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Biebrzanski National Park
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Location and Area
Biebrza National Park, established in 1993 and located in Podlasie region in north-eastern Poland has the area of 59 223 ha which makes it the largest National Park in the country. Its unique bogs and peatlands together with amazing diversity of animal life including impressive number of bird species were the reasons for which the Park was entered in 1995 in the group of areas protected by RAMSAR convention.
Geological Facts
Waters
Plant Life
Animal Life
Threats
Tourism
Biebrza National Park covers a large part of Biebrza River Valley which is a huge depression exceeding 100 km in length and filled with a thick layer of peat. The valley, covering approximately 90 000 ha forms the largest and most natural peatland area in Central Europe.
Waters
The Park has been created along the Biebrza river, of which 152,5 km are within the park?s borders. The river, typical for lowlands, forms numerous meanders, bends and backwaters. The river bed varies in width from some metres in the Northern Basin to more than ten metres in the river?s lower flow.
Plant Life
The Park?s vegetation is considerably varied, largely untouched by industry and embraces many rare species. The area is particularly favourable for the development of various boreal species and glacial relics, represented by 17 vascular plants such as shrub birch, downy willow, Hudson?s Bay bulrush, moor king, marsh saxifrage and cord root sedge. So far, nature scientists discovered in Biebrza Valley more than 920 vascular species of which 67 are protected in Poland, and 45 which are on the verge of extinction, have been entered on the Red List of Vascular Plants Threatened in Poland, including stool iris, leper lily, dwarf marsh violet, Hudson?s Bay bulrush and bog willow.
Animal Life
Nowhere in Europe one can find such waterfowl enclaves as Biebrza Valley, where so far 271 bird species have been observed, of which 181 are nesting there. Out of 56 species considered as threatened with extinction in Poland, 17 are nesting in the Park, including: great snipe, aquatic warbler, black tern, white-winged tern and spotted eagle. For some of these, Biebrza bogs are the last hiding place which guarantees their survival in Central Europe. However, data concerning numerous animal species in the Park are still incomplete and require completion. So far 48 species of mammals have been recorded in the Park, including 10 species of bats, a dormouse which is rare in Poland, 12 species of amphibians, 5 species of reptiles and 37 species of fish.
Threats
The main danger to the natural environment of the Park is posed by drainage of the area and resignation from extensive use of marsh meadows. The first factor makes the peatland turn dry and mineralised, which introduces vegetation characteristic for dryer areas. Also, the land becomes overgrown with bushes and trees as local farmers who are landowners stop using the meadows as pastures and mowing the sedge and moss vegetation. Active conservation measures have been taken to a limited extent, to reduce further development of this process and to retain its transitory stages. As 46% of the Park is private property, agricultural management compatible with agreed conservation principles is particularly important for its environment.
Tourism
Tourist can travel by boat in the Park along the Biebrza river (135 km) and the Jegrznia river, starting from Rajgrod, walk along 14 land tourist routes of total length of 419,8 km and use the cycling route of 19,5 km. Some of the routes have watchtowers, observation platforms and footbridges, to facilitate walking on marsh areas. A local Education Centre located near the Park Office and Osowiec Railway Station also has a number of watchtowers, observation platforms and information bards. The largest groups of tourists are kayakers, birdwatchers from western Europe as well as primary and secondary school students. More than 40 licensed guides offer guidance to school and tourist groups (also in English and German). Accommodation is available in more than 66 boarding houses.
Osowiec - Twierdza 8
19-110 Goniądz
tel/fax: (0 prefiks 86) 272 06 20, 272 08 02
biebrza@biebrza.org.pl
19-110 Goniądz
tel/fax: (0 prefiks 86) 272 06 20, 272 08 02
biebrza@biebrza.org.pl