The Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany (Estonian

Estonian language

Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...

:Zooloogia ja Botaanika Instituut) (ZBI) is a zoological and botanical research institute based in Tartu

Tartu

Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...

, Estonia

Estonia

Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...

. It was founded in 1947. Since 1997, it belongs to the Estonian University of Life Sciences

Estonian University of Life Sciences

The Estonian University of Life Sciences , located in Tartu, Estonia, is the former Estonian Agricultural University, which was established in 1951 and renamed and restructured in November 2005....

 as a central biological research institute in the country.

The Institute of Zoology and Botany is the only research unit in Estonia to administer and distribute data and expertise on taxonomic composition

Taxonomy

Taxonomy is the science of identifying and naming species, and arranging them into a classification. The field of taxonomy, sometimes referred to as "biological taxonomy", revolves around the description and use of taxonomic units, known as taxa...

 in the country. It provides data on the country's flora, microevolution

Microevolution

Microevolution is the changes in allele frequencies that occur over time within a population. This change is due to four different processes: mutation, selection , gene flow, and genetic drift....

 of vegetation, naturalisation, the invasion of non-native species and vegetation population dynamics.

The scholars who have worked in this institute include Jaan Eilart

Jaan Eilart

Jaan Eilart was an Estonian botanist and biologist, a specialist in plant geography.He was a leader of nature protection movement in Estonia.- References :...

, Toomas Frey

Toomas Frey

Toomas Frey is an Estonian ecologist, geobotanist and forest scientist.He was also a political leader, with the Estonian greens. When he was named minister of the environment in 1990, it was the first time a member of a green party reached a national position in an Eastern European...

, Andres Koppel, Toomas Kukk

Toomas Kukk

Toomas Kukk is an Estonian botanist. He was born in Tallinn.He has been associated with the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany in Estonia since 1991.-External links:*...

, Ülle Kukk

Ülle Kukk

Ülle Kukk is an Estonian botanist and conservationist.-Education and Career:She was born in Tartu and graduated from the University of Tartu in 1960...

, Kalevi Kull

Kalevi Kull

Kalevi Kull is an eminent biosemiotics professor at the University of Tartu, Estonia.He was the president of the Estonian Naturalists' Society in 1991–1994.Ecologist Olevi Kull was his younger brother.-Publications:...

, Olevi Kull

Olevi Kull

Olevi Kull was an Estonian professor at the University of Tartu known for his contribution to ecology...

, Tiiu Kull

Tiiu Kull

Tiiu Kull is an Estonian botanist. She specialises in the study of population dynamics in plant species and has published an extensive number of papers on the subject...

, Eerik Kumari

Eerik Kumari

Eerik Kumari was a doctor of biology, the founder of ornithology and nature conservation in Estonia, the learned director of the Institute of Zoology and Botany at the Estonian Academy of Sciences during 1952-1977...

, Vilma Kuusk, Liivia Laasimer

Liivia Laasimer

Liivia-Maria Laaismer was an Estonian botanist.She was born in and died in Tartu. She was affiliated with the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany in Estonia under which she published numerous papers, and was also associated with the botanical institute in Lithuania and biological institute...

, Malle Leht, Aime Mäemets

Aime Mäemets

Aime Mäemets was an Estonian botanist and hydrobiologist. He conducted considerable research into Lake Peipsi and was known for his study of Macrophytes.She finished University of Tartu in 1954...

, Ingmar Ott

Ingmar Ott

Ingmar Ott is an Estonian botanist from Tartu.In 1984, he became affiliated with the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany.-External links:*...

, Erast Parmasto

Erast Parmasto

Erast Parmasto is a noted Estonian mycologist, bioscientist and botanist . He became a member of the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany in 1950 and served as its director from 1985-1990...

, Kaljo Pork

Kaljo Pork

Kaljo Pork was an Estonian botanist.He was affiliated with the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany between 1952 and his death in 1981....

, Haide-Ene Rebassoo

Haide-Ene Rebassoo

Haide-Ene Rebassoo is an Estonian botanist. She was born in Tallinn.She was affiliated with the Zooloogia ja Botaanika Instituut from 1960–1979 and 1983–1993...

, et al.

Directors

• Harald Haberman (1947–1977),
• Kalju Paaver (1977–1985),
• Erast Parmasto
  Erast Parmasto
  Erast Parmasto is a noted Estonian mycologist, bioscientist and botanist . He became a member of the Estonian Institute of Zoology and Botany in 1950 and served as its director from 1985-1990...
  
   (1985–1990),
• Andres Koppel (1990–1996),
• Urmas Tartes (1996–2004).