Ecosystem Services of Tallinn City: Achievements and Challenges
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Dynamiques environnementales Journal international de géosciences et de l’environnement 42 | 2018 Du glint baltique au lac Peïpous Ecosystem services of Tallinn city: achievements and challenges Piret Vacht, Tiiu Koff, Bianka Plüschke-Altof and Anni Müüripeal Electronic version URL: https://journals.openedition.org/dynenviron/2383 DOI: 10.4000/dynenviron.2383 ISSN: 2534-4358 Publisher Presses universitaires de Bordeaux Printed version Date of publication: 1 July 2018 Number of pages: 328-341 ISSN: 1968-469X Electronic reference Piret Vacht, Tiiu Koff, Bianka Plüschke-Altof and Anni Müüripeal, “Ecosystem services of Tallinn city: achievements and challenges”, Dynamiques environnementales [Online], 42 | 2018, Online since 01 June 2019, connection on 09 July 2021. URL: http://journals.openedition.org/dynenviron/2383 ; DOI: https://doi.org/10.4000/dynenviron.2383 La revue Dynamiques environnementales est mise à disposition selon les termes de la Licence Creative Commons Attribution - Pas d'Utilisation Commerciale - Pas de Modification 4.0 International. Ecosystem services of Tal- linn city: achievements and challenges Piret Vacht1, Tiiu Koff1,2, Bianka Plüschke-Altof1, Anni Müüripeal3 1.School of Natural Sciences and Health, Tallinn University. Narva mnt 29, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia. 2. Institute of Ecology, Tallinn University. Uus-Sadama 5, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia. 3. School of Humanities, Tallinn Univeristy. Uus-Sadama 5, 10120, Tallinn, Estonia. [email protected] Version française p. 122 Abstract Worldwide the process of urbanization is putting increased pressure on the ecosystems of cities. Serving as vital ecosystem service providers that benefit the ecological functioning and human well-being in cities, urban ecosystem are however highly dependent on socio- spatial developments taking place in these urban areas. The case is no different with Tallinn. Based on document analysis and activist research this article gives an interdisciplinary overview of the central ecosystem services offered by the capital of Estonia and discusses major achievements and challenges of the field of ecosystem service provision. As a result it shows that on one hand, the city’s ecological conditions are generally favorable to diverse biota and miscellaneous habitats and that numerous steps have been taken by Tallinn city, NGOs and other entities to improve ecosystem services. On the other hand, ecosystem service provision is challenged by the intense urbanization of Tallinn urban area over the last decades causing problems for the socio- spatial development – such as urban sprawl, densification, intense population growth, changed demographics and an inhibited environmental awareness (due to the estrangement from nature) – which affect not only the quantity but also the quality of Tallinn’s ecosystem services. Dynamiques Environnementales 42 Journal international des géosciences et de l’environnement 2nd semestre 2018, p. 328-341. 328 Seaside south of Kihnu Island. Photo by Anatole Danto, Kihnu, 2018. Key words Ecosystem services, Tallinn, urban ecosystem, urban green commons, green spaces, densification, usability, accessibility. Introduction An urban ecosystem, such as the ecosystem Estonia’s capital Tallinn, is composed of its spe- cies, including humans, environmental variables and the complex relationships between them. Defining clear boundaries for an urban ecosystem is difficult because its functioning as well as the relevant fluxes and interactions needed for its functioning extend far beyond administrative borders (Elmqvist et al., 2013). In the literature, the ecosystem services concept is broadly defined as “the benefits people obtain from ecosystems” (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, 2005). The concept can also be used as a way to operationalize the complex human-nature relationships influencing socio-ecological decision-making (Evans, 2018). Both, the ecosystem characteristics as well as the socio-spatial 329 Dynamiques Environnementales 42 - Journal international des géosciences et de l’environnement, 2nd semestre 2018 developments in the city, including the atti- and quantity of its ecosystem services. On tudes and actions of its dwellers, affect urban the case of urban green spaces as ecosystem ecosystem services (Wilkerson et al., 2018). providers, it will conclude with recommenda- As shown in figure 1, four main categories tions for further research. of ecosystem services can be differentiated: supporting, provisioning, regulating and As ecosystem services are very dependent cultural (Millenium Ecosystem Assessment, on the local context, the upcoming section 2005). Against the backdrop of the majority will introduce the ecological, socio-economic of people already living in urban areas (The and spatial conditions of Tallinn. This will be World Bank, 2017), it is important that also followed by sections giving an overview of the city environments provide these services. Ur- city’s ecosystem services and the achieve- ban ecosystems are especially important in ments and challenges in its provision. Finally, providing regulative services with direct im- the article will illustrate the interlinkedness of pact on human health and security such as air ecosystem services and the contextuality of purification, noise reduction, urban cooling, their provision on the concrete case of urban and runoff mitigation (Bolund & Hunhammar, green spaces. 1999). But cities also offersupporting ser- vices by providing habitats for biodiversity. The ecological and socio-economic Provisioning services, while not the most pre - context of Tallinn’s ecosystem dominant in most urban areas, are vital as services well, providing cities with goods such as local food and water. Social and cultural values are Tallinn is located in the northern part of most directly associated with cultural ecosys- Estonia, at the Gulf of Finland and has the tem services, and may include place values, surface area of 159,3 km2 (figure 2). The city sense of community and identity, physical is characterised by diverse landscape (klint, and mental health, social cohesion, and edu- forests, coast, meadows, reed fields, rivers, cational values (Chan et al., 2012). lakes) with heterogeneous biota and biotopes that also serve as habitats for rare species. Figure 1. Overview of Ecosystem Ser- vices (authors’ illustration) (p. 124). Figure 2. Map of Tallinn (Tallinn web map, 2018) (p. 125). Based on the concept of ecosystem ser- vices, the paper gives an interdisciplinary The most prominent land form of the na- overview of central ecosystem services offe- tural environment is the klint escarpment of red by Tallinn. Although analytically distinct, the Baltic Klint (the highest point at 48 m different types of ecosystem services are above sea level). Areas protected by nature often provided by the same components of conservancy make up to 13.8% of Tallinn’s urban ecosystems. In this paper we there- area. This includes areas in the Natura 2000 fore emphasize the interlinkedness as well as network of protected areas, which cover up the socio-economic and ecological contextua- to 8.2% of the territory (Tallinn City Enter- lity of ecosystem service provision in Tallinn. prise Department, 2018). The major green Moreover, building on a document analysis of areas of Tallinn are the parks in the histo- major policy papers and reports (for an over- rical bastion zone around the Old Town; the view see references) and an activist research baroque Kadriorg Park founded by Tsar Peter approach that acknowledges the long-stand the Great in 1718, Tallinn Botanical Garden involvement of the authors in co-shaping eco- and Zoo as well as the Open Air Museum in system service provision in Tallinn, the pa- Rocca al Mare. per aims to discuss major achievements and challenges the city of Tallinn is facing while The city can be characterized also by abun- trying to preserve and enhance the quality dance of blue space: Lake Ülemiste (area of 330 Ecosystem services of Tallinn city: achievements and challenges 9.8 km2) is located near the center of Tallinn of total wild orchid species in Estonia) have and extends to the city’s administrative bor- been found in Tallinn. The diversity and der and from the north the city is surrounded abundance of animals varies from district from one side by the Baltic sea. Due to this to district but in general is considered high. Tallinn has typical maritime climate. The an- For example red fox Vulpes( vulpes), pine nual average temperature in Tallinn is 7.5 oC, marten (Martes martes), roe deer Capreo-( annual relative humidity is 81% and annual lus capreolus), northern bat (Eptesicus nils- average precipitation is 590 mm (Estonian sonii) and European viper Vipera( berus) are Environmental Agency, 2015). common in many areas. A large number of European-wide and nationally protected bird The biodiversity in Tallinn is influenced by species nest in Tallinn. For example over 233 the abundance of mosaic-like landscapes and bird species have been encountered in the communities and it is possible to encoun- Paljasssaare conservation area (129.3 km2), ter animals, birds and plants in Tallinn that located in the northern part of Tallinn, among have become rare elsewhere in Europe. The them e.g. Bean Goose (Anser fabalis), robin vegetation of Tallinn has developed together (Erithacus rubecula) and Sand Martin (Ripa- with a strong and diverse anthropogenic im- ria riparia) (Tuule et al., 2006). While the bio - pact. Communities can be characterized by diversity of Tallinn’s soils, that gives informa