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The total surface area of Latvia is 64.6 thousand km2. The main part of the territory is covered by forests and agricultural lands. Together, their proportion has been quite stable over the last sixty years - slightly more than 80% of the total area.
An increasing trend in the forest coverage at the expense of agricultural area has occurred since 1935.
Source: Land Cadaster Centre, Latvian State Land Service
Species Diversity
There are several species of birds and mammals threatened in Europe or even globally whose Latvian population constitutes a substantial part of the whole population: black stork (Ciconia nigra), corncrake (Crex crex), lesser spotted eagle (Aquila pomarina), white-backed woodpecker (Picoides leucotos), common crane (Grus grus), beaver (Castor fiber), otter (Lutra lutra), wolf (Canis lupus), and lynx (Lynx lynx). Large colonies and important hibernating sites for several bat species are found in Latvia.
Source: Project "Biodiversity in Latvia" by Latvian Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development and Latvian Fund for Nature
Notes: total number is shown in brackets; * including 3 species of lampreys (Petromyzontidae)
From the endangered species in the world, six species of mammals, five species of birds and two species of fish are found in Latvia (IUCN Red Data List, 1996).
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Diversity of Forest Ecosystems
Forests lands cover 44.9% (1998) of the territory of Latvia. There is a great diversity of forest types, due to heterogeneous soil and hydrological conditions and low intensity forestry. There are large areas of wet forests in Latvia, while these are nearly destroyed in most of the European countries. Wet forests on peat soil cover 382,000 km2 or 13.5% of the total forest area. The peat land forests host approximately 230 plant species, of which 30 species are rare and protected.
Source: Latvian State Forest Inventory Institute; Forest Industry Association "Latvijas mezs" (1995): Latvijas mezsaimniecibas un mezrupniecibas 30 gadi (1957.-1987.)
Diversity of Agricultural Ecosystems
Agricultural lands cover 39% of the territory of Latvia. Because of the low intensity of land-use in large areas and the natural diversity of relief and hydrological conditions, agricultural land plays an important role in biological diversity. The agricultural lands are habitats for 26,000 to 30,000 braces of corncrakes (Crex crex). However, in the last decades, the numbers of common kestrel (Falco tinnunculus) and hen harrier (Circus cyaneus) have decreased considerably.
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Diversity of Meadow Ecosystems
The semi-natural meadows which have originated as a result of long-term human impact are of a special importance. Approximately 40% of the protected plant species are found in meadows. Coastal meadows are very important habitats for rare bird species such as dunlin (Calidris alpina), redshank (Tringa totanus), black-tailed godwit (Limosa limosa) and ruff (Philomachus pugnax). The most important meadow complexes are those around the Lakes Pape and Liepaja, at Kalnciems, Daugavgriva, in the Lubana lowlands, in Daugava, Venta and other river valleys and in the Randi meadows (salt marshes). The diversity of species is facilitated by traditional farming methods such as pasturing and hay-making.
Diversity of Mire Ecosystems
Specific plant and animal species, including many relicts of the post-glacial era, are found only in mires. The total area of mires in Latvia is 9.9%, of which about 70% are relatively untouched by human activities. The largest raised bog in Latvia is Teici (19,587 ha), and the largest fen is Peikstulnica-Sala (7,606 ha). 42% of the mires are raised bogs, 49% are fens and 9% are transitional bogs.
Diversity of Lake Ecosystems
There are 2,256 lakes in Latvia with the total area of 1,000 km2. The largest diversity of species, especially of waterfowl, is found in the shallow coastal lagoons such as Lakes Pape, Liepaja, Engure, Kanieris and Babite. Lake Engure and its vicinity is one of the richest Latvian territories in flora and fauna. A total of 800 species of flowering plants and ferns grow there. At least 30 rare bird species which are endangered elsewhere in Europe, breed in the vicinity of Lake Engure. Lake Lubana and the surrounding lowland are considered to be one of the most important inland complexes of wetlands in the Eastern Baltic, and large number of birds concentrate there during migration.
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Diversity of River Ecosystems
There are 12,400 rivers in Latvia with a total length of 38,000 km. Latvia is one of the countries in the Baltic Sea region where salmon spawning sites have been preserved. The Salaca River is the largest natural salmon spawning site in the Eastern Baltic. About 26,000 beavers and close to 5,000 otters live in Latvian rivers. The revival of river crayfish populations is an indication of water quality improvement of small rivers.
Diversity of Sea Coast Ecosystems
A 300 km long zone along the coast of the Baltic Sea and the Gulf of Riga was formerly monopolised by the Soviet army, completely restricting economic activities. In this zone, untouched biotopes have remained, including natural dune plant communities which are extinct in many other areas along the Baltic Sea coastline.
Diversity of Coastal Zone Ecosystems
The Gulf of Riga and Irbe Strait are internationally important waterfowl wintering sites where total numbers of birds during the autumn-winter period exceed 2 million. One quarter of the Northern and Western European populations of red-throated diver (Gavia stellatea) and long-tailed duck (Clangula hyemalis) over-winter in this area, along with one third of the velvet scoter (Melanitta fusca) population. The Latvian coastal waters are not rich in fish species, but the Gulf of Riga population of eelpout (Zoarces viviparus), an endemic species of the Baltic Sea, is the largest in the Eastern Baltic.
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