Landscapes Forest and Global Change - ESA - Escola Superior ...

B. Bożętka 2010. Recent relations between forestry and agriculture in Poland
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Recent relations between forestry and agriculture in Poland -
the rural landscape on the axis of openness and enclosure
Barbara Bożętka *
Gdańsk University, 4 J. Bażyńskiego Str., 80-952 Gdańsk, Poland
Abstract
The paper refers to a complex problem of landscape change in Poland. It concentrates
on quality as well as quantity transformation within forestry and agriculture and their
consequences for the rural landscape. A systematic increase in a forest cover connected with a
decrease in agricultural land is observed in Poland. The tendencies are accompanied by
landscape disturbance processes, such as settlement sprawl and intensification of agriculture.
The work presented here stresses the influence of above mentioned factors on landscape
structure; it employs a broad-scale analysis and focuses on the last two decades. The issue of
landscape heterogeneity is widely investigated and regional differences have been underlined.
Since the landscape configuration experiences crucial changes, an axis of openness- enclosure
and its spatial redistribution received special attention.
Keywords: landscape, structure, rural areas, reforestation, Poland
1. Introduction
A spatial arrangement of elements demonstrating open or enclosed character strongly
determines landscape configuration. Patterns of open and enclosed spaces organize and
differentiate the land. Besides their compositional values (see Bell 2004), coexistence of openenclosed
units fulfils significant ecological functions, e.g. enhancing or inhibiting material and
energy flows in ecosystems. The context of openness and enclosure may also underline
variability of landscapes and their dependence on a man-made impact.
The Polish rural landscape has been facing considerable changes for the last two
decades, which result mainly from operation of new driving forces appearing after a political
reorientation in 1989. Demands of a market economy altogether with a global environmental
agenda, restrictions and regulations introduced by EU accession in 2004 set in motion new
processes. They modify traditional land-use patterns, influence structure, functions and values
of the rural landscape. Interestingly, the processes are well pronounced in interrelations between
forestry and agriculture- two main functions held by the rural areas in Poland.
2. The Polish rural landscape and its characteristic features
Regarding a landscape typology at a continental level, at least two types of the rural
landscape should be distinguished in Poland: open fields and strip fields (e.g. Kostrowicki 1994,
Meeus 1995). Agricultural land has had the greatest share in the total area of the country for
centuries; nowadays it equals 50.9 % (Stat.Yearb.Rep. 2010) and consists mainly of arable
fields and meadows. Noteworthy, non-natural factors have dominated the evolution of the
agricultural landscape and very close relations between: 1. meadows, pastures and the river
network and 2. arable land and settlement constitute a typical structural feature of the rural
* Corresponding author. Tel. 0048/58 523 65 61
Email address: geobb@univ.gda.pl
Forest Landscapes and Global Change-New Frontiers in Management, Conservation and Restoration. Proceedings of the IUFRO Landscape Ecology
Working Group International Conference, September 21-27, 2010, Bragança, Portugal. J.C. Azevedo, M. Feliciano, J. Castro & M.A. Pinto (eds.)
2010, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Bragança, Portugal.