Forests cover an estimated 38.5% of Poland's territory, and are mostly owned by the state, and are increasing at a fast rate by 2035 Polands forest percentage will be 42-46%. Western and northern parts ofPoland as well as theCarpathian Mountains in the extreme south, are much more forested than eastern and central provinces.[1] The most forestedadministrative districts of the country are:Lubusz Voivodeship (60,2%),Subcarpathian Voivodeship (58,2%), andPomeranian Voivodeship (50,1%).[1] The least forested are:Łódź Voivodeship (36%),Masovian Voivodeship (34,6%), andLublin Voivodeship (32,8%).[1]
The forests of medieval Poland contributed high quality oaktimber to commercial trade throughout theBaltic region. Major trade centers for Polish timber includedDanzig andAmsterdam.[2]
At the end of the 18th century, forests covered around 40% ofPoland.[1] However, due to the 19th century economic exploitation during thepartitions of Poland, as well as, theNazi German and Soviet occupations between 1939–1945 with trees shipped to battle fronts across Europe,deforestation andslash and burn conditions of war shrank Polish forests to only 21% of total area of the country (as of 1946).[1] Furthermore, richdeciduous trees were replaced with fast growingconiferous trees of lesser value meant for commerce, such aspine. AfterWorld War II, the government of Poland initiated the National Plan of Afforestation. By 1970, forests covered 29% of the country.[1] As of 2009 – 29,1% of Poland's territory was forested, amounting to 9,088,000hectares.[1] It is estimated that by 2050, the total area of forested land should increase to 33%.[1]
As much as 81,8% of the Polish forests are state-owned, majority (77,8%) byPolish State Forests (Lasy Państwowe), 2% constitutePolish National Forests protected zones, 2% are owned by other governmental entities (such as localself-government or theAgricultural Property Agency) and 18,2% belong to private owners.[1] The high percentage of Polish forests owned by the state is the result ofnationalization of forests that occurred in theaftermath of World War II when Poland became acommunist state (People's Republic of Poland) under theSoviet sphere of influence.
Forest in Poland occupy the poorest soil.Coniferous type accounts for 54.5% (with the absolute dominance ofScots pine - Pinus sylvestris), whereasbroadleaved type accounts for 45.5% (out of that,alder andriparian forests account for 3.8%).[3] A number of forested zones are now protected by thePolish government and, in many cases, they have become tourist destinations. Over the years, many of the largest Polish forests have been reduced in size, and that reflected on the structure of forest inhabitation.[4]
Up until the end of the 18th Century, beginning in what is known as theMiddle Ages, forests were considered places for travellers and ordinary folk to stay away from, as they were home to bandits and were believed to be inhabited by evil spirits. Law and order did not apply to forests for many centuries, except for self-policing observed and administered by their inhabitants. However, the forests did contain numerous woodsmen and their families who made the best of their remote environment. These woodsmen lived on what the forest could produce, collectingpitch resin for sale – important as method of illuminating city streets – logging constructionlumber, collectinglime,beeswax,honey,hops,mushrooms and whatever other saleable items could be harvested in the forest and sold in villages outside of it.
Families of the woodsmen produced their own food through gardening and hunting, as well as their own clothing. In some cases, their sewing of intricate laces became well known outside the forest, resulting in additional family income.[4] Because of their isolation from society in general, woodsmen and their families developed their own style of dress, music, sewing, dialect, celebrations, and the type of dwellings. TheMasovia woodsmen for example, known asKurpie people, who lived in the forested region known in Poland as the White Wilderness (Puszcza Biała) and the Green Wilderness, still proudly proclaim and celebrate their unique culture and customs.
Data as of 2016.[5]
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↑ Encyklopedia Polski t.2ISBN 83-86328-74-6
