Abstract
The current nature of forest management in Poland reflects its history and more than 100 years of economic activity affecting forests since independence in 1918. Before that time, different forest management models were used, related to the nature of the Prussian economy in the north of the country, the Russian economy in the central-eastern part, and the Austrian economy in south-eastern Poland. The consequence of these management models, as well as the differing climate zones in which they were used, resulted in varied forest health. Since the end of World War II, forest coverage within Poland‘s new borders has increased from 20.8% to currently 29.6%, mainly as a result of afforestation of wastelands and former agricultural lands. This paper describes changes in the health of forests and their biological diversity in Poland in the context of weather extremes, species composition, forest management, the forest industry, and damage from insects and pathogenic fungi over the last 30 years.
Highlights
IntroductionIn order to assess and understand the reasons for the present state of Poland’s forests, it is important to be aware of the historical conditions in which forest management in Poland was shaped
In order to assess and understand the reasons for the present state of Poland’s forests, it is important to be aware of the historical conditions in which forest management in Poland was shaped.Historical changes in the management of forests, their location, and vegetation variability were important predisposing factors leading to declining forest health in Poland and other parts of CentralEurope in the 1970s. [1]
In addition to harvesting by the forest industry, including logging by neighboring countries, Polish forests have been subjected to droughts, hurricanes, fires, fungal diseases, and dieback caused by atmospheric pollution [5,10]
Summary
In order to assess and understand the reasons for the present state of Poland’s forests, it is important to be aware of the historical conditions in which forest management in Poland was shaped. Kingdom of Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania were, at different times, divided between three neighboring countries – Germany in the west (with Prussia in the north-east), Austria-Hungary in the south-east, and Russia in the central and eastern areas [2]. This split impacted forest policy, forest management, and stand protection up until Polish independence in 1918
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