Regeneration of Tilio-Carpinetum hornbeam forest [Tracz. 1962] as a follow-up of forest utilisation in the Bialowieza National Park

The article presents a hypothetical history of a stand and the occurring changes resulting from the on−going regeneration processes in the Tilio−Carpinetum hornbeam community following the past forms of forest utilisation. The anthropogenic destruction of stands took place most probably at the end of the 18th century. The regeneration process started at the beginning of the 19th century had led to the appearance of a spruce stand which disappeared in the middle of the 20th century. A lime−spruce−hornbeam stand was formed in its place. Since over 70 years, the regeneration process has been continuing under strict protection regime

Changes of herb layer vegetation during the period 1959-2016 on the permanent study plot in the compartment 319 of Bialowieza National Park

Changes in the herbaceous layer (vascular plants), taking place between 1959 and 2016 on the permanent study plot in the compartment 319 of the Strict Reserve in the Białowieża National Park are presented. Zaręba [1972] presented phytosociological research carried out in 1959 on the 1.2 ha plot. The author established 10 relevés (size between 100 and 400 m2), in which in total 91 different species of vascular plants were noted. In 2016, the similar study was conducted, using slightly modified methods (the inventory of plants involved the total area of the study plot). The comparison of data recorded during both investigations revealed that the total number of plant species declined from the initial 91 to current 83. During the ca. 60−year long period, 43 plant species disappeared completely and were replaced by 35 new species. In the declining group, almost the half (20) were species important from the point of view of nature conservation, including four Red List species (Arnica montana, Goodyera repens, Lathyrus laevigatus, Trolius europaeus), 10 plant species protected by law, and several other precious species related to rare and declining woodland community types. The obtained results confirm the findings of other authors describing unfavourable changes in the flora of the Białowieża Forest during the past several tens of years. The floristic richness is an important part of the overall biodiversity of Białowieża Forest. It appears that strict protection does not secure the maintenance of this key component. Thus, an attempt to preserve diverse values of Białowieża Forest on a sustainable basis should, first of all, look for a proper balance between strict and active protection. The later can (and should) be integrated within the multifunctional forest management, conducted on the prevailing area of the Białowieża Forest

Changes of woodland plant communities during the period 1959-2016 on the permanent study plot in the compartment 319 of the Bialowieza National Park

The long−term changes of vegetation cover at the level of woodland community taking place between 1959 and 2016 on the permanent study plot located in the compartment 319 of Białowieża National Park are discussed. In 1959 two distinctive woodland community types occurring on sample plot were distinguished: subboreal mixed pine−oak forest (Serratulo−Pinetum) and hornbeam−lime forest (Tilio−Carpinetum). The phytosociological investigations, carried out almost 60 years later, revealed that in case of both communities, significant, directional changes of their floristic composition took place. Particularly high rate of change occurred in case of the phytocoenosis representing the Serratulo−Pinetum community. In 1959 it contained a full set of characteristic plant species. During the study period, this community type representing the Vaccinio−Piceetea class, was replaced by the initial form of lime−hornbeam forest belonging to the Querco−Fagetea class. Also, in case of the previous Tilio−Carpinetum association, the significant changes in the floristic composition occurred, although not as large as in case of Serratulo−Pinetum community. 60 years ago this community type contained several plant species typical for thermophilous oak forests. Nowadays, it represents a typical form of lime−hornbeam association. The changes in both community types were mainly related to the strong expansion of lime and hornbeam, which took place during the study period and involved the whole study plot. As a result, the vegetation occurring on the study plot is much more homogenous now than it was ca. 60 years ago. The maintenance of Serratulo−Pinetum phytocoenoses distinguished by a high floristic diversity calls for active protective measures in all cases where such measures are allowed and where this community type can potentially develop

Threatened tree species of the Bialowieza National Park (the Strict Reserve)

An assessment of the current dynamic status of tree species occurring in the Strict Reserve of the Białowieża National Park is presented. On the basis of long−term trends and analysis of large−scale inventory data, the three major groups of trees are distinguished: 1) ‘safe’ group, containing hornbeam and lime, 2) ‘presently safe, but declining in a long−term run’ group, involving spruce, birch and alder, and 3) ‘threatened and highly threatened’ group, consisting of oak, pine, ash, maple, elm and aspen

Pollen productivity estimates from old-growth forest strongly differ from those obtained in cultural landscapes: Evidence from the Białowieża National Park, Poland

Pollen productivity estimates of individual plant taxa are necessary when determining changes of vegetation cover during the Holocene. To date, studies describing this parameter in lowland temperate Europe have been carried out in cultural landscapes showing low forest cover and dominated by human activities. However, these may be of limited use when applied to reconstruct past land cover, for instance, from pre-agricultural landscapes. The aim of this paper is to ascertain whether pollen productivity from the closed-canopy old-growth forest in the Białowieża National Park, Poland, where human impact has been minimal for nearly a century, is different from that calculated in much more open landscapes. We ask: how much does forest antiquity and structure influence the amount of pollen released from particular taxa? We implemented maximum likelihood estimation of relative pollen productivity for seven tree species and for Poaceae using 18 modern pollen assemblages and distance-weighted plant abundances. Our results demonstrate that the ratio of pollen productivity between high producers (Pinus sylvestris and Quercus robur) and low producers (Poaceae, Corylus avellana) is on an average six times greater in Białowieża than across other European cultural landscapes. Pollen from forest Poaceae and C. avellana is six times more under-represented in old-growth forest than hitherto estimated from cultural landscapes. This finding reinforces the idea that pollen productivity can vary in response to changes in the prevailing environmental settings and we present for the first time a quantification of this variability, likely induced by differences in light availability