Nature reserves in the landscape parks of the Wielkopolska Region

Abstract

Due to the unique natural values of landscape parks, their boundaries often overlap to varying degrees with other statutory forms of nature conservation. Within the boundaries of the landscape parks in the Wielkopolska Region, these include not only protected landscape areas and Natura 2000 sites, but also nature reserves. This article presents an analysis of the occurrence, management, and protection of nature reserves in the landscape parks of the Wielkopolska Region, based on current legal regulations. The 8 landscape parks in the Wielkopolska Region contain 25 nature reserves, located primarily on land owned by the State Treasury and managed by the National Forest Holding “The State Forests”. The majority of these are phytocenotic forest reserves, which protect forest and coniferous ecosystems, and landscape reserves, which protect various natural landscape ecosystems. Floristic reserves are mainly reserves for herbaceous plants and shrubs, while faunistic reserves are reserves that protect birds. Classifying nature reserves based on their primary conservation objective and main ecosystem type is very important because it allows for the establishment of clear boundaries between different types of nature reserves. The establishment, dissolution, protection, and management of nature reserves, as well as the issuance of administrative decisions in accordance with the principles and scope set forth in nature conservation regulations, are among the responsibilities of the regional director of environmental protection. When carrying out work related to the protection of nature reserves located within the boundaries of a landscape park, the regional director of environmental protection may cooperate with the director of the landscape park, but there is no statutory obligation for such an action. Within the area managed by the National Forest Holding “The State Forests” located within the boundaries of the landscape park, nature conservation tasks are carried out independently by the local forest district manager, in accordance with the provisions of the landscape park conservation plan incorporated into the forest management plan. The landscape park director’s authority is therefore clearly limited in this case. Thus, it is essential to address issues related, among other things, to the development of new methods for managing landscape parks and the assessment of the actual impact of landscape parks on the conservation of natural areas. The fact that a nature reserve is located within the boundaries of a landscape park does not provide it with additional, more comprehensive protection. It is pivotal to develop new methods for managing landscape parks and new guidelines for assessing the actual impact of landscape parks on the protection of the landscape.