Nature studies

From the very beginning of the Bureau of Forest Management and Geodesy (abbreviated to BULiGL in Polish), the main subject of all studies has been the forest with all its natural wealth. Initially, nature was rather the background for forest management. As the mechanisms of ecosystems have been better learned and the awareness of decision-makers and political elites in this area is increasing, the research of nature has become the basis for economic plans.

The nature conservation programme has become an integral part of forest management plans since 1996. It comprehensively presents the issues of nature protection within the territorial scope of a Forest District's activity. It describes existing forms of nature conservation, and objects designed for protection, and also indicates valuable natural areas. Furthermore, it presents forms of degeneration of forest ecosystems, such as monotypic forests, pinetisation, and neophytisation. It also points to the risks posed by industry and investments. It contains an action plan for nature protection, as well as the map and photographic documentation.

In 1995, at the request of the then Ministry of Environmental Protection, Natural Resources and Forestry, BULiGL developed the document ‘Target network of nature reserves on the land of the State Forests’.

 

The Bureau also develops conservation plans for reserves, landscape parks, and national parks. For the Bureau, the creation of Natura 2000 areas means broadening the scope of research this institution has dealt with for many years.

In 2004, at the request of the Department of Nature Conservation of the Ministry of the Environment, the ‘Text and graphic elaboration of survey maps of Forest Districts, illustrating the location of natural habitats listed in the Habitats Directive’ was carried out. The aim of the study was to indicate the locations of forest natural habitats specified in the Annex to the Habitats Directive corresponding to forest habitat types, on the basis of a computer database in order to detail the entries in the standard data forms of Natura 2000 areas and for possible correction of the boundaries of these areas.

In 2007, at the request of the State Forests, the ‘National inventory of natural habitats and species in the aspect of the Natura 2000 network in Poland’ was carried out. The substantial scope of the task included:

• conducting an inventory of natural habitats, animal and plant species;
• conducting an inventory of bird species;
• drawing up information layers in the form of SHP files according to the National Geodetic Coordinate System 1992 (abbreviated in Polish to PUWG 1992) (point, polygon, and line layers) on an electronic medium;
• developing a report in text and an electronic version of the finished inventories.

In 2008, BULiGL made an inventory of birds in 17 areas proposed for protection under the Natura 2000 network. As a result of the involvement of many leading ornithologists who specialize in field recognition of species, and the use of modern GIS techniques, a study was created that could serve as a model for other works of this type. Based on the experience from previous years, in 2010 the Bureau won a tender organized by the General Directorate for Environmental Protection (abbreviated in Polish to GDOŚ) for the inventory of birds in the next four Natura 2000 areas, namely in the Augustów Forest, the Sandomierz Forest, the Notecka Forest, and the Lębork Forests.

Also, the year 2011 saw an ornithological inventory in subsequent Natura 2000 areas, as a result of winning tenders organized by GDOŚ. We examined the occurrence of birds in another six Natura 2000 areas: the Darżlubska Forest, Puck Bay, the Vistula Estuary, the Borecka Forest, Dobskie Lake, the Orzysz Military Ground Refuge.

Another interesting subject is the inventory of the planned Natura 2000 Dolina Przysowy and Słudwii site – this was commissioned as a result of winning a tender announced by the General Directorate for National Roads and Motorways

The scope of work presented above includes, in addition to the basic inventory of breeding birds, also locating and defining threats, proposals for boundary changes, a draft methodology for monitoring objects of protection, and preparation of a draft updated standardized data form (SDF). 

In 2012, an ornithological inventory was carried out in three Natura 2000 areas: the Napiwodzko-Ramucka Forest, the Grądy Odrzańskie, and Mietkowski Reservoir.

In 2009, a large-scale strategic assessment of forest management plans’ impact on the environment was started, the most important part of which was the forecast of such impact in the future. The reports on various undertakings' impact on the environment are also prepared.

This year, a number of studies on protection task plan for Natura 2000 sites were also launched.

One of the most interesting works carried out in 2014 is ‘Trapping and inventory of speckled ground squirrel in Natura 2000 areas; Popówka, Suśle Wzgórza, Gliniska, Hubale’ implemented by the Branch in Lublin on behalf of Regional Directorate for Environment Protection.

The Bureau, in a consortium of five companies, took part in the ‘Monitoring of species and natural habitats with particular emphasis on special areas of conservation Natura 2000 in the years 2015-2018 in the field of natural habitats 2016-2018’. The monitoring was carried out on 1281 test rigs of the General Inspectorate for Environment Protection monitoring network.

The full list of nature documents and papers prepared by the Bureau can be found here.