Preserving Ecological Value in the Landscape of the Szprotawa River Valley

The Przemkowski Landscape Park Landscape Przemkowski The of Landscape Parks Landscape of

river valley river

The Szprotawa Szprotawa The

- Śnieżnicki Park Krajobrazowy Park Śnieżnicki - 12

- Park Krajobrazowy Gór Sowich Gór Krajobrazowy Park - 11

- Park Krajobrazowy Sudetów Wałbrzyskich Sudetów Krajobrazowy Park - 10

- Ślężański Park Krajobrazowy Park Ślężański - 9

- Książański Park Krajobrazowy Park Książański - 8

- Rudawski Park Krajobrazowy Park Rudawski - 7

- Park Krajobrazowy „Dolina Bystrzycy” „Dolina Krajobrazowy Park - 6

- Park Krajobrazowy „Chełmy” Krajobrazowy Park - 5

- Park Krajobrazowy Doliny Bobru Doliny Krajobrazowy Park - 4

- Park Krajobrazowy „Dolina Jezierzycy” „Dolina Krajobrazowy Park - 3

- Park Krajobrazowy „Dolina Baryczy” „Dolina Krajobrazowy Park - 2

valley - Przemkowski Park Krajobrazowy Park Przemkowski - 1

the Szprotawa river river Szprotawa the

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in the landscape landscape the in

ASSOCIATION OF LANDSCAPE PARKS LANDSCAPE OF ASSOCIATION

SILESIAN LOWER

value ecological Preserving Preserving

Preserving ecological value 5. Raising the groundwater level in the protected in the landscape of the Szprotawa river valley areas to provide effective fire protection. 6. Establishment of wetland meadows on 500 The area served by the Lower Silesian Association hectares of land formerly part of a closed Soviet of Landscape Parks is subject to most forms of nature airbase. conservation listed in the Statute on Nature Conservation 7. Conservation of polders as a form of land Restored wetland meadows - protected species fot. P. Śnigucki of April 16, 2004 (Dz. U. Nr. 92, poz. 880 z późn. zm.). management in the protected area. From 1999 to 2009, complex projects that are 8. Re-establishment of breeding grounds for wetland However, the highest level of animal biodiversity significant for nature conservation have been carried birds by removing buildings and earthworks on is found in the intermittently flooded meadows in the out in the Przemkowski Landscape Park, including the the abandoned military base. Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Area and in the fish Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Area and Przemkowski 9. Construction of an 850-meter-long nature ponds in the Przemkowski Ponds Special Protection Ponds Special Protection Area belonging to the European exploration boardwalk. Area. In the fish ponds, species diversity and abundance Ecological Network under NATURA 2000. Funding 10. Preservation of plant communities of Molinion of bird species is often higher than in natural ponds. 220 obtained from eco-agricultural programs was used to and Arrhenatherion elatioris. bird species can be found here, 147 of which use the area actively protect the environment and to organize free 11. Interruption of succession by willow trees as a breeding ground. Among the species encountered instruction about the environment for children and young by encouraging grazing by cattle, sheep and are Ardea cinerea, Phalacrocorax carbo, and four Podiceps people in Lower Silesia. horses as part of the eco-agricultural programs species. Extensive fish farming also favors increased implemented. populations of the otter Lutra lutra and the beaver Castor 12. Increasing biodiversity in the protected area by fiber. instituting an active program of mowing and In 1925, the area around Przemków was already grazing to preserve open low peat bogs. one of the main refuges of Grus grus. In about 1930, the character of Szprotawa valley was radically changed by a system of irrigation and drainage canals. Polders as a wetland meadows fot. arch. DZPK The lowland heaths were converted into pastures The Lower Silesian Association of Landscape Parks in and cultivated fields. This was the case until 1950, when Wrocław has carried out innovative, effective and complex the Northern Air Base was established. In the middle of nature conservation activities, with the following results: the 1960s, the system of fish ponds was expanded to 912 Boardwalk fot. P. Śnigucki Straw harvest fot. arch. DZPK 1. Conservation of a bird refuge along the edge of hectares. In 1984, the fish ponds were designated as the European Route E052. This affected 18 species Since 1950, the area has been subject to nature Przemkowski Ponds Bird Sanctuary. listed in Appendix 1 of the Bird Directive, and 8 conservation, in spite of the fact that it was the site of a large species listed in the Polish Red Book. Soviet airbase until 1992. In around 1880, the wetland 2. Modernization of the heating system in the regions of the Szprotawa River valley were converted into headquarters of the Lower Silesian Association of fish ponds. Even though these ponds were man-made, Landscape Parks and the school in the village of their flora is similar to that of eutrophic ponds of natural Wysoka from traditional coal-based to biomass- origin. Commercial fish farming keeps these ponds in Grazing fot. arch. DZPK Whooper swan fot. M. Cieślak based. a uniform state of development, so that some wetland 3. Introduction of long-term strategies to prevent plant species grow abundantly, such as Lemna minor L., In the late 1980s and early 1990s, a new system marginalization of the local ethnic Gypsy Spirodela polyrrhiza, Sparganium erectum, Potamogeton of drainage canals was built in the Szprotawa valley, population. sp., Hydrocharis morsus-ranae L. and Typha angustifolia, which worsened hydrological conditions from a nature 4. Harvest of biomass for heating fuel. L. conservation standpoint. Wetland bird species became 1 2 3 less abundant, and some practically disappeared, and educational programs have been implemented, as In 2003, Polder No. 2 was opened to grazing by horses including Tringa totanus, Gallinago gallinago, Anas has active conservation of the habitats of many species, to halt natural plant community succession and to keep the clypeata and Anas querquedula. The numbers of Limosa including wetland birds. wetlands open. Willow saplings were also removed from limosa decreased radically, and after 1993, Numenius All projects carried out in the park are intended to the polder to preserved the sedge grassland communities arquata was no longer observed in the area. integrate agricultural policies with nature and landscape growing there. In 1992, the Soviets handed over the Northern Air conservation policies, and to expand implementation of Base to the Polish government. The base covered 3,100 the integrated policies among the institutions involved, as hectares, and was situated in the former voivodeships of well as the local population. Legnica and Zielona Góra. In 2008, the Lower Silesian Association of Landscape Parks carried out a series of projects in the area, including rural road improvements and installation of new culvert abutments along rural roads. This makes it possible to Biomass harvesting ...... and ecological heating system maintain an optimal ground water level and control the Removal of the saplings and reeds from the flow of flood water in the polders. Przemkowski Ponds Special Protection Area and, at the The nature and landscape conservation programs same time, from the Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Former military training area ...... now valuable wetlands implemented by the Lower Silesian Association of Area had the following effects: In 1993, the Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Landscape Parks are innovative because they involve the 1. Protection of biodiversity in wetlands ecosystems Area was established on part of the land belonging to local Gypsy population in the conservation work. This by actively conserving wetland and aquatic the Voivodeship of Legnica. 1n 1997, the Przemkowski minority is threatened by social marginalization, and habitats. Landscape Park was established, and incorporated both recently also recently by intolerance and discrimination 2. Harvest of biomass as a sustainable energy sources. the Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Area and the in several countries of the European Union. The activities carried out during the project lasted over Przemkowski Ponds Bird Sanctuary. In 2004, these areas a period of many years. The nature conservation goals became part of the European Ecological Network Natura required constant maintenance practices to increase the 2002 as the Przemkowski Ponds Special Protection Area wetland bird populations in the special protection area. (PLB 020003). The social goals also required sustained work every year to Following the establishment of the park, meadows activate the local Gypsy population. and pasture land were returned to agricultural use. The The number of tourists visiting the Przemkowski Activisation of the local Gypsy population fot. arch. DZPK water level was improved by rebuilding and expanding Wetlands Ecological Area increased by more than 10% for the system of sluices to slow down the flow of surface Since 2002, activities carried out in the park the following reasons: water in the area. include harvesting hay and reeds as biomass from the 1. Increased access due to the construction of the Presently, the park, with its wetlands and bogs, Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Area. This is one of the 850-meter-long educational boardwalk. The represents the largest well-preserved fragment of lower strategies for protecting valuable wetland areas. Without boardwalk was constructed of wood, and leads river valley floodplain in Lower Silesia. Eco-agricultural regular mowing, the wetlands in the park would lose their though a belt of reeds. The boardwalk is used to unique natural value. observe wetland birds and to facilitate instruction New culverts and sluices have been installed in Polder in ecological education. No. 1 in the Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Area as 2. Increased access to areas that had been previously part of the project “Retention of excess flood water in the off-limits to birdwatchers and nature lovers. Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Area”. An 850-meter- Project “Re-establishing biodiversity in the Przemkowski long educational boardwalk has also been erected in the Wetlands Ecological Area of the Przemkowski Landscape Cattle and sheep grazing fot. arch. DZPK Przemkowski Wetlands Ecological Area. Park: Polder No. 1 and Polder No. 2” 4 5 6

An automatic pumping station had been installed to drain part of the Przemkowski wetlands. This resulted in a significant loss of groundwater resources from the wetlands. The water was expelled into the Szprotawa River and was used to maintain water levels in the local fish ponds, which were administered by the Agency for Agricultural Real Estate of the National Treasury. The wetlands dried out and underwent eutrophication. These deleterious hydrotechnical effects were reversed by installing and reinforcing two culvert abutments in the area of Polders No. 1 and 2. In order to effectively execute the activities included in the eco-agricultural program, the Lower Silesian Association of Landscape Parks joined a new program in 2009 called “Purchasing farm equipment for mowing ecological sites”. The program was designed to monitor work on active conservation carried out at the same time as biomass was being harvested as a renewable energy source. The project was carried out as part of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship’s Regional Operating Program for Lower Silesia, and titled “Restoration of degraded post- military areas in the Przemkowski Landscape Park for nature-related purposes and pro-ecological activity”. The program for 2007 to 2013 listed among its priorities “The environment and ecological security”, which included “Restoration of degraded areas”. The project was co- funded by the European Union’s European Fund for Regional Development. As part of this project, the post-soviet military bunkers were completely refitted to serve as the largest documented hibernation site for bats in the Lower Silesian Woodlands.

Protection of biodiversity fot. M. Cieślak 7