Bialowieza Forest: Status, Trends, Threats
Large parts of the forest now have national park and world heritage protection status, yet are still threatened by logging activities
Document created 13 September 2010, last updated 15 October 2010
Shared between Poland and Belarus, Bialowieza is the "largest area of natural lowland deciduous forest in Europe" (Wild Europe, link below). It contains "the last fragments in Europe of mixed deciduous temperate lowland forest with some traces of primeval forest and many very ancient trees" (UNEP-WCMC, link below).
It is also the last natural habitat of woodland bison in Europe.
The significance of the forest has long been recognized and national parks have been created on both sides of the border. Both are inscribed on the World Heritage list.
However large parts of the forest remain unprotected and, on both sides of the border, governments are actively sponsoring damaging activities there. In Belarus "the greatest present danger to the forest comes from large-scale government-sponsored commercial logging, which is intensifying its fragmentation". In Poland "large-scale commercial logging both government-sponsored and illegal, in the surrounding old-growth forest, and its conversion to conifer plantations, are also the main present threats to the Polish part of the forest" (both from UNEP-WCMC).
As reported in Terra Daily (link below), conservationists "have focused their energies on the battle to expand the designated national park area to cover the entire Polish part of the forest". As cited in Wild Europe (link below) this is seen by many, including various stakeholder groups, as the best way to secure the forest's future.
Links to external websites:
[wb1] Terra Daily - 12 Sep 10 - Logging spells danger for Europe's last primeval forest - Deep in the forest, along a dirt road off-limits to tourists, the trunks of centuries-old fir trees lie waiting to be hauled to a sawmill -- felled giants from Europe's last primeval fo
[wb2] Wild Europe - in International Journal of Wilderness, December 2002: Bialowieza Natural Forest - The largest area of natural lowland deciduous forest in Europe
[wb3] UNEP-WCMC - Jan 09 - World Heritage Sites: BELOVEZHSKAYA PUSHCHA / BIAŁOWIEżA FOREST BELARUS AND POLAND
[wb4] Trees of Bialowieza National Park - The Białowieża National Park is the biggest tree cluster with the monumental sizes in Europe. Along with Janusz we created this website to bring that beautiful place closer to all those people who are not indifferent to the beauty of natur
[wb5] Inter Press Service - 14 Oct 10 - Woods Are Lovely, Dark and Disappearing - According to environmental NGOs and scientists, the forest is on the verge of ultimate devastation at the hands of the state foresters and the timber industry
Comments
No comment available for this document