The aim of the present paper is to discuss the problems with attempts to increase forest area in Poland (with a focusing on afforestation in the last 30 years), to analyse the discrepancy between the afforested area and the recorded increase in forest area, and to identify solutions that could enable Poland to achieve the policy goal of 33% forest cover by 2050. The study is based on available official documents, statistical data, and the existing literature. It presents the results of a postal survey of key institutional actors involved in afforestation in Poland on the factors hindering the implementation of afforestation on private land. The study shows that the main factors influencing the collapse of afforestation are long-term, and it is unlikely that this trend will be reversed in the coming years. However, it appears possible to take steps to convert forested agricultural lands that meet national criteria for recognition as forest to forest. The urgent need to protect biodiversity and improve environmental quality in the face of climate change makes it necessary to develop and implement a new program to increase forest area and to provide coherent tools to support the conversion of forested agricultural land to forest.

The Land and Property Register (LPR) of Poland contains information on land use for the entire country. Additionally, a sample-based National Forest Inventory (NFI) provides statistical data for forest areas and detailed information on numerous forest parameters. However, until 2014 NFI plots were established only on areas classified as forest in the LPR. In this article, we present results of an estimation of forest area by extending the NFI measurements on all theoretical points in a grid, and compare the results with LPR information for one province (the Podlaskie voivodeship). At each point, we assess land use with recent aerial photographs and verify the ambiguous points in the field. Forest area in Poland is increasing due to afforestation and natural expansion of forest. Delays in the updating process of the LPR, and unwillingness of the owners to agree to reclassification of their land, have led to an underestimation of overall forest area. Our results demonstrate that forest area estimates made by the improved NFI are higher than those based upon the LPR. The modified NFI may be an appropriate tool for monitoring forest area changes in Poland.

Teoretyczna dokładność statystycznej metody reprezentacyjnej pomiaru miąższości obrębu leśnego:

Since 1967, when the Polish State Forests were first inventoried, a continuous increase in the volume of growing stock has been recorded. This increase in timber resources is mainly the result of sustainable forest management. However, during this time period inventory methods have been changed a few times and this may have affected the estimates of of wood resources. Since 2011 new instructions have been in place for forest management plans in the Polish State Forests. Despite this, the method of taking forest inventories remained consistent with the previous guidelines. This should allow us to consider changes in the volume of growing stock in relation to inventory methods and their accuracy. In this paper, the results of growing stock estimations based on two assessments made using stratified random sampling are compared. After five years of inventories made for forest management plans, 422 sample plots in two forest districts were measured within 15 strata. Predicted age classes structure at the beginning of successive management plans was used to determine new strata. Data from two inventories were compared on the basis of age class. In addition, data from the State Forests Information System i.e. updated stand level inventory data (on felling and tree growth) were analyzed. Comparing data from the two inventories, in three of seven age classes there was a decrease in the volume of growing stock after a five year period. We found no rational explanation for this. The extent of felling in the analyzed stand was very low, as confirmed by data from State Forests database. However, the largest decrease in volume was 1.5%, whereas the accuracy of growing stock assessment of discussed age class was estimated at some 9% in 2006 and 8% in 2011. Hence, from statistical viewpoint there was no differences between the results of both inventories. However, the differences between volume of growing stock of examined age classes, updated in the Information System of the State Forests and results of assessments by stratified sampling are less than 95% confidence intervals for means of samples. Because of that, updated information could be used in the long term management planning. The results clearly suggest that changes of growing stock, estimated as a difference between two assessments, should be interpreted in conjunction with the accuracy of these inventories. The accuracy of sampling should be also taken into account when creating management plans.

This paper discusses selected issues concerning the efficient management of forests overseen by the State Forest National Forest Holding, which are also protected as Natura 2000 sites. The study analysed the coherence of the provisions of the Forest Management Plans (PUL) and Natura 2000 Management Plans (PZO). The research was conducted in the first quarter of 2023 in six forest districts (Dukla, Jarocin, Kartuzy, Kołaczyce, Prudnik and Żednia) located within five regional directorates of the State Forests. The analyses carried out have identified several problems related to assigning the protection measures specified in the PZO to a specific area and determining their impact on forest management. The first problem concerns the boundaries of forest sub-compartments, which usually do not coincide with the boundaries of natural habitats (the protection measures apply to habitat areas rather than entire forest sub-compartments). Another fundamental problem is the discrepancy between the principles of forest management in the PUL and the the PZO regarding the area and location of natural habitats. A good example of this is the area PLH160007 – the Opawskie Mountains (Prudnik Forest District) and PLH200006 – Ostoja Knyszyńska (Żednia Forest District). The results of the phytosociological investigations in the Żednia Forest District revealed discrepancies in 55 sub-compartments where the 91D0 habitat was recorded according to the PZO. In 34 compartments, the phytosociological investigations showed that habitat 91D0 was not present. In the remaining 21 compartments, the investigations revealed either a different habitat area (with both positive and negative deviations) or a different natural habitat type. It also appears problematic to determine whether the changes in forest management envisaged in the PZO actually impose stricter restrictions on natural habitats than the economic model applied to areas managed by the State Forests outside Natura 2000 sites. It should also be emphasised that the provisions of the PZO regarding changes in forest management may overlap with, or even be less stringent than, those arising from other conditions and obligations, such as certification schemes (FSC and PEFC) and legal requirements for good practice in forest management. This creates a problem in assessing whether changes in forest management practices result solely from the establishment of the Natura 2000 site.