Management Support System for Biebrza National Park

:: Ecological module ::

Works carried out within the scope of MSS ecological module

I. Completing the BNP database with thematic layers related to land-use changes

1. Drawing up of a land-use map presenting the state as of the early 1960-ies.

The map was drawn up on the basis of interpreting black-and-white aerial photographs taken in 1962 and 1963:

Interpretation of the photographs was performed in relation to geodetic division of the Biebrza Valley. The following elements of land cover structure were distinguished:

• used open wetlands
• unused open wetlands
• unused open non-wetland areas
• arable lands
• ditches
• roads
• peat-bog utilisation areas
• forest complexes
• thicket communities
• developed areas
• riverbeds
• old riverbeds

The land-cover types listed above were generalised in the land-use map legend. This material shall constitute one of the thematic layers of GIS developed within the scope of MSS.

2. Drawing up of a land-use map presenting the state as of the late 1970-ies.

Assumptions and cartographic methods in compliance with the above.

3. Drawing up of a land-use map presenting the state as of the late 1990-ies.

Works in progress, according to the methods presented above

II. Ecological model preparation for the Biebrza Valley

1. Ecological model

The main aim of preparing the ecological model for the Biebrza Valley is the possibility of presenting changes in selected types of vegetation for the adopted scenarios of changes in habitat conditions.

The chosen model is the NTM model developed in the Netherlands. It was based on three parameters relevant for the development of habitat conditions, which can be achieved both directly (measurements and field research) and indirectly (modelling results, cartographic studies, phytoindication methods). These parameters are: water availability (F), trophic conditions of the habitat (R) and nitrogen availability (N) which can be estimated on the basis of phytosociological photographs and applying of the so-called Ellenberg scale:

Analysing a sample consisting of an appropriate number of phytosociological photographs, it is possible to estimate the probability of occurrence of a given species/community in a region, in specified habitat conditions.

When adapting the model for the Biebrza Valley, two assumptions were made:

• the model shall be tested on vegetation types related to the plant communities specified in agri-environmental programmes
• due to accessibility of data, the model shall be developed and tested only for the Biebrza Valley.

Construction of the model includes the following stages:

• determining the scope of data necessary for model calibration (calibration of the Ellenberg scale for the Biebrza Valley habitat conditions),
• collecting an appropriate data population for calibration purposes,
• processing the existing phytosociological data and generalisation of data for selected vegetation types,
• determining probability of occurrence of each analysed vegetation type in the Biebrza Valley and output visualisation (maps),
• testing of the modelling outputs for several scenarios of changes in habitat conditions.

2. Verification and generalisation of BNP soil map (taking into account the scope of ecological model under construction)

The aim of verification and generalisation of BNP soil map under MSS is to prepare reference material, which will be used in ecological modelling (stage of scenario testing).

Verification and generalisation of soil map involved both indoor studies and field research. The indoor studies were connected with developing methods of soil map verification and generalisation.

Field works were carried out in 150 places situated in all Biebrza basins. The scope of research included determining of the following:

thickness of organic formations type of surface formations type and kind of soil reaction of surface soil layers occurrence of calcium carbonates in organic sediments present utilisation depth of groundwater occurrence

On the basis of field research results, analysis of BNP vegetation map, as well as topographic maps and aerial photographs, the range of particular soil unit demarcations has been verified. Subsequently, the soil map has been generalised for the needs of the ecological model. The developed map shall be a part of GIS.

3. Adapting the BNP vegetation map to the needs of the ecological model

CThe aim of adapting the BNP vegetation map within the scope of MSS is to prepare reference material for the needs of the ecological model (stage of scenario testing).

The adaptation of the map consisted in generalisation and adjustment of vegetation map demarcations to the vegetation types specified in the agri-environmental programmes. The following community groups were distinguished:

• sedge-moss communities
• tall sedge communities
• litter meadows
• reed
• reed mannagrass
• herb communities
• disturbed meadows
• nitrophilic river-bank grasslands
• herb communities
• forest
• fen meadows, Calthion wet meadows
• high peat bogs
• mosaic of shrubs and other communities
• mosaic of meadows and grasslands
• dry grasslands
• arable lands
• grasslands
• water plant communities

Out of the above-mentioned plant community groups, the following shall be tested in the ecological model: sedge-moss communities, tall sedge communities, litter meadows, reed, reed mannagrass, herb communities, disturbed meadows and nitrophilic river-bank grasslands.

The adaptation of the vegetation map involved both indoor studies and field research. The indoor studies were connected with developing the concept of map generalisation, updating the database, as well as introducing corrections of the range of some demarcations.

The field work included verification of some vegetation map sections, taking phytosociological photographs for the purpose of documentation of Biebrza Valley plant communities, as well as collecting biomass samples in order to determine productivity of the communities tested within the model. During the field works 130 phytosociological photographs were taken and productivity of plant communities was estimated for 80 places.