MUZEUM I INSTYTUT ZOOLOGII POLSKIEJ AKADEMII NAUK FRAGMENTA FAUNI STIC A Fragm. faun. Warszawa, 15.12.1998 41 16 213-232 M aria S t e r z y ń s k a , Andrzej D y r c z ', Zofia G ę b c z y ń s k a ", Grzegorz Le s iń s k i "", J a n R a c z y ń s k i ", Jerzy R o m a n o w s k i "', W iesław W iśniewolski "" Review on the faunistic study of the Biebrza National Park - bibliography Abstract. The paper presents a bibliography of the vertebrate and invertebrate fauna of Biebrza National Park, comprising articles or notes that have been published over the last three decades. Key words: fauna, Biebrza National Park, bibliography Authors’ addresses: Museum and Institute of Zoology PAS, Wilcza 64, 00-679 Warszawa, POLAND. Museum of Natural History, Wroclaw University, Sienkiewicza 21, 50-353 Wroclaw, POLAND Institute of Biology of the Branch of Warsaw University. Świerkowa 20B, 2 3 -453 Białystok. POLAND Institute of Ecology, PAS. 05-092 Łomianki, POLAND "" Inland Fisheries Institute, Dept, of River Fisheries, Żabieniec, Główna 48, 0 5 -5 0 0 Piaseczno, POLAND INTRODUCTION Vertebrates Studies on the distribution and ecology of vertebrates inhabiting the area now belonging to Biebrza National Park were initiated in the 1960’s. However, not all taxa received equal attention. Birds are the group that has been ex­ plored the most thoroughly to date. The first regular studies of avifauna in the Biebrza River Basin were undertaken in 1966 (D y r c z et al. 1972). No publica­ tions concerned with this region, even short contributions and notes, had been published before 1960, although similar accounts about e.g. Silesia date back to the 17lh century. The studies were repeated on a larger scale in the years 1976-1980 (D y r c z et al. 1984). As a result the Biebrza River Basin http://rcin.org.pl 2 1 4 M. Sterzyńska et al. (except for the forests) has become one of the most extensively explored areas in Poland with respect to ornithological studies. The most recent paper concerned with the whole of the avifauna of the Biebrza River basin comprises the years 1976-1980 (D y r c z et al. 1984). How­ ever, with intensive succession of shrubs into the previously open peatlands, the data collected in that period have largely become outdated. In the 1990’s quite detailed data (even in comparison with the best studied areas elsewhere in Poland) have been collected regarding the numbers and distribution of 5 rare and endangered species: the Black Stork Ciconia nigra (L.), the Eagle Owl Bubo bubo (L.), the Spotted Eagle Aquila clanga P a l l ., the Lesser Spotted Ea­ gle Aquila pomarina B r e h m and the Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola (VlElLL.) (PUGACEW1CZ 1994a, 1994b, 1995a, 1995b, KROGULEC et al. 1997). In the years 1995 and 1997 a detailed study was carried out concerning the abundance and distribution of the aquatic warbler in the entire area of the National Park (K r o g u l e c et al. 1997). The warbler is a globally endangered species and the Biebrza Valley community ranks among the most abundant ones. There is no need at present to carry out additional field studies on the above-mentioned species. A number of studies of selected groups of mammals, particularly ungu­ lates, rodents and insectivores have also been carried out (G ę b c z y ń s k a & R a c z y ń s k i 1983, R a c z y ń s k i et al. 1983, 1984). Generally it can be stated that the Biebrza River Basin is one of the best explored areas in Poland, both faunistically and ecologically, as regards small mammals. A number of species have been the subject of detailed community-oriented studies e.g. the Elk Alces alces (L.) (G ę b c z y ń s k a & R a c z y ń s k i 1989, 1990, 1993). Communities of medium-size (Fox, Racoon, Badger) and large (Wolf) mam­ mals inhabiting the Biebrza River Basin have not been adequately studied to date. T r o k o w ic z (1980) was the first to track wolves in the valley in the 1970’s. His work was followed by papers on winter penetration of the area by mammals, including carnivores (F e d y k et al. 1984). It was only in the 1990’s that data on the composition of the food of foxes and racoons as well as badg­ ers and wolves started to be collected. Some of this material has been ana­ lysed in M.Sc. papers and published (K o b y l iń s k a 1996). Our knowledge of mustelids, beavers and muskrats in Biebrza National Park is largely accidental, reflecting a similarly fragmentary knowledge about this animal group on a national scale. To date, the largest amount of infor­ mation regarding the distribution in Poland, and particularly in areas adja­ cent to Biebrza National Park has been collected about the otter and the bea­ ver. However, the data on the occurrence and condition of the populations of these species within the National Park are still too general. In the 1990’s studies on the bat community of the Biebrza River Basin have also been ini­ tiated. Initial reports, concerned with the species composition and sites of importance for the bat community, have already appeared in print (Ko w a l s k i & L e s iń s k i 1994, L e s i ŃSKI 1994). Studies of the fish of the Biebrza River Basin (and adjacent areas) con­ ducted so far have generally been faunistics-oriented (K o z ik o w s k a 1983, http://rcin.org.pl Bibliography of Biebrza National Park 2 1 5 W it k o w s k i 1983a, 1984a, 1984b). They include catalogues of fish species and fish communities in these waters. A number of papers have also been con­ cerned with parasites of the fish and the assessment of the effect of fishing and angling. Studies on amphibians were fist undertaken only recently and reptilians have not been discussed in separate publications to date. Invertebrates Invertebrates inhabiting Biebrza National Park and its environs have been very poorly studied, and for many groups this area is still a “blank” on the map of Poland. The earliest faunistic records concerned with the Biebrza River Basin date back from the 1960’s. They include short contributions about the aphids (Aphidoidea ) of the Suwałki region (SZELĘGIEWICZ 1961), a comparative study of Diptera of artificial and natural meadows (F r y d l e w ic z -C ie s ie l s k a 1961) and spiders (Ka j a k 1960, 1962), faunistic data on the occurrence of intestinal parasites (the Acanthocephala group) of sheatfish (E j s m o n t 1964). The dy­ namics of meadow communities of Homoptera, Auchenorrhyncha and their occurrence in individual plant layers in the Kuwasy mire system have been studied by A ndrzejewska (1965). One of the earliest faunistic contributions analysing the occurrence of Coleoptera, Curculionidae in the area of Biebrza National Park was published in 1968 and concerned the “Czerwone Bagno” Reserve (G o t w a l d 1968). A considerable body of information on the response of invertebrate fauna inhabiting the peat soils of Biebrza National Park to different types of man­ agement can be found in publications mainly written by researchers from the Institute of Ecology PAS in Dziekanów Leśny (Ka j a k et al. 1986, A n d r z e ­ j e w s k a & W a s il e w s k a 1990, C ie s ie l s k a et al. 1990, P ę t a ł 1993, W a s s e n & O k r u s z k o 1994). The studies were performed in the years 1976-1993 and were mostly concerned with changes in abundance and biomass of the ani­ mals related to variations in the intensity of processes of mineralization. Nev­ ertheless, those studies also supply numerous data of faunistic, and particularly synecological character, that are required to perform qualitative-quantitative assessments of selected animal communities. BIBLIOGRAPHY M ammals (elaborated by Z. Gębczyńska, G. Lesiński, J. Raczyński, J. Romanowski) B o r k o w s k a A., K o n o p k o A. 1994. The winter browse supply for moose in different forest site-type in Biebrza Valley, Poland. Acta theriol., 39: 67-71. B o r k o w s k a A., K o n o p k o A. 1994. Moose browsing on pine and willow in Bie­ brza Valley, Poland. Acta theriol., 39: 73-82. B r z e z iń s k i M., J ędrzejewski W., J ędrzejewska B. 1992. W inter hom e ranges and movements of polecats Mustela putorius in Białowieża Primeval Forest, Poland. Acta theriol., 37: 181-191. http://rcin.org.pl 2 1 6 M. Sterzyńska et al. B r z e z iń s k i M., J ędrzejewski W ., J ędrzejewska B . 1993. Tchórz - między rzeką a kurnikiem. Łowiec Polski, 1: 14-15. B r z e z iń s k i M., R o m a n o w s k i J. 1996. Norka amerykańska. Łowiec Polski, 4: 19-21. B r z e z iń s k i M., R o m a n o w s k i J.