West Estonian archipelago

West Estonian Archipelago Biosphere Reserve is located withinside the Japanese Baltic Sea and accommodates the islands of Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Vormsi, and Muhu, in addition to several islets and marine parts. Located withinside the transition sector among temperate needle-leaf to broad-leaf forests, terrestrial habitats incorporate pine forests, blended spruce and deciduous forests, juniper and coastal meadows, swamps, and peat bogs. The Alvar forests (spruce, pine or birch wooded areas on limestone plains with skinny soils) are of unique interest.

Foremost the archipelago represents the ecosystems that have been fashioned at the coastal formations of various developmental stages of the Baltic Sea withinside the ultimate 10000 years. The exceptional functions and variety of nature withinside the West Estonian islands are particularly encouraged via way of means of the geographical position, younger age of the area, lime richness of soils, and centuries of human activity. Long coastal line wherein we will locate each low and dune beaches, low bays with small islets and holms, and hundreds of years of land use has fashioned the shape of the islands` forests, meadows, arable land, and pastures, the end result of that's a mosaic panorama and numerous nature of the islands.

Location: southern part of the Boreal forest zone of the Northern hemisphere