Peatlands and their protection: select landscape parks of the Wielkopolska region

Abstract

In the context of five significantly different landscape parks in Wielkopolska (30,413 ha) 243 peatlands have been presented in terms of their characteristics, stratigraphy, change in means of utilisation and localisation. Thus trends in the change of peatland utilisation means in the period 1970–2016 were established and the resulting negative effects indicated. For this purpose the process of peatland protection established was analysed in the context of management plans carried out for both the protection of landscape parks and Natura 2000 sites within their territory. The above management plans, however, do not provide information as to localisation data, stratigraphy and to what purpose peatlands are used, which in all cover 2,690 ha – 4.2% of parks’ area. Most often this means there are no formal applications for their protection. This could be said to be a biproduct of a lack of discussion as to the major threat to the environment presented by the increasing disappearance of peatlands – a result of the mineralisation and moorsh process of peat soils. To a large extent the former has resulted from a lack of scientific expertise in respect to soils, peats and land reclamation in research teams preparing landscape management plans.

Keywords

• landscape park
• management plan
• Natura 2000 site
• nature protection
• peatland
• utilisation
• Wielkopolska region