Vegetation in Poland. The importance of forests
what a soil forming process is and how it goes;
what the relation between soil, vegetation and climate zones are.
notice the relation between the type of soil and the type of vegetation;
list types of plant communities in Poland;
estimate the economic importance of soils and forests in Poland;
describe the diversity of the percentage of forest in Poland based on the map.
Look at the photograph below. Arrange the jigsaw and answer the question: what species of trees can you see in the photograph?
Vegetation in Poland
In warm climates of the temperate zone, the natural vegetation consists of deciduous forests, which grow mainly on brown soils. Towards the north, deciduous forests gradually shift into mixed forests and then into coniferous forests. These, on the other hand, grow on weak albeluvisols and alfisoils. In Poland, there are mutual relations between climate, soils and vegetation.
Depending on the natural environment of forming and the dominating tree species, the types of forest sites in Poland were designated:
a
needleleaf forest
A coniferous forest with a small mixture of deciduous trees. It is dominated by pine, also including spruce, oak, birch, fir; it grows mostly on weak soils, practically all over the country - currently it makes up (mainly due to artificial planting) about 70% of all Polish forests; the largest complexes are Tuchola Forest, Lublin Forest, Lower Silesian Wilderness, Stobrawa Forest, Solska Wilderness, Pisz Forest, Drawsko Forest.
broadleaf forest
A multi-species deciduous forest, (sometimes with a mixture of fir or larch); the main tree species are hornbeam and oak (in oakwood), besides beech (in beechwood), birch (in birchwood), maple, aspen, rowan; It grows on good, generally moist brown soils; it covers approx. 8% of the forest area; occurs in small complexes, mainly in the Pomeranian Lake District, the Masurian Lake District and the Małopolska Upland.
riparian forest
A multi-species deciduous forest formed in a humid environment, mostly in river valleys. The most common trees is willow, poplar, ash, elm, oak, alder. It is characterized by a very rich forest pile with fertile brown soils, black bog soils or alluvial soils; riparian forests have been preserved on small areas in the Odra and Vistula valleys, as well as in Żuławy Wiślane; they have been under protection.
alder forest
A deciduous forest with the dominance of black alder, along with birch, ash, willow. It is formed near stagnant water, usually in swamps and mires; it can be found in the wilderness of the Masurian Lake District.
Performing the following exercise will allow you to organize the acquired knowledge.
Meadows and pastures are areas permanently covered with dense grassy vegetation. Their occurrence is more or less even throughout the country. The largest complexes of meadows are in Masuria and Polesie and in Urstromtäler. The vast majority of them were artificially created in places of forest clearance. As natural vegetation, meadows have been preserved only in the mountains, above the forest border, e.g. halls in the Tatra Mountains or połoninas in the Bieszczady Mountains.
Fields are artificial plant communities that arise as a result of a human activity. They are a significant component of Polish vegetation, as they occupy over 45% of the country's area. Their types depend not only on human activities, but also on natural conditions - mostly on the quality of soils, and also on water and climate.
In cities and other settlements, humans create urban greening (parks, gardens, squares, lawns, etc.).
The importance of forests
Forests occupy about 30% of Poland. This is an average value for European conditions – there are more and less forested countries. Afforestation rate is the rate of the forest area in the total area of the country, province, etc.
Locate and analize the map in the e‑textbook presents the percentage share of forests in the total area of poviats in Poland.
The forest is a plant formation consisting of a layer of groundcover, understory and trees. It is a large plant community, at the same time being a living habitat for many animals and other organisms. The forest plays an important role in human’s live – e.g. supplies wood, mushrooms and forest fruits.
Wood harvesting is the largest benefit from the forest for the economy. Today wood is mainly used for the production of paper and furniture, and still in construction. For all these purposes, large forest areas were cut down until they were less than 30%. It was not until the 1990s that more care was taken for Polish forests. Actions aimed at afforestation of new areas and renewal of impoverished stands have been undertaken on a large scale. As a result, despite the constantly growing wood harvesting, forest areas are gradually increasing. It is planned that by 2020, the afforestation rate will exceed 30% in Poland, and in 2050, it will amount to 33%.
Using the knowledge from the lessons, perform the following exercises.
Match in pairs the forest habitat type with the corresponding description
A broadleaf deciduous forest, the main tree species is hornbeam and oak, also beech, birch, maple, aspen, rowan. It grows on good, generally moist brown soils., A multi-species deciduous forest formed in a humid environment, mostly in river valleys. The most common trees is willow, poplar, ash, elm, oak, alder. It is characterized by a very rich forest pile with fertile brown soils, black bog soils or alluvial soils., A coniferous forest with a small mixture of deciduous trees. It is dominated by pine, also including spruce, oak, birch, fir; it grows mostly on weak soils., A deciduous forest with the dominance of black alder, along with birch, ash, willow. It is formed near stagnant water, usually in swamps and mires.
| Needleleaf forest | |
| Broadleaf forest | |
| Riparian forest | |
| Alder forest |
On the basis of the information contained in the e-manual, link the state with its percentage share of forests.
11.8%, 0.3%, 68.5%, 41.5%, 31.1%, 29.4%
| Poland | |
| Finland | |
| Great Britain | |
| Belarus | |
| Germany | |
| Iceland |
Summary
The natural vegetation in Poland is mainly forests - deciduous, mixed and coniferous. Nowadays, coniferous forests predominate
Most forests cover north‑western Poland, and the least central Poland.
Other natural vegetation are mires and meadows. Artificial plant formations, i.e. created by humans, are fields and urban greening.
Wood harvesting has the greatest importance in forestry management.
In Poland, afforestation is gradually increasing every year.
Keywords
forest, needleleaf forest, deciduous forests, broadleaf forest, riparian forest, alder forest
Glossary
bór – las iglasty z niewielkimi domieszkami drzew liściastych; zdecydowanie dominuje w nim sosna, a ponadto występuje świerk, dąb, brzoza, jodła; rośnie przeważnie na słabych glebach bielicowych wytworzonych na piaskach polodowcowych
grąd – wielogatunkowy las liściasty, niekiedy z domieszką jodły lub modrzewia; główne gatunki drzew to grab i dąb (w dąbrowach), a poza tym buk (w buczynach), brzoza (w brzezinach), klon, osika, jarzębina; rośnie na dobrych, zazwyczaj wilgotnych glebach brunatnych;
łęg – wielogatunkowy las liściasty powstały w środowisku wilgotnym, najczęściej w dolinach rzek; składają się na niego wierzby, topole, jesiony, wiązy, dęby, olsze; cechuje się bardzo bogatym runem leśnym; w podłożu występują żyzne gleby brunatne, czarne ziemie bagienne lub mady
ols (olszyna) – las liściasty z dominacją olszy czarnej; oprócz niej występuje brzoza, jesion i wierzba; powstaje w środowisku wody stojącej, najczęściej na bagnach i torfowiskach
produktywność gleby – zdolność gleby do produkcji biomasy, czyli wydawania plonów