thumb|300px|Dominant tree species in Poland is [[Scots pine|Scots pine - Pinus sylvestris with 58% share.]]

thumb|300px|Perkuć Reserve in [[Puszcza Augustowska]]

thumb|300px|[[Puszcza Biała (The White Forest) of Masovia]]

thumb|300px|Polish part of [[Ueckermünde Heath|Wkrzańska Heath near Szczecin and neighboring county town, Police]]

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 of Poland as well as the Carpathian Mountains in the extreme south, are much more forested than eastern and central provinces.

Contemporary history

At the end of the 18th century, forests covered around 40% of Poland. However, due to the 19th century economic exploitation during the partitions of Poland, as well as, the Nazi German and Soviet occupations between 1939–1945 with trees shipped to battle fronts across Europe, deforestation and slash and burn conditions of war shrank Polish forests to only 21% of total area of the country (as of 1946). A number of forested zones are now protected by the Polish 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. 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. The Masovia woodsmen for example, known as Kurpie 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.

Tree composition

  • Pine – 58,1% (European red pine)
  • Oak – 7,7%
  • Birch – 7,3%
  • Spruce – 6,2% (Norway spruce)
  • Beech – 5,9% (European beech)
  • Alder – 5,7%
  • other broadleaf – 4,9%
  • other coniferous – 4,2%

Data as of 2016.

List of Polish forest complexes

A

  • Puszcza Augustowska (Augustów Primeval Forest)

B

  • Puszcza Biała (White Wilderness or White Forest)
  • Białowieża Forest, UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • Puszcza Borecka (Borki's Forest) near Borki
  • Puszcza Bukowa (Beech Forest) near Szczecin
  • Puszcza Bydgoska (Bydgoszcz Forest) near Bydgoszcz

D

  • Bory Dolnośląskie (Lower Silesian Wilderness)

J

  • Lasy Janowskie (Janów Forest Landscape Park)

K

  • Puszcza Kampinoska (Kampinos Forest)
  • Knyszyn Forest (Knyszyń Forest Landscape Park)
  • Krajna, part of Greater Poland Voivodeship
  • Puszcza Kurpiowska, collective name of Puszcza Biała and Puszcza Zielona.

Ł

  • Lasy Łukowskie (Łuków Forest)
  • Loda (Loda Forest)

N

  • Puszcza Niepołomicka (Niepołomice Forest)
  • Puszcza Notecka (Notec Forest) near the Lubuskie Lake District.

O

  • Oliwa forests in the Gdańsk district.

P

  • Puszcza Piaskowa (Piasek Forest) in the Odra valley near Cedynia.
  • Puszcza Piska (Pisz Forest)
  • Pomeranian Forest
  • Las Prudnicki (Prudnik Forest)

R

  • Puszcza Romincka (Romincka Forest)

S

  • Las Szpęgawski (Szpęgawski Forest)

T

  • Bory Tucholskie (Tuchola Forest) in the Pomeranian Lake District.

U

  • Ueckermünder Heide (Puszcza Wkrzańska) shared by Germany and Poland

W

  • Puszcza Wkrzańska (Ueckermünder Heide)

Z

  • Puszcza Zielona (Green Wilderness)
  • Puszcza Zielonka (Puszcza Zielonka Landscape Park)

References

  • Forests in Western Poland
  • Bialowieski National Park
  • Polish Forest pictures from forests photos on webshots
  • Kurpie district
  • Mazovia history

↑ Encyklopedia Polski t.2