NATURA 2000 NETWORK OF NATURE PROTECTION AREAS

Natura 2000 is the main tool of protection of biological diversity in Europenian Union territory. Its creation dates back to 1992 however Poland joined the network of created in May 2004, along with joining EU. Natura 2000 is a network of areas created for protection, preservation and restoration of ecosystems, species and their natural habitats. The protection sites are selected by strictly following specific scientific criteria, according to two directives : Habitat Criterion and Bird Criterion. NATURA 2000 – HISTORY AND GOALS

Currently, Natura 2000 covers about 18% of land mass in EU countries (about 787,000 km 2 as of 2013) and the process of designating new areas is considered to be almost complete. In 2013, additional 251,564 km 2 have been added to the registry in water environment. The network in marine areas is not yet complete and it is a key challenge for biodiversity policy in the coming years. NATURA 2000 AREAS

NATURA 2000 IN POLAND Preparations for introducing Natura 2000 network began in the late nineties of the 20th century. The effort started with the creation of preliminary analysis of natural habitats and species which were not previously present in any European territories, but required protection. In 2001, a document containing the preliminary identification and description of new areas, called ”The concept” of the Natura 2000 network in Poland” was created.

NATURA 2000 AREAS IN POLAND DOCUMENTATIONAL STATIONS LANDSCAPE PARKS NATURA 2000 – HABITAT AREAS NATIONAL PARKS NATURE AND LANDSCAPE NATURA 2000 – BIRD AREAS RESERVES AREA OF PROTECTED SITES IN SELECTED PROVINCES

EXAMPLES OF NATURA 2000 AREAS IN PROVINCE MALOPOLSKA MAŁE PIENINY AREA CODE PLH FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF HABITAT PROTECTION (HABITATS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 1875,9 ha PROTECTION GOAL The basic goal of the protection of this area is to maintain the surface and structure of various habitats, which are crucial to many species of flora and fauna, especially bats. GORCE AREA CODE PLB FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF BIRD PROTECTION (BIRDS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 6824,9 ha PROTECTION GOAL The basic goal of the protection of this area is to maintain bird habitats and heavily forested „character” of the area, and to preserve endangered species of birds that live in the area.

EXAMPLES OF NATURA 2000 AREAS IN PROVINCE WARMINSKO-MAZURSKIE PUSZCZA ROMINCKA AREA CODE PLH FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF HABITAT PROTECTION (HABITATS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 14754,3 ha PROTECTION GOAL The basic goal of the protectiopn of this area is preservation of forest and peatbog habitats and species of flora and fauna. This is the most important area of occurance of spruce woods on peatbog in Poland, along with Puszcza Augustowska. BAGNA NIETLICKIE AREA CODE PLB FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF BIRD PROTECTION (BIRDS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 4080,8 ha PROTECTION GOAL The basic goal of the protection of this area is to protect bird migration routes and a rare and delicate marsh ecosystem.

EXAMPLES OF NATURA 2000 AREAS IN PROVINCE PODLASKIE PUSZCZA BIAŁOWIESKA AREA CODE PLC FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF HABITAT PROTECTION (HABITATS DIRECTIVE) and SPECIAL AREA OF BIRD PROTECTION (BIRDS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 63147,6 ha PROTECTION GOAL It is a valuable place where we can find almost 240 species of birds and species of all animals. The most famous is aurochs which is well known in the whole Europe.So the goal of protecion in this area is to maintain unique flora and fauna. PUSZCZA KNYSZYŃSKA AREA CODE PLB FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF BIRD PROTECTION (BIRDS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE ,2 ha PROTECTION GOAL The basic goal of the protecion of this area is to protect 38 species of birds. There we can find black storks and also owls and woodpeckers

EXAMPLES OF NATURA 2000 AREAS IN PROVINCE LUBELSKIE ZACHODNIOWOŁYŃSKA DOLINA BUGU AREA CODE PLH FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF HABITAT PROTECTION (HABITATS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 1556,1 ha PROTECTION GOAL The basic goal of the protecion of this area is to protect natural habitats ( exactly meadows and pastures ) of 176 species of insects and also species of animals such as white stork and European beaver. DOLNY WIEPRZ AREA CODE PLH FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF HABITAT PROTECTION (HABITATS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 8182,3 ha PROTECTION GOAL The basic goal of the protection of this area is to protect wetland habitats. We can find there water-mud birds there. This area has picturesque landscapes.

EXAMPLES OF NATURA 2000 AREAS IN PROVINCE POMORSKIE Wielki Sandr Brdy AREA CODE PLB FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF BIRD PROTECTION (BIRDS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 37106,3 ha PROTECTION GOAL The general aim of the protecion of this area is to conserve more than 100 species of birds, e.g. woodpeckers, cranes, seagulls. Peat bogs which occur in this area are also protected. Bagna Izbickie AREA CODE PLH FORM OF PROTECTION WITHIN NATURA 2000 NETWORK SPECIAL AREA OF HABITAT PROTECTION (HABITATS DIRECTIVE) AREA SURFACE 786,4 ha PROTECTION GOAL The general goal of the protecion of this area is to protect unique plants such as European wax-myrtle.There we can see also e.g. ortolans.

Summation After the changes in 2012, the Natura 2000 in Poland occupies almost 20% of the land area of the country. It consists of 849 areas of Community importance (areas of "habitat" - the future Special Areas of Conservation) and 145 special protection areas for birds

THANK YOU FOR WATCHING ! This presentation was made by : Mikołaj Gil Bartosz Czeliński Oskar Rokita The students of XV High School in Cracow

SOURCES : Photo credits: Slide 1 - J.-H. Janßen via Wikipedia article Slide 2- Diffrent sources Slide 3- Diffrent sources Slide 4 – Cybinka.zielonagora.lasy.gov.pl Slide 5 – map – geoserwis.gov.pl, the graph was made by us Slide 6 – photo by Wojciech Mróz via Obszary.natura2000.org.pl Krakow.rdos.gov.pl Slide 7 – mapa.nocowanie.pl and Slide 8 – Slide 9 – Slide 10 – Slide 11-