The above calculation of the total surface is not exhaustive since similar plant communities corresponding to the habitat type 7230 are in the Estonian habitat classification divided between two or three fen site types and two types of paludifying grasslands whereas all these site types correspond to type 7230 only partly. Habitats of the Estonian site types 3.1.1.1 and 3.1.1.2 should be included in our database more or less completely, but paludifying grasslands have been objects of different inventories of the Estonian Fund for Nature only to a lesser extent. A much more complete list of grasslands of this habitat type is recorded in the database of the Estonian Semi-natural Communities Association but even this does not include 100% of the paludifying grasslands. The total surface of paludifying grasslands in Estonia has been estimated up to 10,000–20,000 hectares (Kukk & Sammul, 2003) and probably habitats corresponding to the type 7230 are distributed on much larger area than the 1,547 hectares included in the our database. We presume that the overall surface of alkaline fens (type 7230) in Estonia (including areas with poor conservation status) might reach 35,000 hectares. The Estonian official data for the Article 17 assessment, provided by the Estonian Ministry of the Environment, estimate the total surface of alkaline fens in Estonia at 23,900 hectares72. The origin of this figure is unknown and it should be taken as an underestimate. According to global assessments used in Natura 2000 data forms, the conservation value of Estonian alkaline fens was estimated during the field inventory as follows: excellent (A) –56 areas (6,293 ha), good (B) – 784 areas (15,323 ha), significant (C) – 1,475 areas (7,447 ha), low or lacking (D) – 442 areas (1,250 ha) and unknown – 10 areas (19 ha). 811 alkaline fens were totally or partly situated within the Sites of Community Importance, with the total surface within the SCIs 19,626 hectares. Global assessment value of all these protected mires was the following: excellent (A) – 40 areas (6,009 ha), good (B) – 458 areas (11,532 ha), significant (C) – 278 areas (1,898 ha), low or lacking (D) – 27 areas (171 ha), unknown – 8 (16 ha). Thus, the majority of alkaline fens within the SCIs in Estonia (89% by surface) have high conservation value. According to these calculations, 65% of the Estonian alkaline fens (by surface) are included within the SCIs, and their representation might be regarded as sufficient. Nevertheless, 342 areas (4,074 ha) of excellent or good value are situated outside the SCIs. Part of these unprotected fens are of national or local importance, but some have already been included in the shadow list of potential SCIs (examples in chapters 8.1.1.1 and 8.1.1.2). A further analysis is needed which additional alkaline fens should be added to the Natura 2000 network.
8.3 Assessment of threatened and/or protected species 8.3.1 Vascular plants 696 species of vascular plants have been found during the mire inventory, 43 of which belong to the Estonian Red Data Book73, and 72 of which are protected by law74. However, the first figure does not
72 Access at: http://bd.eionet.europa.eu/article17/habitatsreport/?group =Z3Jhc3 NsYW5kcw% (20.03.2011). 73 Access at: http://www.zbi.ee/punane/english/index.html (04.03.2011). 74 Access at: https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/13360504 and https://www.riigiteataja.ee/akt/13360720 (25.04.2011). ESTONIAN MIRES: INVENTORY OF HABITATS
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