Ecotourism
Estonia

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Estonia, especially Western Estonia, is still quite rich in semi-natural communities like wooded meadows, alvars, coastal meadows and flooded meadows. These communities have been formed as a result of traditional human activities such as grazing and mowing. They enrich the landscape and have a vast diversity of species. The type of meadow richest in species is the wooded meadow. In one wooded meadow in Vahenurme in Pärnumaa county one can find 74 different species of flora per square metre. Such a density of botanic life is rare in Europe. Centuries ago, there were many such wooded meadows in, among other places, southern Finland, Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. Nowadays, such meadows can only be found in Estonia.
 
Wooded meadows are sparsely wooded natural stands where herb layer is regularly mowed. The West Estonian wooded meadows are extremely abundant in species. In the wooded meadow of Laelatu 76 species of vascular plants have been recorded on one square metre.
The meadow communities of coastal areas of Western and Northern Estonia where limestone outcrops almost reach the ground and soil is very shallow are called alvars by botanists. Traditionally alvars have been used for grazing sheep. Owing to the very variable growth conditions alvars have unique vegetation with high species diversity. Determined by the thickness of soil layer, several types of alvars can be distinguished. In areas that have only recently emerged from the sea, bare bedrock is exposed to ground with only few plants growing on it. The thicker the soil layer on limestone the more varied the vegetation.
Coastal meadows are famous as habitats of several threatened species such as natterjack toad, dunlin and black-tailed godwit. Coastal meadows are also very important for migrating birds. Flooded meadows provide good nesting sites for corncrake and great snipe.