Total Area: 10 517,27 ha, of which 5725,75 ha are strictly protected.
The Park is situated in the central part of Białowieza Forest, to the
north of Białowieza village. Its eastern boundary is formed by the Polish border
with Belarus. At North, West and South it borders with "The Bialowieza Forest" Promotional Forest
Complex.
Symbol: European bison is symbol of both Białowieża National Park and the entire Białowieża Forest. It is the biggest European land
mammal.
Nature:
The aim of Bialowieza National Park is to protect of the most natural
forest having the primeval character that preserved in the zone of broadleaf and
mixed forest at the European Lowland Area.
Forests are the essence of the Białowieża National Park. The park
protects part of the Białowieza Forest, primarily to protect forest ecosystems.
The National Park is taken mainly by such plants community as The Oak - lime –
hornbeam Tilio – carpinetum. These
are mixed-broadleaved forests or broadleaved forest with spruce additive. These
forests are characterized by great diversity in terms of species composition.
There are many types of oak-hornbeam eg due to humidity habitats. In a typical
"fresh" oak - lime – hornbeam – forest Tilio – carpinetum typicum , which
covers a significant part of The Strictly Protected Area of BPN, such species of
trees are dominants as hornbeam, linden, maple, oak, spruce with a minor
contribution.
After the oak – lime – hornbeam forest the most abundant of the
Park’s plants communities is ash-alder riparian forest Circaeo - Alnetum. This type of forest
grows along the small rivers, streams and also in depressions without outflow.
Forest communities found in the BNP is also a bog birch forests and
various communities of pine forests and spruce.
There are 786 species of vascular plants (including 19 tree species,
30 shrubs) over 3000 fungi species, almost 200 mosses and 283 lichens with
numerous rare specific to primeval forest. The park is also inhabited by 120
nesting birds, 59 mammals and about 10 000 invertebrate species, mainly insects.
But not the numbers of the species in the natural forest are the most
important of course. Especially fact that the number of the species is not
stable - even mammals hard to estimate exactly. Such animals as bats are very
difficult to observe because of their specific behavior. It is important that in
BPN there are preserved the species that became extinct elsewhere in Europe or
species that are just very rare in other places of this continent. Generally is
known that fauna and flora of Białowieza forest is discovered only in 50 %. Here
even all process that take places in this forest not exactly explained by
researchers. Today still there are many questions without answer in the nature.
General characteristic of Białowieza National Park
units:
The Strictly Protected Area of BPN. The best saved part of BPN and whole Białowieza Forest. Since 1921
under strict protection officially. This part of forest in BPN is not a forest
like all the rest because its tree stands arose without human interference. The
main function of the strict protection is to preserve the all elements and
process of the nature. This part of Park is accessible for scientific research
on condition that this does not threaten to disturb the natural processes, or
rare species occurring here. This is the forest never cut and also never planted
by human hands. The forest is the oldest part of National Park – right there are
the most restricted regulation to sightseeing of the nature. Regulations allow
to do it only with licensed tourist guide.
The Hwoźna Protective District - right there you can see nature where forest management was left
since 1996 year. Since that time this forest started be working according own
natural process. Today in many points this forest reminds Strictly Protected
Area of BPN. There are a few excellently marked tourist routs, perfect to
observing wilderness since dawn up to sunset.
The Palace Park - old garden from XIX/XX age with monumental architecture. Today in
law of Białowieza National Park under landscape protection. The Nature and
Forest Museum is located right there.
The European bison Breeding Center which includes of the one open part to sightseeing “European center Bison Show Reserve”.
Right there you can see bison and the other mammals characteristic to this
forest.
History conservation of Białowieza National Park
Since the 15th century until of Partitions of Poland, the Białowieża
Forest was under the “eye” royal protection as hunting grounds of its owners -
polish kings. As of the 1888 the Białowieza Forest became a private property of
Russian Tsars and also was used as hunting area.
The criteria of protection since 1921 were such as today's
regulations governing national parks in the world.
In 1977 the Białowieza National Park was recognized by UNESCO as
Biosphere Reserve MAB. This status in 2005 was enlargement for whole Polish Part
of the area of Białowieza Forest.
In 1979 - The Białowieza National Park becomes the only natural area
which obtain the status of World Heritage Site in Poland. In 1992 UNESCO extends
this status for the Belarusian part of the Białowieza Forest (but also only
areas under strict protection).
In 1979 - The Białowieza National Park becomes the only natural area
which obtain the status of World Heritage Site in Poland. In 1992 UNESCO extends
this status for the Belarusian part of the Białowieza Forest (but also only
areas under strict protection). In this way was raised a Polish-Belarusian
transboundary World Heritage Site – one of only seven in the world.
Education in Białowieza National Park
The Nature Education Centre opened in 1996. The main aim of nature
education in the Centre is to promote the idea of nature conservation, as well
as to inspire a development of public support for the national parks existence,
according to principle of "Parks for Live".
The programme advanced a knowledge of nature: natural forest and
fresh water ecosystems; fungi, amphibians , mammals of the Bialowieza Forest, as
well as the danger of damage to the natural environment. The programme is aimed
a local communities, children, pupils, students, teachers and guides.
The staff of the Nature Education Centre organize school workshop for
pupils, trainings for teachers and tourist guides, art and photographic
competitions, annual one-day events such as: Earths's Day and National Parks's
Day. Film projections, lectures (with slide show), seminars, and meetings are
held at the centre.
The Nature Education Centre of BPN is located in the oldest building in Bialowieza in a historic, wooden
manor-house erected in 1845 for the governor of Grodno.
