According to data from the Estonian Environment Agency's latest statistical forest inventory, 51.3 percent of Estonia's land area is covered by forest. Hiiu, Valga and Ida-Viru counties have the highest volume of forests at 68, 64 and 63 percent, respectively. Tartu and Põlva counties have the lowest forest volumes.

Experts estimate the volume of felling in 2022 increased from 10.9 million to 11.4 cubic meters. Felling volumes are measured by comparing satellite images.

State forest volumes, which account for almost a third of Estonia's total reserves, remained at the same level as in 2021.

49 percent of Estonia's forest are coniferous, while the remaining 51 percent are hardwood.

In recent years, there has been an increase in mixed forests, meaning those with trend three or more different species of tree. "The increase in mixed forests provides hope that forests will be healthier in the future - single-species forests are more susceptible to pests and diseases," Denks explained.

According to the data, the proportion of protected forests increased over the year, reaching 31 percent. The largest increase was in the proportion of forest under strict protection, which is now 18.1 percent. This figure puts Estonia third among European countries, behind only Liechtenstein and Italy.

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