100 stories from the hiking route

1931 – Sagadi Experimental Forest District is established

Information

Topic

The story of forestry

Coordinates

Long-Lat WGS 84

Latitude: 59.5650888888889

Longitude: 26.1008166666667

L-EST 97

x: 6604926
y: 618748

Location

Oandu-Aegviidu Hiking route

The Sagadi Forest District was officially assigned as an experimental forest district in 1931 along with the Porkuni, Sõmerpalu and Voltvet Forest Districts. The researchers of the forest were interested in “the pine forests on nutrient-poor sandy marine formations where the soil has been ruined by slash-and-burn agriculture and forest fires” in Sagadi.
Testing began right after it became an experimental forest district. Several subjects were studied under the leadership of Professor Andres Mathiesen, such as the suitability of shelterwood, narrow and small patch cutting for renewing spruce and pine forests, the growth cycle of the Jack pine (Pinus banksiana), as well as the effects of different pests. Sagadi Forest District was considered a great place for traineeships thanks to the varied research conducted there.
Experimental forest districts were closed down in 1954 and restored ten years later in 1964, when new experimental forest districts were formed on the basis of 12 forest districts (Aakre, Kabala, Kangruselja, Karksi, Kohtla, Kuuste, Roela, Sagadi, Tähtvere, Vardi, Vääna and Väätsa). The subjects studied at the Sagadi Forest District included managing heath forests as well as repelling the white pine blister rust and pine tortrix moth Uno Valk and Heino Kasesalu were appointed as instructors. Sagadi remained an experimental forest district until 1967. Experimental forest districts were eliminated in all of Estonia in 1993.