s. Forests cover about 40% of the nature reserve's territory and man-made open areas only 10%.
The region is richest in Estonia in ice marginal formations. The most remarkable relief forms of the region are esker
Esker
An esker is a long winding ridge of stratified sand and gravel, examples of which occur in glaciated and formerly glaciated regions of Europe and North America...
s, which form steep-sided ridges of very complex relief that extend to a number of kilometers and are up to 25 m high. Along with eskers there are several kame
Kame
A kame is a geological feature, an irregularly shaped hill or mound composed of sand, gravel and till that accumulates in a depression on a retreating glacier, and is then deposited on the land surface with further melting of the glacier...
fields — areas covered with hillocks consisting of sand and gravel. Jussi kame field is the best known in Põhja-Kõrvemaa.
There are more than 30 lakes in Põhja-Kõrvemaa. Most of the lakes are small, situated either in bogs (Kivijärv, Koitjärv, Venejärv and others) or between kames. Jussi Lakes is a group of 6 lakes (spanning from 2 to 20 hectares in area) situated in the eastern part of the Jussi kame field.
In addition to the lakes, the three biggest bogs (Koitjärve, Kõnnu Suursoo and Võhma bogs), which cover about half of the territory, have developed extensive ridges of small bog ponds, which can be counted in hundreds.
Flora and fauna
A number of rare or endangered species can be found in Põhja-Kõrvemaa, which is one of the main reasons behind the area's status as a nature reserve. It is home to large predators such as Gray WolfGray Wolf
The gray wolf , also known as the wolf, is the largest extant wild member of the Canidae family...
, Eurasian Lynx
Eurasian Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...
and Brown Bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
. Small populations of European Mink
European mink
The European mink , also known as the Russian mink, is a semi-aquatic species of Mustelid native to Europe. It is listed by the IUCN as Endangered due to an ongoing reduction in numbers, having been calculated as being more than 50% over the past three generations...
endured until the beginning of 1990s, but are now disappeared, as in most of Estonia. Protected bird species include Black Stork
Black Stork
The Black Stork Ciconia nigra is a large wading bird in the stork family Ciconiidae. It is a widespread, but rare, species that breeds in the warmer parts of Europe, predominantly in central and eastern regions. This is a shy and wary species, unlike the closely related White Stork. It is seen in...
, Golden Eagle
Golden Eagle
The Golden Eagle is one of the best known birds of prey in the Northern Hemisphere. Like all eagles, it belongs to the family Accipitridae. Once widespread across the Holarctic, it has disappeared from many of the more heavily populated areas...
, Capercaillie
Capercaillie
The Western Capercaillie , also known as the Wood Grouse, Heather Cock or Capercaillie , is the largest member of the grouse family, reaching over 100 cm in length and 6.7 kg in weight. The largest one ever recorded in captivity had a weight of 7.2 kg....
and Common Crane
Common Crane
The Common Crane , also known as the Eurasian Crane, is a bird of the family Gruidae, the cranes.It is a large, stately bird and a medium-sized crane at 100–130 cm long, with a 180–240 cm wingspan and a weight of 4.5–6 kg...
. 19 species of orchids can be found in Põhja-Kõrvemaa (for example, Goodyera repens
Goodyera repens
Goodyera repens, an orchid in the genus Goodyera, is called by the common name creeping lady's tresses in Anglophone Europe and dwarf rattlesnake plantain or lesser rattlesnake plantain in North America....
and Platanthera bifolia
Platanthera bifolia
Platanthera bifolia, commonly known as the Lesser Butterfly-orchid, is a species of orchid in the genus Platanthera, having certain relations with the genus Orchis, where it was previously included and also with the genus Habenaria. It can be found throughout Europe and Morocco...
), among other rare plants growing in the area are Pulsatilla patens
Pulsatilla patens
Pulsatilla patens is a species of flowering plant in the family Ranunculaceae, native to Europe, Russia, Mongolia, China, Canada and the United States...
, Sparganium
Sparganium
Sparganium is a genus of flowering plants, containing about 20 species in temperate regions of both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. It was previously placed alone in the family Sparganiaceae...
angustifolium, Isoetes echinospora and Oxytropis
Oxytropis
Oxytropis is a genus of plants in the legume family. It is one of two genera of plants known as locoweeds, and are notorious for being toxic to grazing animals. The other locoweed genus is the closely related Astragalus. There are about 300 species native to Eurasia and North America. Several...
sordida (the only place in Estonia where the plant is found).
Recreation
Tallinn
Tallinn is the capital and largest city of Estonia. It occupies an area of with a population of 414,940. It is situated on the northern coast of the country, on the banks of the Gulf of Finland, south of Helsinki, east of Stockholm and west of Saint Petersburg. Tallinn's Old Town is in the list...
(over 500,000 people or around 40% of Estonian population live in Tallinn and the surrounding Harju County
Harju County
Harju County , or Harjumaa , nowadays one of 15 counties of Estonia. It is situated in northern Estonia, on the south coast of the Gulf of Finland, and borders Lääne-Viru County to the east, Järva County to the south-east, Rapla County to the south, and Lääne County to the south-west.528,468 people...
) and its good accessibility - in the north the nature reserve is bordered by the Tallinn-Narva highway (E20) and in the west by Jägala-Aegviidu-Käravete secondary road. The nature reserve itself has also a considerable amount of gravel and dirt roads. Aegviidu
Aegviidu
Aegviidu is a borough in northern Estonia. Administratively it constitutes Aegviidu Parish — a rural municipality within Harju County. The municipality has a population of 873 and covers an area of...
, which is located less than 5 km southwest from the nature reserve and is the end point of Elektriraudtee commuter railway line, can be reached in an hour from the center of Tallinn.
There are several hiking trails, the longest being the 36 km long Liiapeksi
Liiapeksi
Liiapeksi is a village in Kuusalu Parish, Harju County in northern Estonia....
-Aegviidu trail, which crosses the nature reserve from north to south, and also continues to the north in Lahemaa National Park
Lahemaa National Park
Lahemaa National Park is located on Northern Estonia, 70 kilometers east from capital Tallinn. Its area covers 725 km² . It was the first national park of the former Soviet Union...
, which is separated from Põhja-Kõrvemaa by Tallinn-Narva highway. Shorter nature and hiking trails and half a dozen campsite
Campsite
A campsite or camping pitch is a place used for overnight stay in the outdoors. In British English a campsite is an area, usually divided into a number of pitches, where people can camp overnight using tents or camper vans or caravans; this British English use of the word is synonymous with the...
s are also available, all managed by the State forest management centre (RMK).
Despite the hiking facilities created in recent years, berry and mushroom picking
Mushroom hunting
Mushroom hunting, mushrooming, mushroom picking, and similar terms describe the activity of gathering mushrooms in the wild, typically for eating...
are still the most popular activities among the visitors.
At summer weekends, up to 700 people visit Põhja-Kõrvemaa daily, most of whom drive from Tallinn.