Management Support System for Biebrza National Park

:: Scenarios ::

Scenarios:

• Application of Agri-Environmental Programme in Biebrza National Park
• Tourist infrastructure and other infrastructure - e.g. where and what type of tourist activities could be planned.
• Kanał Kapicki - hydrological scenario

1. The plant succession, caused mostly by the abandonment of the meadows, is one of the main threats to Biebrza valley nature values.

2. Area of Biebrza National Park threatened by plant succession:

3. According to the draft Biebrza National Park Management Plan there is area of 30 444 ha which should be mowed. A few projects are undertaken to restrain plant succession in Biebrza National Park. They have covered area of about 2 500 ha until now. Some parts of the land is still used by farmers: about 5000 ha in the wet year (2001) and about 11 000 ha in the dry one (2003).

4. Land use and ownership structure in BNP

* - percent of BNP area

5. There is 17 278 private landowners in BNP. They are potential beneficiaries of Agri-Environmental Programme.

6. Proposed agri-environmental schemes for application in 2004-2006:

• Sustainable farming S01
• Organic farming S02
• Extensive meadows P01
• Extensive pastures P02
• Erosion and water pollution control K01
• Buffer zones K02
• Protection of genetic resources of traditional animal breeds G01

7. Expected effects of Agri-Environmental Programme application:

• preservation or increase of meadows and pastures biodiversity;
• sustainable use of natural resources;
• reconciliation between farming income and preservation of agricultural land nature values;
• decrease of farmland pollution (water and soil preservation);
• production of healthier food;
• creation of condition to better recreation

8. If Agri-Environmental Programme will not be realized, there are three possibilities:

• Intensification of agriculture in the surrounding of BNP or even inside the park.
• No change in existing agricultural land use of Biebrza valley.
• Abandonment of agricultural land use of Biebrza valley.

Tourist infrastructure and other infrastructure - e.g. where and what type of tourist activities could be planned.

In the Biebrza National Park and its protection zone, there are projecting and realizing different investments, which influence on the Park nature is very different. Taking it into account and because of the fact, that park area which occupies the territory of 60 thousand ha and its protection zone, which occupies another 60 thousand ha are very diversified, each investment (investment project) for which investors are applying, have to be treated and considered separately. This is difficult because if the fact that this procedure needs a lot of consultation with particular essential service of the Park: phytosocjology, ornithology, fauna protection specialist, water management specialist etc. This consultation make longer the decision making process. The role of created computer system MSS, is helping and accelerating the process of decision making. Moreover, all information and date, collected till this moment in the area of the Park nature can be watched and analyzed together. This is important because of the fact, that it decreases the risk of omition of the very important element during decision making process. Only one employee is engaged in the analyze process.

The general goal of scenario:

• indication of methods and possibilities of using and managing the territory of the whole Biebrza National Park for tourists purposes,
• helping in making decision concerning investments localization in the Park and its protection zone boundary,

The detailed goals of scenario - tourist infrastructure:

• inventory making of tourist infrastructure at the area of Biebrza National Park and its protection zone,
• identification of the excessively loaded with traffic and tourists development places, assessment of the proper localization of tourists tracks and structures,
• indication of the available and non available for tourist traffic areas,
• indication of areas where tourists purposes can be realized (setting out new tracks, localization of bivouac places, look-on towers etc.).

The detailed scenario - technical infrastructure:

• inventory making of technical infrastructure at the area of whole Biebrza National Park and its protected zone,
• indication of the areas which are lack of necessary technical infrastructure (ways, treatment plants, others),
• identification of the places in the Park and its protection zone where excessively investment can have negative influence on nature,
• identification of other hazards,
• specification of orders and conclusions for voivodeship and district spatial management plans,

Output materials:

• Map of the Biebrza National Park,
• Administrative division of the Biebrza National Park:
  • according to districts
  • according to protected district
• Biebrza national park in the protected districts net of Natura 2000,
• Map of the protection categories at the area of BNP,
• Mammal valorization map,
• Birds species protection map (confidential data),
• Plant communities map,
• Landscape valorization map,
• Map of tourist management inventory,
• Map of inventory of technical systems which have disadvantageous influence on nature of Biebrza National Park,

Final report:

• The map of possibilities Park area management. On this map areas where is absolute prohibition of management are specified.
• The map of possibilities of organizing tourist traffic in the bIebrza National Park.

Kapicki Canal

Kapicki Canal was built in the middle of XIX century. It was tributary of Biebrza River. It was built for draining areas of Kuwasy Marshland and creating new meadows and pastures. During last 150 years, faster outflow caused decreasing of grand water table, soil degradation and changes in flora. In the 2000 Biebrza National Park built 3 wooden weirs for increasing grand water table and stopping soil degradation. For optimal utilization of weirs it is necessary to gain farmers' acceptation. The weirs can be useful also for farmers. They will harvest more hay in dry seasons, then before. Without farmers' acceptation will take place further soil degradation and flora changes.