The first thing that strikes a visitor on seeing
the Białowieża Forest is the terrific size of the old trees. They
are twice as tall and twice as thick as those in other European
forests. How in this day and age, have the Białowieża trees managed
to reach these grandiose proportions? The reason is, that the
Białowieża Forest was reserved as a hunting ground for the Polish
kings, already in the XV century. The royal forest service, over
200 officials, were settled on the outskirts of the Forest to
protect it. Whereas the rest of Europe started turning wild primeval
forests into commercial enterprises 200 years ago. Large-scale
logging operations in Białowieża only began during the first World
War, under German occupation. Unfortunately, the situation has
been deteriorating drastically over the last 80 years. Exploitation
is rapidly transforming the Białowieża Forest into yet another
modem commercial forest.
Only here and there has Nature been preserved in
her original form. This last vestige of the Europe- an primeval
forest must be preserved at all costs. Once destroyed, the natural
forest can never be restored.
The Białowieża Forest covers an area of 1500 sq.
km, of which 40% is in Poland and the rest in Belarus. The Polish
part is home to 62 mammalian species, the most famous being the
European bison. Thanks to persistent efforts to save this species
from extinction, today there are about 260 individuals playing
their role as a natural factor of the forest environment. Białowieża
is the last European lowland forest where a complete food- chain
functions without human intervention. Wolves kill about 600 red
deer a year, with no danger to the survival of the total population.
The bird community counts 177 nesting species, among which 107
are specifically forest species. By comparison there are only
75 forest species in the whole of Great Britain.
Logging constitutes a mortal threat to several of
the Biatowicża bird species whose existence depends on the conservation
of very large surfaces of old-growths. One breeding pair of white-backed
woodpeckers require a territory of 1- 1,5 sq. km. Logging and
hunting have already led to the extinction of the capercaillie
in the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest.
As in other land ecosystems, insects play an enormous
role in the life of the Białowieża Forest. This group is estimated
at10,000 species. Among these arc species associated with very
old and thick trees, for instance, the ultra rare long-homed beetle
Stictoleptura varricornis. For some species this forest is the
only refuge in Europe and any changes in the character of the
forest caused by commercial forest management can lead to the
irreversible loss of many insects and other species. Nature reserves
and parks form only 2% of woodland in Po- land. The Polish part
of the Białowieża Forest is a mere 0.7% of all Polish forests.
Yet, logging is still carried out in over 80% of the Białowieża
Forest.
All official authorities of the Polish Nature Conservancy
and relevant parliamentary commissions urgently point to the need
to protect the whole area, and 300,000 letters of protest have
been sent by concerned citizens to the Polish government. Sadly,
these demands have been met with strong opposition on the part
of officials representing the logging lobby, who insist that Poland
cannot afford to give up timber production in the Białowieża Forest.
Although the Forestry Administration claim that they can reconcile
timber production with na- ture protection, the transformation
of Białowieża Forest over the past 20 to 30 years is irrefutable
proof that natural forests cannot provide profitable timber production.
The Białowieża Forest Protection Society, formed
in Poland in October 1995, wants to persuade the Polish government,
first, to decree an immediate ban on timber-cutting in all areas
of natural and semi-natural character in the Forest and to declare
the whole part of the Polish Białowieża Forest a National Park.
Such protection would make possible the continuation of natural
processes in the hitherto undisturbed portions of the Forest and
allow the undertaking of suitable action to initiate restorative
processes in the remainder.
However the Białowieża Forest is not the responsibility
of the Polish government alone. Negotiations on common policy
will obviously have to be undertaken with the Belarus government.
Not only that. One of these days Poland will enter the European
Union. When that happens, it will become clear to us that the
Bialowieża Forest belongs not only to Poland but to all of Europe.
It is up to us, Europeans, to take care of it. Let us preserve
this unique treasure for the good of our continent and indeed
for the good of our whole planet.
If, after reading the above manifesto, you are convinced
that the Białowieża Forest is a natural treasure of the world
and as such belongs to all peoples, please write a letter of protest
(the pattern included) to Mr A. Kwaśniewski, the President of
the Polish Republic or to Mr W. Cimoszewicz, the Prime Minister.
The Coalition for the Białowieża Forest Protection
The Coalition for the Białowieża Forest Protection
claims an:
TOPB co-ordinates the action of the Coalition for
the Białowieża Forest Protection, enrolling major ecological NGOs in Poland.
Although the Forestry Administration claim that they
can reconcile timber production with Nature protection, the transformation
of Bialowieża Forest over the past 20-30 years is irrefutable
proof that natural forests cannot provide profitable timber production
without having lost its naturalness.
To save Białowieża forest it is necessary to protect
the whole area in the best possible form. According to the Polish
law, the best form of nature protection is granted to areas declared
as national parks. All human activities within the national parks
have to be subordinated to the demands of nature conservation.
The national park covering the whole Polish part of Bialowieża
Forest will secure the continuation of natural processes ongoing
in all remnants of natural communities and will allow the undertaking
of suitable activities in order to initiate and accelerate restorative
processes in stands disturbed by man.
Poland - forests (in hectares)
| All Polish forests: | 8,586,000.00 (28 % of Poland's area) |
| Forest nature reserves and national parks: | 213,719.4 (28 % of forest area) |
| Strict forest reserves: | 53,011.00 (28 % of forest area) |
Bialowieża Forest area (in hectares)
| The whole Bialowieża Forest (BF): | 150,582.00 |
| Polish part of BF: | 63,219.00 (0.7% of Polish forest area) |
| Belarussian part: | 87,363.00 (since 1991 State NP) |
| Bialowieża National Park (BNP): | 10,501.95 (16.6% of the Polish part) |
| 20 nature reserves outside BNP: | 3,445.76 (5.4% of the Polish part) |
| 90 protection zones around the nests of raptors and black storks: | 1,130.40 (1.8% of the Polish part) |
| Area under different kinds of protection: | 15,078.11 (23.8% of the Polish part) |
| Area under strict protection in the Polish p: | ca. 48 km2 (7.6% of the Polish part) |
| Area under strict protection in the Belarussian part: | ca. 157 km2 (18% of the Belarussian part) |
Basic forest inventory data (1989-1991)
| ||
| Average age of treestands [yrs] | ||
| Timber stand volume [m3/ha] | ||
| Annual increment [m3/ha] |
Species richness of BF (Polish part only)
| number of species | |
| Vascular plants | ca. 1,000 |
| Bryophytes | 254 |
| Lichens | 334 |
| Fungi | ca.4,000 |
| Trees | 26 |
| Shrubs | 55 |
| Mammals | 62 (with ca.260 bison) |
| Birds | 228 |
| Reptiles | 7 |
| Amphibians | 12 |
| Insects | ca.10,000 |
| Types of natural communities | 25 |
| Types of forest communities | 16 |
According to the available data, stands of over 100 years-old, occupy 20-30% of the area of
the Polish part of the BF (sec the map).
Because there was no regular logging in the Forest before 1915, the remaining old-growths
should be recognised as natural or semi-natural (if moderately disturbed through selective
cuttings) portions of the BF.
Investigations carried out in BNP shows that in natural forests, the young phase occupy 20-
35%, optimal phase 35-45%, and terminal phase 20-30% of the natural
forest area.
In order to protect the exceptional character of Białowieża Forest, and restore natural
balance and dynamics of the whole Białowieża Forest, all the remaining oldgrowths should
be unconditionally preserved.