17PTAKI LAK I MOKRADEL POLSKI.pdf

Summary
I. Introduction
1. Project objectives
The wetlands and wet meadows in river valleys cover more than 13% of the surface
of Poland. Many of them compose very rich habitats for flora and fauna species. From
the nature protection point of view these areas have national and international
importance.
Since 1990, in the framework of Polish-Dutch cooperation, a project was started by
the Institute for Grassland Management and Land Reclamation (IMUZ) to inventorize
and evaluate wetlands and grasslands in Poland. Within the first three years botanical
inventory and evaluation was conducted. In 1994, the Foundation IUCN Poland
started a supplementary project to evaluate ornithological values and importance of
these areas.
The Netherlands, similarly to other West European countries, has faced process of
negative changes in the environment due to heavy intensification of agricultural
production. On contrary, in Poland due to certain underdevelopment in agriculture
many high nature value areas still exist. Such areas existed in western countries 30-50
ago.
The overall objective of the project was to evaluate the areas being subject to the
botanical valorisation upon ornithological importance and to precisely identify birds
habitats and species structure, so far known as result of casual observations.
Additionally, the project aimed at identifying existing and potential treats to avifauna
as well as measures to prevent the areas from the threats.
The results of the project give also a picture of flora of these outstanding areas,
characteristic for central Europe.
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