River Valleys As Ecological Corridors – Structure, Function and Importance in the Conservation of Natural Resources

Ecological Questions 29 (2018) 1: 77–87 http://dx.doi.org/10.12775/EQ.2018.006

River valleys as ecological corridors – structure, function and importance in the conservation of natural resources

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8QLYHUVLW\RI*GDĔVN)DFXOW\RI2FHDQRJUDSK\DQG*HRJUDSK\,QVWLWXWHRI*HRJUDSK\ Department of Physical Geography and Environmental Management, -%DĪ\ĔVNLHJR6W*GDĔVN3RODQG *e-mail: [email protected] Received: November 2017 / Accepted: 27 February 2018

$EVWUDFW The paper presents the concept of an ecological corridor system developed for spatial planning based on the case of the Pomerania Province. More attention was paid to the corridors along watercourses and river valleys. The study included e.g. spatial relationships between the proposed network of regional eco-corridors and the national network as well as areas of protected nature areas, including Natura 2000 sites. The main threats to the valley corridors in the area were identified. Depending on the level of im- pact and the geographical range, three different land corridors were distinguished: supraregional, regional and subregional. Due to the landscape and nature diversity, spatial distribution of physico-geographical units, terrain and river valleys, almost all communes and districts of the Pomerania Province have appropriate conditions to perform the functions of ecological corridors of various ranks. In some communes, they account for more than 50% of the total area and 28% of the province’s area, and a significant part of them are valley ecosystems. The aim of the paper is to document the role of river valleys in shaping the conditions of spatial connectivity of ecosystems and to indicate their significance for spatial planning processes.

.H\ZRUGs: river valley, ecological corridor, spatial planning, Pomerania Province.

,QWURGXFWLRQ ERZLF] %DUDQRZVND-DQRWD&KULVWLH .QRZOHV 2015). They are a form of ordering spatial relationships In accordance with the Nature Conservation Act of 16 in planning and land development. April 2004 (Ustawa... 2018), the ecological corridor is de- Walker and Craighead (1997) define an ecological corri- fined as an area allowing the migration of plants, animals dor as a pathway for migration of species of high spatial re- or fungi. However, it is a definition narrowed to the bi- quirements, spread of plants, genetic exchange, population ological phenomenon of species migration, eliminating movement in response to natural environmental changes the full, comprehensive understanding of the importance or disturbances as well as the replenishment of local pop- of ecological corridors and limiting the opportunities and ulations of endangered species by individuals from other the pursuit of their real behavior. Ecological corridors are DUHDV3FKDáHNHWDO RQWKHRWKHUKDQGGHILQHDQ of landscape, environmental and protective significance. ecological corridor as a route that enables migration and They help in the movement of matter and energy, play an dispersion of plants, animals, fungi, protists and diasporas enormous role for the habitat, and shape the space and between patches of their habitats, and which includes lin- conditions of human life and the conditions of economic ear, nonlinear, bandar or area-dependent, continuous or dis- DFWLYLW\ )RUPDQ *RGURQ%HLHU 1RVV continuous, natural, semi-natural or anthropogenic, biotic Wojciechowski, 2004; Romanowski, 2007; Rozenau-Ry- or abiotic structural elements of the natural environment, 78 Jarosław Tomasz Czochański, Paweł Wiśniewski

including airspace. This is an interesting attempt to combine et al., 2005), and with the vision of a coherent, hierarchical approaches to the protection of ecological corridors and eco- network of nodes and ecological corridors, as a part of the logical connectivity from the functional (ensuring the conti- continental network, included in the National Spatial De- nuity of the population of organisms) and structural (ensur- velopment Concept 2030. River valleys as corridors should ing the cohesion of the landscape structures) point of view. also become important elements of regional and local eco- In light of the above mentioned features and functions logical networks developed for spatial planning purposes. of ecological corridors, the river valleys are their clas- Their inclusion in the planning documents at the various sic and basic forms. They have a set of natural features, levels of the local government should be an important often not co-occurring in other types of landscape. They element for achieving the aims and principles of nature are characterized by the availability of surface water and conservation, while at the same time protecting the river moisture, the relative naturalness and diversity of habi- valleys and their large biocenotic and landscape diversity. tats, the relatively weak anthropopressure and the durabil- The aim of the article is to present the concept of the ity of agroecosystems. They are the most durable forms ecological corridor system, developed for the purposes of landscape structure, as well as natural links between of spatial planning in the Pomerania Province – paying habitats, natural objects, areas and regions. a closer attention to the corridors along the watercourses They allow the movement of matter and energy in the and river valleys. The study included, for instance, the spa- environment and, alongside, the geochemical and biologi- tial relationships between the proposed ecological corridor cal components. They ensure the spatial connectivity be- network and the national network as well as areas of na- tween habitats and allow the migration of plants, animals ture conservation, including Natura 2000 sites. Examples or fungi. Natural values of river valleys and their role in the of threats to spatial continuity and the naturalness of the transfer of diaspora and organisms make them an important proposed corridors were also indicated. element of the Natura 2000 network. In the valley corridors, as hardly in any other type of ecological corridors, their systemic character (multicomponent and multifunc- 0DWHULDOVDQGPHWKRGV tional ecosystem) is revealed. These are landscape forms, relatively durable, most complex and dynamically vari- Pomerania Province, as one of the first in Poland, planned able. Andrejczuk (2007) draws attention to the particular a network of ecological links and took it into account in its features of river valleys in geoecological and geosystemic SODQQLQJGRFXPHQWV &]RFKDĔVNL ,QRUGHUWRIXO- contexts. According to Pietrzak (2010), the valley as an fill the principles of sustainable development in the plan- ecological corridor is primarily a spatial landscape struc- ning and spatial economy of the province, the assumption ture, which according to the assumptions of ecology of the of preserving and shaping the ecological structure of the landscape is characterized by spatial characteristics (choro- region (based on existing or reconstructable spatial rela- structure), functional characteristics (etostructure) and time tionships of natural areas) has been adopted as a basis for variability (chronostructure). pro-ecological activities and preservation of favorable liv- For a number of years now, there has been a clear in- ing conditions for the inhabitants. This has led to the de- terest in the linking of the river valleys to the network limitation of the network of ecological links of sub-local RI HFRORJLFDO FRQQHFWLYLWLHV %UDQGW *DOOp HW DO importance, based on the general assumptions of the patch- 1995; Dombrowski et al., 2002; Chmielewski, 2004; Jong- es and corridors. Already by the year 2000, the first pro- PDQ .DPSKRUVW.DáDPXFND5RPDQRZVNL ject of a network of ecological corridors was established, 2007). Considering these issues together seems very prom- which, two years later, was included in the first spatial ising, because, as a subject of research, they play a vital development plan of the Pomerania Province. The basis role in natural sciences and spatial planning. Moreover, IRUWKHZRUNZDVSUHVHQWHGE\3U]HZRĨQLDN IXUWKHU they significantly shape the conditions of land use and HODERUDWHGDQGVSDWLDOO\VSHFLILHGE\&]RFKDĔVNL habitable space for humans. River valleys, considered as During the studies, the spatial interrelationship of nature a basic element of spatial communication, are, in addition structures, proposed by Chmielewski (1988), was adopted. to forest areas, key elements in the European concepts In this way, clear corridors and ecological patches were of ecological corridor (e.g. The Pan European Ecologi- distinguished. They included, for example, uninterrupted cal Network, Trans-European Wildlife Network, networks by anthropogenic development river valleys along with in France, Netherlands, Germany, Austria and the Czech their surroundings. In 2013, in the Pomerania Province, Republic). River valleys have also been included in the na- the study of ecological corridors got started. By 2014 the tional ecological network ECONET Poland (Liro, 1995), Pomeranian ecological network concept for spatial plan- in the project of ecological corridors linking the European ning was presented (Bezubik et al., 2014). It was the ba- network Natura 2000 in Poland, prepared under the com- sis for the new spatial development plan of the Pomerania PLVVLRQ RI WKH 0LQLVWU\ RI (QYLURQPHQW -ĊGU]HMHZVNL Province (Bezubik et al., 2016) in the scope of shaping and River valleys as ecological corridors – structure, function and importance in the conservation of natural resources 79

protecting the ecological cohesion of the region. The pro- x the role of corridors, as spatial connectors between posal of a network of ecological corridors presented in this ecological patches and areas under the legal environ- paper is a more detailed and corrected description of the mental protection; corridors boundaries presented in the study by Bezubik x criterion of minimal space, necessary to preserve and et al. (2014). However, the basic spatial extent of the cor- maintain ecological function. ridors have not been changed, and the scale of the figures Due to its functional character and the use, for the pur- does not allow their comparison with the models included pose of migration and dispersions, groups of species, mi- in the referenced study. gration corridors of terrestrial species, flights of bird and The detailed boundaries of ecological corridors were bat species and migratory corridors of aquatic species were determined primarily along the edges of the extent of eco- identified. The space of the migratory routes as well as systems with preserved natural features (including forest habitats of herpetofauna and lepidopterofauna were not boundaries, tree belts, meadows) and, additionally, along included. The extent of their relocation is related to local the edges of erosive terrain elements (e.g. erosive edges natural structures, which are impossible to record and des- of slopes of valleys). The rank of corridors results from the ignate from analysis and regional studies. spatial relations described below with other corridors and Due to the nature of the environment, the terrain and elements of the natural structure of the region. the coverage of the area the following corridors were iden- Several factors have been used to designate the eco- tified: logical corridors in order to determine their optimal range, x valley corridors developed along watercourses and location and rank. For this purpose the following aspects river valleys, with inland water bodies (river beds were analyzed: and lakes), with agricultural land (with significant x natural and landscape structure of the region (e.g. predominance of grasslands), accompanied by bush- spatial distribution of forest communities, peatbogs, es and coastal trees and trees at the edge of slopes marsh, grasslands and lakes); of valleys; x occurrence of river valleys, their parameters and de- x forest corridors with predominant cover of forest gree of anthropogenic transformation; habitats, of a continuous nature; x actual spatial distribution of forest animals (on the x forest corridors with relatively small patches of a dis- basis of inventory of hunting circles) and protected continuous nature ("stepping stones") forming a se- species (based on inventory of hunting circles, data ries of neighboring islands of forest ecosystems; from the Regional Directorate of the State Forests x field afforestation and roadside tree corridors (com- and Regional Directorate for Environmental Protec- plementary to other ecological routes); tion); x non-forest corridors – beyond-valley strips of pas- x actual, identified migration routes for forest animals tures with small bushes and trees; (based on information obtained from forest districts x habitats of water reservoirs, coastal waters and wet- and scientific communities); lands, spatially discontinuous, in the areas of season- x size and spatial distribution of road collisions with al migration of birds. animals (based on data from the General Directorate Due to the functional role of the corridor in the struc- for National Roads and Motorways and the Regional ture of the natural environment and its spatial extent, the Road Administration); following corridors were identified: x occurrence of natural protected areas (including Nat- x supraregional corridors providing spatial connec- ura 2000 sites, national and landscape parks as well tivity of natural European and national structures as as nature reserves and protected landscape areas) as well as neighboring physicogeographical regions a means of partially securing the existence of a cor- of the province, subprovinces and macroregions; ridor in such area. x regional corridors providing spatial connectiv- Designing a network of ecological corridors also in- ity of natural structures within physicogeographical cluded: macroregions and mesoregions and providing con- x earlier concepts of the ecological network of the nectivity between supraregional structures; province; x subregional corridors providing spatial connec- x the concept of a network of ecological corridors con- tivity of natural structures within mesoregions and necting the European network Natura 2000 in Poland providing connectivity between regional and supra- -ĊGU]HMHZVNLHWDO regional structures of corridors. x results of research and analysis on functional issues related to the ability of species to move in space and visualizing the real spatial distribution of animal population in the province; 80 Jarosław Tomasz Czochański, Paweł Wiśniewski

5HVXOWVDQGGLVFXVVLRQ RIWKH+HO3HQLQVXODDQGWKH9LVWXOD6SLWDVZHOODVZLWKLQ the river valleys of the largest rivers of Pomerania, results in the fact that, in the area of 19 communes (out of 140 Within the territory of Pomerania Province, ecological cor- in the province) ecological corridors occupy more than ridors with a total surface area of 5150 km2, were outlined. 50% (Fig. 2). Only in 13 communes (mainly urban) were This represents 28% of the total land area. The structure no ecological corridors outlined. of land use, in the outlined ecological corridors, is domi- The corridors of supraregional and regional ranks play nated by forests (3250 km2) and agricultural land (1500 a leading role in preserving the spatial connectivity of eco- km2), occupying, respectively, 63% and 29% of the cor- logical structures (Bezubik et al., 2014). As a result of the ridor area. Surface water in the corridors covers 350 km2 delimitation of terrestrial ecological corridors, within the (7% of the corridor area) and built-up areas and other Pomerania Province, 7 spatial structures of supraregional forms of land cover 70 km2 (1 % of the area) (Fig. 1). The and regional corridor ranks were outlined. They play an dominance of forestry land with surface water and agri- important connectivity role for natural and valuable natu- cultural land, with prevalence of grassland, is a guarantee ral as well as protected areas at national and supranational of the durability of corridors, provided that the attempts to levels. The total area of these corridors within the province locate residential areas in attractive landscapes of forests H[FOXGLQJWKHZDWHUDUHDRIWKHFRDVWDO]RQHRIWKH9LVWXOD and waters are not successful (Bezubik et al., 2014). Lagoon) is approx. 3000 km2, which accounts for 16.4% Landscape and natural diversity, spatial distribution of the province’s area. These are the following corridors: of physicogeographical units, terrain and river valleys cre- 1DG]DOHZRZ\ DORQJ WKH 9LVWXOD 6SLW DQG LWV FRDVWOLQH ate the conditions that in almost all communes and dis- further covering the area of less than 47 km2 of coastal tricts of the Pomerania Province there are areas, which can ZDWHUV RI WKH 9LVWXOD /DJRRQ WR P LVREDWK 1DGPRU- perform the functions of ecological corridors of varying ski (along the Hel Peninsula and the Baltic Sea Coast), ranks. The specific location of ecological corridors, espe- 9LVWXOD5LYHU9DOOH\6áXSLDDQG:GD9DOOH\*ZGD9DO- cially in the vicinity of the sea coast, in the stretch of land ley, sequence of valleys of Wieprza Studnica – Brda and

Figure 1. The network of ecological corridors in Pomerania Province against land use, according to Bezubik et al. (2014), modified River valleys as ecological corridors – structure, function and importance in the conservation of natural resources 81

/LZD9DOOH\7KHDUHDRIFRUULGRUVRIUHJLRQDOLPSRUWDQFH of supraregional corridors and 45% of the area of regional within the province is 1,150 km2, which accounts for 6.3% corridors. Protective measures should be planned for these of its area. These corridors mainly include geomorphologi- areas in order to preserve existing forms of use and conti- cal structures of river valleys of the largest coastal rivers: nuity of the elements of natural land cover. It is necessary SURJODFLDOVWUHDPYDOOH\RI5HGDàHEDàXSDZD5LYHU9DO- to take into account the course of corridors in spatial plan- OH\ WRJHWKHUZLWKDOLQNWR6áXSLD =EU]\FD9DOOH\5DGX- ning documents as a basis for guaranteeing their preserva- QLD DQG 0RWáDZD9DOOH\:LHU]\FD9DOOH\ 1RJDW9DOOH\ tion, defining the rules of using these areas, which do not 6]NDUSDZD9DOOH\ 6]F]\UD9DOOH\DQG WKH OLQNLQJ IRUHVW affect the permanence of their existence. At the same time, EHOWEHWZHHQ6áXSLDDQG:LHSU]D )RUHVW7U]HELHOLĔVNL&RU- measures should be taken in order to establish protected ridor). In total, the system of ecological corridors of the landscape areas within the area of unprotected corridors supraregional and regional level covers an area of about as a statutory form of their protection. 4,150 km2 (22.6% of the province), 58% of which is oc- Supraregional and regional network is complemented cupied by forests, 33% by agricultural land, 7% by surface by terrestrial subregional corridors. They contribute to water, 2% by built-in areas and other forms of land cover. the strengthening of spatial connectivity and the linking In total over 66% of the area of supraregional corridors forces of larger natural and protected areas. They cover and 55% of the area of regional corridors are currently a total of 1340 km2 (7.3%) of the area of the Pomerania under the nature protection acts. Within the boundaries Province, providing relatively narrow and short links be- of national parks and nature reserves there are about 10% tween elements of the network of higher rank corridors of the area of supraregional corridors and 0.01% of the and ecological forest patches. They cover, mostly, the river area of corridors in the regional rank. Within Natura 2000 valleys of smaller lakeland watercourses, forest areas and area, it is 50% and 26% respectively, within the boundaries smaller clumps of trees. Forests cover up to 70% of their of landscape parks 20% and 8%, within areas of pro- surface area, surface water 5%, built-up areas 0.5%. tected landscape 30% and 40%. Apart from the forms Approximately 55% of the area of subregional corridors of nature conservation, there are less than 34% of the area lies within the boundaries of already established natural

Figure 2. Ecological corridors against the administrative division of the Pomerania Province, according to Bezubik et al. (2014), modified 82 Jarosław Tomasz Czochański, Paweł Wiśniewski

protected areas (Natura 2000 sites, landscape parks and based on thorough knowledge of local spatial conditions landscape protection areas). (Bezubik et al., 2014). Because of the scope of the study, the methodological All supraregional ecological corridors defined in the basis (based on the landscape structure of the region and presented concept fits well into the natural structure of the the occurrence of selected species) as well as the objective northern national corridor and in the structures of neigh- (which is to outline the regional network of ecological cor- bouring provinces. They constitute a direct, very important ridors for the purposes of regional spatial planning), the link in the chain of ecological relationships, enabling the presented concept did not determine local objects connect- linkage of ecosystems, which are environmentally valu- ing the fragments of the designed regional network with able in northern Poland. The outlined structures of national small natural structures. This does not mean that the lo- level corridors bind the Pomerania Province with all four cal ecological corridors (above all the tree belts and river neighboring provinces. Some regional corridors, and even valleys) are not relevant for the functioning of the whole subregional ones, play a similar role. Due to the fact that environment. They often play an essential role in preserv- WKHFRUULGRURI9LVWXOD5LYHU9DOOH\SDVVHVWKURXJKWKHDUHD ing local populations of different species and habitats, of the Pomerania Province, it is possible to assume that the providing space for organisms to migrate at shorter dis- direct connectivity with Southern Poland be preserved. The tances. These corridors should be outlined in the planning extent and the course of ecological corridors guarantees, at documents at the local level in ecophysiographic stud- the same time, the spatial connection of the most valuable ies, studies of conditions and directions of spatial manage- and legally protected areas of the Pomerania Province and ment of communes and local spatial development plans, neighboring legally protected areas Natura 2000 sites, national parks, landscape parks, protected landscape areas

Figure 3. Ecological corridors against the Natura 2000 network in the Pomerania Province, according to Bezubik et al. (2014), modified River valleys as ecological corridors – structure, function and importance in the conservation of natural resources 83

and nature reserves. The sequences of ecological corridors Nogat, Szkarpawa, Szczyra and Grabowa. All of the 36 ensure the connectivity of all areas of special protection subregional corridors have the character of valley corri- of birds within the boundaries of the province and in the dors. Altogether, within the supraregional corridors there Baltic coastal zone. The most important role here is played are 127 sections of various rivers, 80 sections in the re- E\WKHVHTXHQFHRIWZRFRUULGRUV1DGPRUVNLDQG6áXSLD gional corridors and 105 sections in the subregional cor- and Wda valleys. The corridor system also provides spa- ridors (Fig. 5). tial connectivity to a number of sites, which are of Site According to Chmielewski (2004), river valleys due of Community Importance (SCI), numerously occurring to their transit function are in many planning documents in the Pomerania Province and in the adjacent sea zone almost automatically outlined as ecological corridors, (Fig. 3). The sequences of corridors also provide connec- without going into the actual ecological processes that tivity of almost all protected areas in the form of national occur in them. According to this author, while outlining parks, nature reserves, landscape parks and protected land- ecological corridors in spatial planning, it is essential to scape areas (Fig. 4). remember that river valleys can be considered as main, There are 7 supraregional corridors outlined within the multi-species corridors in the landscape if they preserved province, out of which 5 are valley corridors including the their natural or semi-natural character, are not occupied by YDOOH\VRIULYHUV:LVáD6áXSLD:GD*ZGD:LHSU]D development and communication routes, do not lead undu- Studnica, Brda and Liwa. Out of 11 regional corridors, ly polluted waters, and are not crossed by a number of bar- DUH YDOOH\ FRUULGRUV FRYHULQJ ULYHUV 5HGD àHED rier structures. Moderately transformed river valleys can be àXSDZD 6áXSLD =EU]\FD 5DGXQLD 0RWáDZD :LHU]\FD migratory routes only for a narrow group of species, and

Figure 4. Ecological corridors against the national network of protected areas in the Pomerania Prov- ince, according to Bezubik et al. (2014), modified 84 Jarosław Tomasz Czochański, Paweł Wiśniewski

heavily transformed and contaminated river valleys should The durability of the valley as a corridor is deter- be viewed rather as contamination zones, ecological barri- mined by the relationship and durability of many features ers and pathways of pollution movement in the landscape. and components (geomorphological, hydrological, biot- Many of the valley forms, especially of larger sizes, ic). However, in the case of tree strips, only one biologi- undergo increasing transformation as a result of their de- cal trait the existence of a community or vegetation belt velopment. Not only does it cover the riverbed itself (such decides their durability. Thus the anthropogenic transfor- as flood protection and related infrastructural investments, mation or extreme annihilation of such a one-trait corri- regulation for navigation, energy use and accompanying dor is potentially much easier than the corridor formed dams, damping levels and water stages) but also the bottom by a complex of many polygenetic features and compo- of the valley (melioration, earthworks and development nents. The analysis of spatial structures in various areas in urban areas) as well as the valley slopes and surround- of the Pomerania Province showed the existence of many ings of their upper edges. These changes are mainly related well-preserved natural valleys or fragments of river val- to changes in the form of land use and valley development. leys, often meandering watercourses with floodplains and All this limits the spatial continuity and coherence of the tree-lined slopes, not yet managed and intensively utilized. watercourses and entire valley systems. Many river valleys The greatest threat to the spatial continuity and natural- are interrupted today by infrastructure and development, ness of such valley corridors in the Pomerania Province functioning as spatial objects only in selected sections. is their development. Contrary to environmental conditions From the point of view of the sustainability of ecological and against the rules of safety, a permanent infrastructure links, where the valley should function as an ecological in the form of built-up areas (including housing) and com- corridor, such changes are not only undesirable, but often munication have been introduced into the bottoms of river completely eliminate the connectivity of natural ecosys- valleys (often in the floodplain areas). This is because lo- tems. The synthesis of such anthropogenic transformations cal government authorities and investors underestimate the related to the management of the landscape of river valleys physiographic conditions of the location of the buildings was presented in Plit’s paper (2007, 2008). and the lack of legal solutions for the protection of ecologi-

Figure 5. Ecological corridors against the river network in the Pomerania Province, according to Be- zubik et al. (2014), modified River valleys as ecological corridors – structure, function and importance in the conservation of natural resources 85

cal corridors. A classic example of such a situation is the 2. In Pomerania Province river valleys play a leading location of residential settlements in the proglacial stream role in shaping the spatial continuity of terrestrial ecosys- YDOOH\RI5HGDàHEDZKLFKLVDUHJLRQDOHFRORJLFDOFRUUL- tems. Out of a total of 54 ecological corridors of national, dor (indicated in the Pomeranian spatial development plan) regional and subregional status, as many as 51 are val- DQGWKHPLJUDWLRQ]RQHRIELUGVDQGEDWVIURPWKH*GDĔVN ley corridors. They constitute a direct, very important link Bay towards inland (Fig. 6). Such actions often perman- in the chain of ecological relationships, enabling the link- ently eliminate the possibility of the functioning of an eco- age of natural and environmentally valuable ecosystems, logical corridor and preserving spatial connectivity between which are protected at national and transnational levels. important island ecosystems or between protected areas. 3. The greatest threat to the spatial continuity and natu- In many cases, within the boundaries of built-up areas, the ralness of the valley corridors in the studied area is their spatial continuity of the river valley corridor is limited to development and buildings. Contrary to environmental the riverbed and its immediate shore zone, which can be conditions and against the rules of safety, a permanent in- REVHUYHGLQWKHYDOOH\VRIWKHULYHUV5DGXQLDDQG6áXSLD frastructure in the form of built-up areas (including housing) and communication have been introduced into the bottoms of river valleys (often in the floodplain areas). &RQFOXVLRQV 4. Outlining ecological corridors in the administrative area of the province and guaranteeing their sustainabili- 1. Ecological corridors guarantee the preservation of con- ty, for example, by including them in the spatial planning nectivity, migration and dispersion of species and thus documents or establishing protected landscape areas (as preservation of their populations and biodiversity. In most defined by the statutory definition of this form of nature of the proposed European ecological corridor networks, conservation), is a fundamental guarantee for preserving river valleys alongside forest areas play a key role. the existence of valuable ecosystems and ecological con- They guarantee spatial connectivity, are comprehensive nectivity to the natural environment. This is the basis for and relatively permanent landscape units and not part the migration of species, preservation of biodiversity and of spatial areas, and should be considered holistically rath- landscape. er than fragmentary as individual sections.

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5HIHUHQFHV $ &LHV]HZVND HG 3áDW\ L NRU\WDU]H MDNR HOHPHQW\ VWUXNWXU\NUDMREUD]X±PRĪOLZRĞFLLRJUDQLF]HQLDNRQ- FHSFML>3DWFKHVDQGFRUULGRUVDVDODQGVFDSHHOHPHQWV± $QGUHMF]XN:.UDMREUD]\GROLQU]HF]Q\FK>/DQG- DGYHQWDJHV DQG OLPLWDWLRQV RI WKH FRQFHSW@ 3UREOHP\ VFDSHVRIULYHUYDOOH\V@3UDFH.RPLVML.UDMREUD]X.XO- (NRORJLL.UDMREUD]X6**::DUV]DZD turowego PTG 7: 9-27. 'RPEURZVNL$*áRZDFNL=.RYDOFKXN,1LNLIRURY0 %HLHU3 1RVV5)'R+DELWDW&RUULGRUV3URYLGH 0LFKDOF]\N=6]ZDMJLHU: :RMFLHFKRZVNL.+ Connectivity? Conservation Biology 12(6): 1241-152. (eds), 2002, Bug river valley as the ecological corridor: %H]XELN.&]RFKDĔVNL-7*ROĊG]LQRZVND$+DáX]R state threats protection. Foundation IUCN Poland, 0.XELF]*àR]LDN$0D]XU$0D]XUNLHZLF]% Warsaw. 2EUDFKW3URQG]\ĔVND+2OHFK-3ĊSHN%3RPLHUVNL )RUPDQ577 *RGURQ03DWFKHVDQG6WUXFWXU- E., Radziszewska G., Rekowska J., Radzikowski M., al Components for A Landscape Ecology. BioScience 5LFKHUW05XG]LĔVND$6LáNRZVND, ĩHELDáRZLF] 31(10): 733-740. àDFK$3ODQ]DJRVSRGDURZDQLDSU]HVWU]HQQHJR *DOOp/0DUJyF]L..RYiFVe*\|UII\*\.|UP|F]L ZRMHZyG]WZDSRPRUVNLHJR>6SDWLDOGHYHORSPHQW / 1pPHWK/5LYHUYDOOH\V$UHWKH\HFRORJL- SODQRIWKH3RPHUDQLD3URYLQFH@3RPRUVNLH%LX cal corridors? Tiscia 29, 53-58. UR3ODQRZDQLD5HJLRQDOQHJR*GDĔVN -ĊGU]HMHZVNL:1RZDN66WDFKXUD.6NLHUF]\ĔVNL0 %H]XELN.&]RFKDĔVNL-7+DáX]R00D]XUNLHZLF]% 0\VáDMHN5:1LHG]LDáNRZVNL.-ĊGU]HMHZVND% Pietruszewski J., Pomierski E., Radziszewska G., Re- :yMFLN-0=DOHZVND+ 3LORW03URMHNW NRZVND-5XG]LĔVND$6LáNRZVND, :RMFLHV]\N NRU\WDU]\ HNRORJLF]Q\FK áąF]ąF\FK (XURSHMVNą 6LHü ..RQFHSFMDVLHFLHNRORJLF]QHMZRMHZyG]WZD 1DWXUDZ3ROVFH>3URMHFWRIHFRORJLFDOFRUULGRUV pomorskiego dla potrzeb planowania przestrzennego connecting the European network Natura 2000 in Po- >7KHFRQFHSWRIHFRORJLFDOQHWZRUNLQWKH3RPHUDQLD ODQG@=DNáDG%DGDQLD6VDNyZ3$1%LDáRZLHĪD 3URYLQFHIRUWKHQHHGVRIVSDWLDOSODQQLQJ@3RPRUVNLH -RQJPDQ5 .DPSKRUVW'(FRORJLFDOFRUULGRUV %LXUR3ODQRZDQLD5HJLRQDOQHJR*GDĔVN in land use planning and development policies. Council Brandt J., 1995, Ecological networks in Danish planning. of Europe Publishing, Strasbourg. Landschap 12: 63-76. .DáDPXFND:2FKURQDGROLQU]HF]Q\FKZV\VWHP- &KPLHOHZVNL7- 2 VWUHIRZRSDVPRZRZĊ]áRZHM LHREV]DUyZFKURQLRQ\FKQDSU]\NáDG]LHZRMHZyG]WZD VWUXNWXU]HXNáDGyZSRQDGHNRV\VWHPRZ\FK>7KH]RQH OXEHOVNLHJR>3URWHFWLRQRIULYHUYDOOH\VLQWKHSURWHFWHG EDQGQRGH VWUXFWXUH RI V\VWHPV RYHU HFRV\VWHPV@ DUHDVV\VWHPRQWKHH[DPSOHRI/XEHOVNLHUHJLRQ@&]D- :LDGRPRĞFL(NRORJLF]QH sopismo Techniczne 7: 239-245. Chmielewski T.J., 2004, Doliny rzeczne jako strefy .RQFHSFMD3U]HVWU]HQQHJR=DJRVSRGDURZDQLD.UDMX DNXPXODFML VNDĪHĔ L NRU\WDU]H SU]HPLHV]F]DQLD VLĊ ]DQLHF]\V]F]HĔZNUDMREUD]LH>5LYHU9DOOH\VDVD]RQHV >1DWLRQDO6SDWLDO'HYHORSPHQW&RQFHSW@GRNX- of acumulation of environmental contamination and the PHQWSU]\MĊW\SU]H]5DGĊ0LQLVWUyZJUXGQLD FRUULGRUV RI SROOXWDQW PRYHPHQW LQ ODQGVFDSH@ >LQ@ r., Warszawa. $&LHV]HZVND HG 3áDW\LNRU\WDU]HMDNRHOHPHQW\ /LUR$ HG .RQFHSFMD NUDMRZHM VLHFL HNRORJLF- VWUXNWXU\NUDMREUD]X±PRĪOLZRĞFLLRJUDQLF]HQLDNRQ- ]QHM(&21(7±3ROVND>1DWLRQDO(FRORJLFDO1HWZRUN FHSFML>3DWFKHVDQGFRUULGRUVDVDODQGVFDSHHOHPHQWV± (&21(7 ± 3RODQG@ )XQGDFMD ,8&1 3RODQG :DU- DGYHQWDJHVDQGOLPLWDWLRQVRIWKHFRQFHSW@3UREOHP\ szawa. (NRORJLL.UDMREUD]X6**::DUV]DZD 3FKDáHN0.XSF]\N30DW\MDVLDN3 -XFKQLN$ &KULVWLH05 .QRZOHV//+DELWDWFRUULGRUVID- (IHNW\ZQRĞüRFKURQ\NRU\WDU]\HNRORJLF]Q\FK.RQ- cilitate genetic resilience irrespective of species disper- FHSFMD]PLDQOHJLVODF\MQ\FK>7KHHIIHFWLYHQHVVRIWKH sal abilities or population sizes. Evolutionary Applica- protection of ecological corridors. The concept of leg- tions 8(5): 454-463. LVODWLYHFKDQJHV@::)3ROVND$JHQFMD:\GDZQLF]D &]RFKDĔVNL -7 (NRORJLF]QH SRGVWDZ\ UR]ZRMX EkoPress, Warszawa. LEH]SLHF]HĔVWZDQDREV]DU]HZRMSRPRUVNLHJR>(FR- Pietrzak M., 2010, Podstawy i zastosowania ekologii kra- logical basis for development and security in the Po- MREUD]X7HRULDLPHWRGRORJLD>)XQGDPHQWDOVDQGDS- PHUDQLD3URYLQFH@mscr. plications of landscape ecology. Theory and methodol- &]RFKDĔVNL-7.RQFHSFMD]DFKRZDQLDVLHFLHNROR RJ\@:\GDZQLFWZR8F]HOQLDQH3DĔVWZRZHM:\ĪV]HM JLF]QHMZZRMHZyG]WZLHSRPRUVNLPMDNRSRGVWDZ\UR- 6]NRá\=DZRGRZHMLP-$.RPHĔVNLHJRZ/HV]QLH ]ZRMXSU]HVWU]HQQHJRUHJLRQX>7KHFRQFHSWRQSUHVHUYD- Leszno. tion of the ecological network in the Pomeranian Region 3OLW - (ZROXFMD NUDMREUD]yZ NXOWXURZ\FK GROLQ DVDIXQGDPHQWIRUUHJLRQDOVSDWLDOGHYHORSPHQW@>LQ@ U]HF]Q\FKQD]LHPLDFKSROVNLFK>(YROXWLRQRIFXOWXUDO River valleys as ecological corridors – structure, function and importance in the conservation of natural resources 87

ODQGVFDSHVRIULYHUYDOOH\VRQ3ROLVKWHUULWRU\@3UDFH Ustawa z dnia 16 kwietnia 2004 r. o ochronie przyrody .RPLVML.UDMREUD]X.XOWXURZHJR >']8SR]]H]P.DQFHODULD5DG\0LQLV- 3OLW - =DU]ąG]DQLH NUDMREUD]HP GROLQ U]HF]Q\FK WUyZ@>7KH$FWRI$SULORQWKH1DWXUH&RQVHU- >0DQDJLQJWKHULYHUYDOOH\ODQGVFDSH@3UDFH.RPLVML vation (Journal of Laws of 2016, item 2134, as amend- .UDMREUD]X.XOWXURZHJR HG &KDQFHOOHU\RIWKH3ULPH0LQLVWHU:DUV]DZD@ 3U]HZRĨQLDN06WUXNWXUDOL]DFMDSU]\URGQLF]DRE- :DONHU5 &UDLJKHDG/$QDO\]LQJZLOGOLIHPRYH- szaru woj. pomorskiego oraz opis i waloryzacja jed- ment corridors in Montana using GIS. Proceedings In- QRVWHNVWUXNWXUDOQRIXQNFMRQDOQ\FK>1DWXUDOHFRORJLFDO ternational ESRI Users Conference, Redlands, Califor- structure of the Pomerania Province and the description nia: 8-11. DQGYDORULVDWLRQRIWKHVWUXFWXUDODQGIXQFWLRQDOXQLWV@ :RMFLHFKRZVNL.:GUDĪDQLHLGHLNRU\WDU]\HNROR mscr. JLF]Q\FK>,PSOHPHQWDWLRQRIHFRORJLFDOFRUULGRUVFRQ- 5RPDQRZVNL-9LVWXOD5LYHU9DOOH\DVWKHHFRORJL- FHSW@>LQ@$&LHV]HZVND HG 3áDW\LNRU\WDU]HMDNR cal corridor for mammals. Polish Journal of Ecology HOHPHQW\VWUXNWXU\NUDMREUD]X±PRĪOLZRĞFLLRJUDQL 55(4): 805-819. F]HQLDNRQFHSFML>3DWFKHVDQGFRUULGRUVDVDODQGVFDSH 5R]HQDX5\ERZLF]$ %DUDQRZVND-DQRWD 0 HOHPHQWV±DGYHQWDJHVDQGOLPLWDWLRQVRIWKHFRQFHSW@ .RU\WDU]H HNRORJLF]QH Z SODQRZDQLX SU]HVWU]HQQ\P 3UREOHP\ (NRORJLL .UDMREUD]X 6**: :DUV]DZD >(FRORJLFDO FRUULGRUV LQ VSDWLDO SODQQLQJ@ 3UREOHP\ 221-228. Rozwoju Miast 4(1-2): 132-142.