NATIONAL PARKS

Bialowieza Forest

Natural Treasures of Europe

GDAŃSK

This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the views only of the authors. The Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained herein.

Bialowieza Forest Białowieża Forest is a preserved natural forest

that straddles the border between two countries, Belarus and Poland. It is located 70 km north of Brest and 62 km southeast of Białystok. It is one of the last and largest remaining immense primeval forest that once stretched across the European Plain. There is a border crossing for hikers and cyclists within Białowieża Forest. Bialowieza National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO list in 1979. In the park there are no major lakes or rivers.

Białowieski Park Narodowy

Flora

Bialowieza Forest is one of the best preserved natural forests in Europe. More than two thirds of the park is covered by deciduous forests. The largest area is covered by oak forests, which grows on the best soils of the forest. In flooded areas, alder and ash are very common trees. In dry areas coniferous and mixed forests grow. Overall, Flora Park has more than 1,000 species of plants, including 728 species of vascular plants (vascular plants) and 277 species of lichens.

Dead wood

Bialowieza National Park is characterized by a large amount of dead wood. Under tight security, it occupies about 25% of all trees. With the decomposition of dead stumps, the soil returns valuable nutritional substances and fertilizes. In addition, dead wood becomes a habitat for a myriad of fungi, bacteria and invertebrates. Many of them are species threatened with extinction, absent elsewhere in Europe.

Fauna

Bialowieza Forest is a habitat for large numbers of animals. You can find both vertebrates and Invertebrates. Bialowieza Forest is the only place in Poland and Belarus, that you can meet the bison. There are more than 12,000 species of animals found in the Bialowieza Forest.

Tourism

The Bialowieza National Park each year is visited by about 140 000 tourists. The most common places that are visited by tourists are a museum of the Federal Reserve Bank and reserve of Bison. The Protection Hwoźna has two walking and cycling trails, the length of 6.5 km and 11.5 km. In valley Narewka a tower was built to observe the animals.

Sources:

• http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Białowieski_Park_Narodowy

• http://www.bpn.com.pl/

• http://www.drzewa.puszcza-bialowieska.eu/

XX Secondary School in Gdańsk, Poland

Supervision: Marzena Chomziuk

Consultation: Beata Piełowska

Authors: Joanna Litwinska, Natalia Dymkowska, Karolina Melkumova