Effects of Forestry Transformation on the Landscape Level of Biodiversity in Poland’s Forests

Ewa Referowska-Chodak,Bożena Kornatowska

doi:10.3390/f12121682

Ewa Referowska-Chodak, Bożena Kornatowska

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/f12121682

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Abstract

At all times, historical, political, economic, and social factors have affected the management of forests, with direct and indirect effects on the landscape. This study aimed to trace the impact of Poland’s forestry evolution over the last 75 years (1945–2020) on forest biodiversity at the landscape level. Five indicators were selected (forest area, forest fragmentation, protected forests, protective forests, harvesting intensity) to identify directions and dynamics of changes of the forest landscape and their determinants and repercussions. In addition, there were determined forest landscapes threats and recommendations for further action and intervention were formulated. The study period embraced two eras of widely divergent political-economic conditions in Poland (socialism and democracy). In the socialism era (1945–1989), there promptly increased total forest cover, wood resources (total growing stock) and the total area of protective forests (essential for safeguarding biodiversity, including the landscape level). In the era of democracy (1990–2020), average growing stock density increased intensely, and at the same time, a greater emphasis was put on reducing forest fragmentation and clear-cut logging. The results obtained showed equal average increase in the area of protected forests in both eras under the study (most intense at their crossing point). In view of the protection of biodiversity at the forest landscape level, the changes throughout the study period were considered positive, although not without problems and challenging consequences for foresters. The determined pressures to the forest landscapes, requiring legal, political, or financial solutions, include a risk of alteration of the ownership structure of Poland’s forests or possibility of operational changes in the State Forests National Forest Holding; outdated forest policies; organizational difficulties in the forest landscape protection; insufficient conservation funding; uneven distribution and further fragmentation of forests; and—last but not least—climate change impacts, including extreme weather events and droughts.

Highlights

Forests play an exceptional role in maintaining biodiversity [1], including that at the landscape level
For the purpose of the present study, the influence of forest management evolution in Poland, especially in forests managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding, on forest biodiversity at the landscape level was based on selected indicators that relate to different levels of forest biodiversity, and especially to that at the landscape level
The present study focused on analyzing the effects of forest management evolution in state-owned forests (SF), mainly due to easier access to reliable information and data, as well as the homogeneity of forest management objectives pursued at a large spatial scale

Summary

Introduction

Forests play an exceptional role in maintaining biodiversity [1], including that at the landscape level. Fulfillment of this function has always been affected by the way of forests management (e.g., [2]), reliant upon inevitably changing historical, political, economic, and social conditions. Forest management has been reflected in functioning and diversity of forests and their role in shaping the landscape. A comprehensive analysis of these relationships, carried out in consideration of conceivable conflicts, the long-term perspective and large spatial scale, can be a source of insights and inspirations—useful for forest management improvement, within boundaries of a given country, and at a level of, e.g., the continent. The present study attempted to depict these issues by the example of Poland (Central Europe—Figure 1).

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