Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity - Poland Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity POLAND Ministry of the Environment Warsaw, March 2009 1 Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity - Poland Contents: 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................4 2. OVERVIEW OF BIODIVERSITY STATUS, TRENDS AND THREATS .................12 3. CURRENT STATUS OF NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGIES AND ACTION PLANS................................................................................................................39 3.1 Identification and monitoring of the state of biological diversity and existing and potential threats ......................................................................................................................................................42 3.2 Effective elimination or reduction in threats to biological diversity........................................45 3.3 Preservation and/or improvement of existing as well as restoration of lost components of biodiversity..............................................................................................................................................55 3.4 Complete integration of the actions aimed at the biological diversity conservation with the sectors of economy influencing this diversity as well as the public administration and the society (including non-governmental organisations) with keeping proper proportions between the environmental balance and the social and economic development of the country ..............78 3.5 Broadening the knowledge and shaping attitudes and social activity on the protection and sustainable use of biological diversity .................................................................................................81 3.6 Improvement of the mechanisms and instruments supporting conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity .....................................................................................................................85 3.7 Development of international cooperation on a regional and global scale for protection and sustainable use of biological diversity resources .............................................................................100 3.8 Sustainable use of biological diversity taking into account fair and equitable sharing of benefits and costs, including costs of abandoning development due to natural resource protection..............................................................................................................................................103 4.SECTORAL AND CROSS-SECTORAL INTEGRATION OR MAINSTREAMING OF BIODIVERSITY CONSIDERATIONS ...................................................................104 4.1 Forest management...................................................................................................104 4.2 Agriculture ...............................................................................................................109 4.3 Fishery......................................................................................................................113 4.4 Tourism ....................................................................................................................116 5. CONCLUSIONS: PROGRESS TOWARDS THE 2010 TARGET AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN ..................................................119 5.1 Progress towards The 2010 Target ............................................................................119 5.2 Progress towards the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan of the Convention....133 2 Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity - Poland Appendices: 1. INFORMATION CONCERNING THE REPORTING PARTY AND PREPARATION OF NATIONAL REPORT 2. PROGRESS TOWARDS TARGETS OF THE GLOBAL STRATEGY FOR PLANT CONSERVATION 3. PROGRESS TOWARDS TARGETS OF THE PROGRAMME OF WORK ON PROTECTED AREAS 3 Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity - Poland 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Biological diversity in Poland is rather well known. It is estimated, that the total number of species occurring within the territory of Poland is about 63 thousand, including approximately 28 thousand plant species and 35 thousand animal species (700 vertebrate species). There are 485 plant communities in Poland (identified using Braun-Blanquet method), which appropriately describe the whole biological diversity of plant communities in terrestrial, aquatic and marine ecosystems. Threats to biological diversity present in Poland are typical of contemporary civilization: progressing urbanisation and land management, too slow reduction in pollution of environmental elements, adverse changes in land use, adverse impact on species perceived as conflicting, overexploitation of certain wild populations, progressing fauna and flora synanthropization and inflow of alien species. Genetic modifications of species and their release into the environment have been a potential threat in recent years and remain insufficiently explored. The political and economic transformation after 1989 aggravated threats to biological diversity (free market economy, more investment in new areas, opening borders, growing consumption, etc.). As a result of anthropogenic pressure, sixteen vertebrate species, including 10 bird species, 4 mammal species, one fish and one reptile species, have disappeared or gone extinct in the territory of Poland, and 60% of them have vanished within last 40 years. According to the Polish Red Book (2001), the list of endangered vertebrate species is 111 items long. Declining trends are recorded for 1648 plant species, 29% of which are vulnerable lichen, 20% - liverworts and basidiomycete fungi, 18% - moss, and 15% - vascular plants. It is estimated that 124 plant species have gone extinct or retreated over last 200 years. The Polish Red Book of Plants (2001) listing endangered ferns and flowering plants currently comprises 296 taxa, that is, 15% of the whole Polish flora. Thirty eight of those have lost their natural habitats in Poland 1. However, unlike to other European countries, Poland's farmland is characterised by a rich mosaic of habitats resultant from the traditional forms of farming. A substantial part of agricultural land is of high natural value and functions as a safe harbour for many endangered flora and fauna species. Owing to fragmentation of agricultural land, local forms of crop plants and local livestock breeds have survived until now in Poland. Abundance of old plant species can be found particularly in southern and eastern parts of the country (The Beskidy and Tatry Mountains, Ponidzie, and 1 Red List of Threatened Animals in Poland (Głowaciński 2002) contains 2769 species in total, which includes 7% of national fauna. 2174 items on the list are insects, 286 – arachnida, 151 – vertebrate, 129 – molluscs, and 30 – other animal groups. Most threatened groups include molluscs (almost 50% of all the species recorded in Poland were on the list), aquatic (57%) and terrestrial (43%) snails and slugs, ants (57%), bees (47%), mayflies (45%), Orthoptera (40%), mammals (33%), and birds (31%). Summing up, 707 of the listed invertebrate species are extinct species, critically endangered species and strongly endangered species, while the number of endangered vertebrae species is 62. Red List of Plants and Fungi in Poland (Zarzycki K., Mirek Z., 2006) includes 3123 taxons in total, including 506 vascular plant species, 92 liverwort and hornwort species, 963 fungi, 594 algae, 886 lichen and 82 myxomycetes species. Out of all the listed vascular plants, the highest endangerment level (extinct and vanished and vanishing species) characterizes 101 taxa, in case of liverworts and hornworts it is 39, and for fungi – 653 taxa. 4 Fourth National Report on the Implementation of the Convention on Biological Diversity - Poland Lubelszczyzna). However, the progressing modernization of Polish agriculture, discontinued cultivation of large light-soil areas and common availability of modern seeding material of crop species pose a threat to local populations and old species of crops. The majority of animal species bred in the country belong to not much more than a dozen of breeds, and the diversity is the largest in the case of sheep: there are 32 different breeds and lines kept. Apart from many valuable indigenous livestock breeds, fur animal varieties, local varieties of Central-European breed of bees, lines of carp and strains of trout deserve special attention. In recent years a number of policy documents have been issued; they clearly indicate the need for conservation of Poland’s natural heritage. Most important include National Environmental Policy of 1991 and its continuation for subsequent planning periods ( II National Environmental Policy of 2001, National Environmental Policy for 2003-2006 including Perspectives for Years 2007-2010 , the National Environmental Policy for 2009-2012 including Perspectives till Year 2016 draft adopted by the Council of Ministers in December 2008). Other strategic documents were also adopted. Their implementation should ensure favourable environment for actions taken under biological diversity conservation programmes. They include: Poland 2025: Long-term Strategy for Sustainable Development (2000), National Strategy for Environmental