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NATURE LANDSCAPE OF UPPER BIEBRZA VALLEY
The Biebrza Valley - a huge, over 100 km long and over 90 000 ha in extent, depression covered by peat is the biggest and one of the best preserved natural peatland complex in the Middle Europe. It is located in the north-east of Poland, in the borderland of Masurian Lake District, Lithuanian Lake District and North Podlasie Lowland.
Vast areas of peatland covered mostly by sedge and scrub communities and less frequently by forests are the main elements of the Biebrza Valley landscape. According to the research the Biebrza Valley is overgrown totally by 73 plant associations, including almost all lowland plant communities typical for marshland, peatland and water ecosystems occurring in Poland. The most valuable of them are moss and sedge-moss communities. The vegetation of the Biebrza Marshes is characterized by high degree of natural maintenance and by occurrence of many rare plants. There were found over 920 vascular plant species and tens of them are vanishing or endangered species. The most valuable are glacial relicts represented by 17 vascular plant species and 8 moss species. The huge diversity of habitats and vegetation determine on excellent conditions to exist for many animal species, especially birds. About 271 bird species have been observed in the Biebrza Marshes so far, including 181 breeding birds. As many as 17 bird species recognized as vanishing or endangered species in Poland, are nesting here - which is 1/3 of all such type of species in Poland.
The Biebrza National Park covers almost entire Biebrza Valley. The Park was established in 1993 and it is the largest of all Poland's national parks. The area of the Park is 59 223ha, including 23 428 ha of marsh ecosystems. Since 1995 the Park was designated as a wetland site of global significance and is under protection of the RAMSAR Convention. There are being made efforts to designate the Park as a biosphere reserve of UNESCO.
Photo. A.Wiatr |
Photo. M.Siłakowski |
Photo. M.Siłakowski |
The Biebrza Valley is naturally divided into four basins: the Upper Basin - east of Sztabin, the Middle Basin - between Sztabin and Osowiec, the Lower Basin - between Osowiec and the Biebrza mouth and the Wizna Basin. Both nature trails "The Biebrza Marshes - Nowy Lipsk" and "The Biebrza Marshes - Szuszalewo" are located in the Upper Basin. The beginning of this basin is located in the small valley of the Nurka River, nearby the Jaginty village. The initial part of the Biebrza Valley is 34 km long and about 4-6 km wide. Here, the peat deposit is one of the deepest in the whole Biebrza Valley - it is 3-6 m thick and it is made up of less decomposed, moss origin peat. The diversified relief of this part of Valley is characterized by moraine relic mountains and mineral islands, among the biggest are: Lipska Island, Jastrzębska Island and Szuszalewska Island.
Beata Matowicka
translation: Cezary Naliwajek
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