Synthesis

A summary of the present knowledge on the refuges Natura 2000 in the Odra valley results in the following data:

Along the whole Odra valley and its closest setting, there are 45 territories of total area 76 700 ha. which were reckoned worth protecting (or have already been protected). Additionally, one should expect a recognition of a few other areas situated directly in the Odra floodplain terrain or its closest setting. Some of them (e.g. Brandenburgia) have already been picked up but up to now have not been placed in the present report due to the lack of detailed data concerning their borders and motives of protection.

A characterisation of the chosen areas according to their areas looks like this:

A differentiation of areas comes out of various functions of particular refuges:

  1. terrains of area 10-50 ha. - in Poland these are exclusively refuges to protect valuable grassland communities (out of a compound of Molinion, Alopecurion) together with the flora and fauna attendant. These regions should be protected as partial reserves (to make a controlled pasturage and hay-making possible). In Germany the refuges of comparable areas have been brought into existence mostly for protection of termophilous grassland communities which require a similar protection status.
  2. terrains of area between 51 and 1000 ha. - the ones connected with the Odra valley itself or situated in its vicinity, including one or two types of habitats closely related as for succession rank (usually forest communities as well as meadows and pastures developing in deforested areas) or bigger forest complexes along with oxbow lakes and accompanying plant communities. These areas should be protected as strict or partial forest reserves, depending on the biotopes dominating there or requirements of protection typical of particular species of valuable flora and fauna. A qualification of protection type is significant especially in Germany, since - as a rule - territories of similar areas comprise plant communities (of a mosaic type) from one dynamic circle, in which cessation of extensive exploitation may result in impoverishment of biodiversity and unification of habitat types.
  3. terrains of area over 1000 ha. should - in most cases - set ground for establishing landscape parks, because they - as a rule - include strongly diversified biotopes of river valley, developed as a consequence of long-term anthropopression. Their natural values are related to the very mosaic of habitats, a maintainance of which involve periodic man’s activity. In Germany, in the Odra valley, the fields of over 1000 ha. are protected as Landschaftschutzgebiete - an equivalent of Polish Protected Landscape Areas (Chojnacki, Torkler 2000) or Nationalpark (national parks).
  4. three regions spotted in Poland so far: Międzyodrze, the Odra valley between Rzeczyca and ¦cinawa and the mouth of Warta should be protected as national parks. In the case of Międzyodrze, it is important that it is connected with Nationalpark “Unteres Odertal" into one Polish-German national park, under a common plan of protection and tourist utilisation. To maintain the unusual natural values of this area, the international cooperation seems indispensable. The two other areas are situated wholly on the Polish side, yet their natural rank justifies a possibility of receiving from the non-government organizations and foundations from the EC countries interested in environment protection active logistic and financial help.

Within the confines of the suggested refuges, different numbers of habitats mentioned in Annex 1 of Directive FFH (The Habitats Directive) are subjects to protection. Exceptionally (Orchid’s Escarpment, Piepergrund, Trockenrasen Geesow) it is one habitat, and in small grassland refuges (Poland) or termophilous and moor vegetation refuges (Germany) - 2-3 habitat types. In refuges of more than 500 ha. there are 5-8 types of habitats. Among the most valuable there are: Nationalpark “Unteres Odertal" (18 types of habitats, however, it is the area which up to now has been investigated best), the Odra valley between Rzeczyca and ¦cinawa, Chranena Krajinna Oblast ChKO “Poodri", Nowa Sól Riverine Forests and Dębnickie Swamps !!!!!!(so far 8 habitat types recognised) and Mittlere Oder, Odra Oak-hornbeam Forests and Wielki Bełcz (7 types).

At least 6 refuges out of the mentioned should have a status of Special Protection Areas and as such are reported by candidate countries (cf. Gromadzki et al. 1994, Pavelka et al. 1994, Grimmet, Jones 1997, Vlašín et al. 2000). These are: Chranena Krajinna Oblast “Poodri", “Łężczak" fish ponds, Odra oak-hornbeam forests (forests in the Odra valley: Kotowice i Siechnica), the Odra valley between Rzeczyca and ¦cinawa, Słońsk sanctuary and “the Odra valley and D±bie Lake".

The remaining areas, although rich in many bird species listed in Annex I of Directive 79/409/EEC, should be acknowledged Special Area of Conservation, but the status of Nowa Sól Riverine Forests and (Borkowskie Gołkowice Riverine Forest should also be examined, since they are nests for a number of species of birds mentioned above similar to those refuges which have already been acknowledged.

In Germany, Special Protection Areas status has been granted to Oderauer Genschmar and (partly) Nationalpark “Unteres Odertal". The status of Mittlere Oder - the refuge in which a large number of species mentioned in Directive 79/409/ECC nest - is not clear yet.

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