Ancient woodland plants in forest islands in the Uniejów municipality Cover Image

Rośliny starych lasów w wyspach leśnych na obszarze gminy Uniejów
Ancient woodland plants in forest islands in the Uniejów municipality

Author(s): Błażej Chmielecki, Leszek Kucharski
Subject(s): Regional Geography, Environmental Geography
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Łódzkiego
Keywords: indicator plant species; ancient woodland; forest islands; Uniejów municipality

Summary/Abstract: Uniejów agricultural landscapes dominate in the Uniejów municipality as farmland takes up more than 80% of the area, while woodland constitutes only 10.6% and is reduced to separate small wooded patches (islands) with anthropogenically impaired flora. No larger forest tracts survived there. In the years 2021–2022, the flora of 33 randomly chosen forest islands (less than 10 ha) was examined and listed, focusing particularly on species belonging to the group of “ancient woodland indicators”. Altogether 21 species of plants typical of old forests were identified in the area, out of which 10 species were found in the “richest” forest patch and only two in the poorest one. Generally, forest islands in the Uniejów municipality contain few species confined to old forests. The islands represent mostly recent secondary woods on the formerly agricultural land.

  • Issue Year: 2023
  • Issue No: 12
  • Page Range: 7-29
  • Page Count: 23
  • Language: Polish