Nature conservation

he highest form of nature conservation in Poland is the national park. National parks are supervised directly by the Ministry of Climate and Environment. They have often been established in areas previously managed by foresters from the State Forests. In many cases, foresters themselves were among the initiators of their creation. Thanks to their efforts, these valuable natural areas can now be protected under a special conservation regime.

The following forms of nature conservation can be found in areas managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding:

Nature Reserves

Nature reserves are designated areas of exceptional natural value that have remained in a natural or only slightly altered state. Of the 1,501 nature reserves in Poland, the majority — 1,289 — are located on land managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding. Together, they cover an area of 124,800 hectares, including nearly 106,000 hectares of forest land.

Natural Monuments

Natural monuments are usually individual features of living or non-living nature of outstanding value. In forests, the most common natural monuments are the oldest and largest trees. In 2021, there were 11,711 natural monuments on land managed by the State Forests, including approximately 9,000 individual trees and 1,426 groups of trees.

Landscape Parks

Landscape parks are established in areas distinguished by exceptional natural, scenic and aesthetic values. Poland has 123 landscape parks covering a total area of 2.6 million hectares, of which more than 1.3 million hectares are located on land managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding.

Protection Zones

Protection zones are established to safeguard habitats and sites of plant and fungal species protected by law, as well as habitats, breeding sites and regular occurrence areas of protected animal species.

Within the State Forests, 3,893 protection zones have been designated around protected species, covering a total area of 172,939 hectares. More than 22% of this area is subject to year-round protection. These zones have been established to protect habitats of:

• birds — 3,749 zones,
• mammals — 4 zones,
• reptiles — 35 zones,
• insects — 24 zones,
• plants — 7 zones,
• lichens — 400 zones,
• other organisms — 1 zone.

Ecological Sites

Ecological sites are usually small natural areas or features, such as ponds, groups of trees and shrubs in agricultural landscapes, peat bogs, marshes and sand dunes. They are remnants of ecosystems that are important for maintaining biodiversity. Currently, more than 7,000 ecological sites covering over 30,000 hectares are located on land managed by the State Forests.

Species Protection

Species protection applies to the most valuable, unique and rare representatives of Poland’s flora, fauna and fungi. In Poland, strict protection covers:

• 715 plant species,
• 322 species of fungi and lichens,
• 799 animal species.

Approximately 65% of Poland’s wild plant and animal species are associated with forest ecosystems.

Conservation Initiatives of the State Forests

The State Forests National Forest Holding also undertakes its own conservation initiatives. These include helping selected plant and animal species return to areas where they have become locally extinct through reintroduction, as well as strengthening populations that are threatened with extinction through restoration programmes.

Examples include conservation programmes for trees and shrubs such as:

• European yew (Taxus baccata),
• Sudeten fir populations,
• wild service tree (Sorbus torminalis),

as well as bird species such as:

• black grouse,
• capercaillie.

The State Forests also play a key role in the conservation of the European bison. Approximately three-quarters of Poland’s bison population lives on land managed by the State Forests National Forest Holding and is cared for by foresters.