Plant Conservation in Poland

Number of Nationally Threatened Species:

Plant Group	X	E	V	R	I	Total
Vascular plants	40	54	142	146	34	418
Mosses	4	17	45	29	41	136
Liverworts	0	26	5	0	5	50
Myxomycetes	24	0	0	13	51	88
Macromycetes	71	172	188	296	286	1013
Other fungi	?	?	?	?	?	c 1000

X = Extinct, E=Endangered, V=Vulnerable, R=Rare, I=Indeterminate
Source: List of Threatened Plants in Poland, K. Zarzycki et al, 1992 (See below)

National Red Data Books

Lista roslin zagrozonych w Polsce (List of Threatened Plants in Poland). K. Zarzycky, W. Wojewoda and Z. Heinrich (eds.). 2nd Ed., 1992. Covers all groups of plants, including algae and slime fungi. Extensive bibliography.

Polska Czerwona Ksiega Roslin [Polish Red Data Book of Plants], ed. 2. Pteridophytes and Flowering Plants. Róza Kazmierczakowa & Kazimierz Zarzycki (eds). Pp. 664. 2001. Instytut Botaniki im. W. Szafera, Polska Akademia Nauk, Kraków. Available from Instytut Botaniki, ul Lubicz 46, 31-512, Kraków, Poland. (In Polish, but with Preface, Introduction and species summaries in English.) Illustrated account of 296 species of vascular plant species threatened in Poland.

List of Threatened Plants in Poland, 2nd ed. (Lista Roslin Zagrozonych w Polsce, Wyd. 2), K. Zarzycki, W. Wojewoda & Z. Heinrich (eds.). Polish Academy of Sciences, W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Cracow, 1992. 98 pp. Covers all groups of plants: algae, slime moulds, macrofungi, lichens, liverworts, mosses and vascular plants. Extensive bibliography.

Distribution Atlas of Vascular Plants Protected in Poland (Atlas Rozmieszczenia Roslin Naczyniowych Chronionych w Polsce). A. Zajac & M. Zajac (Eds). Laboratory of Computer Chorology, Institute of Botany, Jagiellonian University, Cracow. 1997. 100 pp. Covers 223 plant species protected by law in Poland (maps and references).

The functioning of the plant species protection in Poland [Ochrona gatunkowa roslin w Polsce – stan, funkcjonowanie, potrzeby] (H. Piekos-Mirkowa 1990, Studia Naturae Supl.).

Flora Polski: Atlas Roslin Chronionych [Atlas of Polish Protected plants]. Halina Piekos-Mirkowa & Zbigniew Mirek. Pp. 584. 2003. Multico Oficyna Wydawnicza, Warsaw. [In Polish].

Floras

Flora Polska (Polish Flora) (1919-1980). Four further volumes were edited under the title Flora Polski (Flora of Poland) (1985-1993) as a second edition. Both series were summarized and indexed in: Z. Mirek 1995. Flora Polski [Flora of Poland] (vol. 15)

Ecological Flora of Poland, by Z. Mirek et al., is being prepared in 3 volumes.

Field Flora of Poland – vascular plants [Flora Polski – rosliny naczyniowe]. Z. Mirek, H. Piekos-Mirkowa, A. Zajac & M. Zajac. In press.

Vascular plants of Poland: A checklist. Z. Mirek, H. Piekos-Mirkowa, A. Zajac & M. Zajac. 1995. Polish Botanical Studies Guidebook Series 15, Polish Academy of Sciences, W. Szafer Institute of Botany, Cracow.

Vegetation

Principally an agricultural landscape, especially in the north and central lowlands; less than 25% of the country has natural or semi-natural vegetation. Extensive re-afforestation with pine and spruce, particularly in the foothills of the Carpathians. In the north-east, fragments of natural forest with oak, lime and hornbeam, including alder, ash and conifers, notably in the Bialowiéza National Park; in the south, patches of beech/fir woodland, subalpine spruce and alpine pine forests. Original extensive cover of steppe grassland confined to poor soils and steep slopes, but swamp and peat bogs still widespread (Szafer & Zarzycki, 1972, quoted in Davis, S.D. et al. (1986), Plants in Danger: What do we know? IUCN, Gland, Switzerland).

Plant Conservation Programmes

Monitoring of rare and relict vascular plant species and their biotopes and in situ conservation effectiveness;

Autoecology and biology of rare mountain plant species (H. Piekos-Mirkowa, Ed. 1990; Ecology, threat and conservation of rare mountain plant species, Studia Naturae 33)

Ecological studies and protection programme of the endemic species of Poland (H. Piekos-Mirkowa et al., Eds 1996. Endemic Vascular Plants in the Polish Tatra Mts. – Distribution and Ecology. Pol. Bot. Studies 12)

Ex situ conservation of threatened vascular plants in Poland in botanic gardens collections (86 plant species listed in Polish Red List are kept in the collections of 10 botanic gardens)

Cryopreservation of threatened and protected in Poland vascular plant species (seed bank and in vitro bank in liquid nitrogen) (J. Puchalski & R. Muranyi)

Restitution of 3 extinct in the wild plant species from Polish Tatra Mts. - Dryopteris villari, Astragalus penduliflorus & Pulsatilla slavica (H. Piekos-Mirkowa, R. Muranyi & J. Puchalski).

The W.Szafer Institute of Botany, Krakow, is coordinating a project to identify Important Plant Areas (IPAs) in Poland as part of the European IPAs Programme led by Plantlife International with the Planta Europa network.

Key Institutions

Ministry of Environment, 52/54 Wawelska Str., 00-922 Warsaw.

Institute of Environmental Protection, Krucza 5/11d 00-548 Warsaw. (The institute is hosting the Biodiversity Clearing House Mechanism in Poland).

Forest Research Institute, Bitwy Warszawskiej 1920r. Street, No 3, 00-973 Warsaw.

Botanical Garden – Centre for Biological Diversity Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw (national gene bank of threatened plants).

Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, A. Mickiewicza 33, 31-120 Kraków. (With the Tatra Field Station and Mountain Botanical Garden in Zakopane).

W. Szafer Institute of Botany of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Cracow.

Institute of Botany and Botanic Garden of the Jagiellonian University, Kopernika 27, 31-501 Kraków.

Polish Association of Botanic Gardens (Website with links to Polish Botanic Gardens).

Council of Botanical Gardens in Poland (federation of 23 botanic gardens and arboreta represented by their directors).

Commission of Botanical Gardens and Arboretums of the Botany Committee of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

WWF Poland, ul. Wis´niowa 38, 02-520 Warszawa.

References Cited

Szafer, W. & Zarzycki, K. (Eds) (1972). Szata Roslinna Polski, 2nd Ed., 2 vols. Panstwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Warsaw. 615 pp, 347 pp. (Description of the vegetation of Poland; English translation of 1st Ed. (1966) by W.H. Paryski, Pergamon, Oxford.)

Acknowledgement

Based on material prepared by Hugh Synge for the Council of Europe, 1999-2000, with information and help from Dr Jerzy Puchalski, Prof. Zbigniew Mirek and Dr Halina Piekos-Mirkowa, Poland. Last update May 2006.