Bialowieza Forest(Also known as “Puszcza Bialowieska” meaning forest of the White Tower)

Lacy WieckowskiGPHY 111, F’13

October 29, 2013

Bialystok, Poland

Map of Poland

http://www.map-of-poland.co.uk/large-physical-poland-map.htm

Map of Bialowieza Forest/Nature Reserve

• Dark gray areas are protected

areas such as nature reserves

• Light gray areas are managed

resorts

• The line in the middle is

country line Poland/Belarus

http://bp21.org

Map of Bialystokhttp://www.jvw.nl/alle-landen-polen-natuur-c-1_232_2576/nature-guide-to-the-bialowieza-primeval-forest-poland-natuurgids-oerbos-bialowieza-crossbill-guide-p-25331

• Bialystok is

one of largest

cities in

Poland

• Closest

settlement to

Bialowieza

Forest

Bialowieza Forest(Poland Side)52° 21’ 55” - 52° 59’ 15”N and 23° 43’ 10” - 23° 56’ 30”E

• Split into Poland and Belarus side

• Last patch of primeval woods

• At one time extended across entire

European lowlands

• Most the forest was cut down for

settlement

Bialowieza Forest• Covers 41 square miles on Poland side

• Hwozna and Narewka Rivers to the

north and west of forest

• Small village inside forest – now resort

• Includes few hotels, museum, and

guided tours

• Avg. precipitation 641 mm

• Avg. annual temp. 6.8°C

• Snow cover persists on average 92

days/year

Largest Spruce trees ever grown… 55 meters in height, Oaks as tall as 40 meters http://forests.org

Reason for Bialystok

• There is no actual climate data on Forest itself

• Due to it’s being protected

• The city of Bialystok has an elevation and climate

most similar to the Bialowieza Forest

Generations of wolves in Bialowieza forest since the beginning of time

Bialystok, Poland• Closest town to Bialowieza Forest

Average temperatures of highs and lows year round

Average precipitation year round

http://www.eldoradocountyweather.com

http://www.weather-and-climate.com

Bialystok, Poland

• Climate is Dfb

• Humid

• Severe winters

• Moist through all

seasons

• Has short warm

summers

J F M A M J J A S O N D0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

-30

-20

-10

0

10

20

30

pre

cip

itat

ion

(m

m)

tem

per

atu

re (

C)

Climate Classification: Dfb

• D: Coolest month=less than 0°C

• at least one month more than 10°C

• f: does not meet requirements of 40mm or less

precipitation in wettest winter month

• or driest month in winter less than 1/10

precipitation of wettest summer month

• b: warmest month is less than 22°C and more than

10°C for 4 months

Other Places with Dfb Climate

http://www.factualworld.com/article/Humid_continental_climate#Dfb:_Warm_summer_subtype

Climate in Poland

• moderate climate

• maritime and continental elements

• humid Atlantic air which collides over area with

dry air from Eurasian interior

• eastern Poland has mostly continental climate

• harsh winters and hotter, drier summers

Climate in Poland

• Latitude: 53.12

• Farther North than us

• Similar weather to us

• disturbances in the pattern of main air masses

• Summer may be hot and dry a few years in a row

• then become cool and wet

Climate in Poland

• In winter, weather is most affected by

• Icelandic Pressure

• Winds mostly easterly

• Summer:

• Azores anticyclone

• Winds are mostly westerly

• Changing atmospheric fronts from Asia

• Predominant west circulation of winds

• Caused by eastward movement of barometric lows from Atlantic

http://en.poland.gov.pl/Environment,306.html

The forest in the summer (mostly June) has many swampy areas because of high precipitation

Climate Changes in Bialowieza

• Threat of rising temperatures

• Risen 0.8°C in 50 years

• Decline in precipitation

• Winters become shorter and milder

• Plants grow earlier

• Ground water level fell 20 inches in 30 yearsSome trees that have fallen over and uprooted due to climate changes www.Wildpoland.com

Climate Changes in Bialowieza

• Home to some of Europe’s largest spruce trees

• Less rain fall=fewer spruce trees

• Uprooting

• Dying

• Only Polish monument of nature

You can see how large some of these trees are next to a person.

Human Connection Pollution

• Poland 2nd most polluted country in Europe

• May be cause to less precipitation and rising temperatures

• Bialystok closest town to forest

• Poland's largest city

• Population: 294,989

Human Connection

• Poland Coal Mining

• 140 million+ tons of coal annually

• Has been reduced since study due to

pollution

• In 1989 many factories shut

down

• Due to fall of communism

http://tcktcktck.org/2013/02/coal-plant-poland/48780

Summary• Last place almost completely untouched

by humans

• Old ancient woods

• The climate is somewhat similar to what

we experience

• Short warm summers

• Longer colder winters

• The changes in climate are interesting

and effective

• Increase temps

• Decrease plant life

• Major pollution

• The changes in climate are

interesting and effective

• Increase temps

• Decrease plant life

• Major pollution

• 1992: Reserve enlisted on World

Heritage List

• 1993: Internationally recognized

as Biosphere Reserve under

UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere

Program 1993

• the Polish part in 1979

Works Cited

Map of Poland. 2004. Map. GEOATLAS.comWeb.

. Belovezhskaya Pushcha – 21st Century. N.p., n.d. Web.

<http://bp21.org.by/>

North-east Poland Crossbill Guides. Crossbill guide, Web. <http://www.jvw.nl/alle-landen-polen-natuur-c-

1_232_2576/nature-guide-to-the-bialowieza-primeval- forest-poland-natuurgids-oerbos-bialowieza-crossbill- guide-p-25331>.

Works CitedWild Zone images from wild regions of the planet. 2013.

Photograph. Wild ZoneWeb. <http://wildzone.it/?gal=25&id=326&l=en>.

Glen, Barry. "Forest Protection Blog." ALERT! Save Poland's Bialowieza Forest, Europe's Last Primeval Temperate Forest. N.p., 10 Aug 2010. Web.

El Dorad Weather. 2013. Chart. El Dorado Weather, Inc.Web. <http://www.eldoradocountyweather.com/climate/europe

/poland/Bialystok.html>.

Works Cited"Weather and Climate: Poland." World Weather and Climate

Information. N.p., n.d. Web.

"Humid Continental Climate." Factual World. N.p., n.d. Web.

"Environment." Polska Official website of the Republic of Poland. Ministry of Foreign Affairs, n.d. Web. 28 Oct 2013.

<http://en.poland.gov.pl/Environment,306.html>.

"Environmental Pollution in Poland." Polishsite. Baba Jaga Corner, n.d. Web.

"Bialowieza Forest, Poland." The Encyclopedia of Earth. United Nations Environment Programme- World Conservation M, 14 Apr 2011. Web. <http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/150540/>.