FORESTS OF KARKONOSZE
Non-forest ecosystems of the Karkonosze National Park occupy as much as 70% of the Park’s area.
Long-lasting and strong human pressure on the natural environment caused that natural parts of the woods survived only on small areas of the forest.
Long-lasting and strong human pressure on the natural environment caused that natural parts of the woods survived only on small areas of the forest.
Foothills floor
The floor is located entirely within Chojnik and Mount Żar, formerly dominated by oak and hornbeam forests, and nowadays the main species of the wood is the spruce. In some of the better-formed sections of the forest, the layer of trees consists of small-leaved linden, sessile oak, beech and silver birch, warty birch. In the undergrowth we can find (among others): wood ragwort, whorled Solomon's-seal, and Prenanthes purpurea L.
Acidophilus oak is another species of this floor. These warmth-loving, found on the southern and western slopes of the Chojnik community consists mainly of: sessile oak, Prenanthes purpurea L., beech, pine, spruce, along with common oak. As far as the small undergrowth plant life is concerned, once can spot there: the whortleberry, common cow-wheat, goldenrod and hawkweed.
A rarity of the plantlife here (occurring here most probably due to the rivers regulation) are: gray grey alder, Siberian columbine meadow-rue, white butterbur.
On the Chojnik and at the Szklarka Waterfall, fragments of the relic pine forest have been preserved. It contains species as pine, spruce, beech, rowan and silver birc. Rock shelves are populated by Carpathian birch and shrubs - blueberries and common heather.
Acidophilus oak is another species of this floor. These warmth-loving, found on the southern and western slopes of the Chojnik community consists mainly of: sessile oak, Prenanthes purpurea L., beech, pine, spruce, along with common oak. As far as the small undergrowth plant life is concerned, once can spot there: the whortleberry, common cow-wheat, goldenrod and hawkweed.
A rarity of the plantlife here (occurring here most probably due to the rivers regulation) are: gray grey alder, Siberian columbine meadow-rue, white butterbur.
On the Chojnik and at the Szklarka Waterfall, fragments of the relic pine forest have been preserved. It contains species as pine, spruce, beech, rowan and silver birc. Rock shelves are populated by Carpathian birch and shrubs - blueberries and common heather.
Montane level
The main type of vegetation of this floor are beech forests. Poorly managed forest management (the introduction of anthropogenic spruce) led to the fact that the beech forest was preserved in a small altered form only on a small surface.
The most important group of the lower valley - the low beech forest - consists exclusively of beech, spruce tree and fir. The patches of this community can be found in the vicinity of Jagniątków, Chojnik and Szlarka Waterfall. In the bush layer we can notice: rowan, sycamore and silver birch, in the fleece mostly grass and moss.
Another beech forest with beech dominance is the Sudetes beech woods. Slight fragments occur on the northern slopes of Chojnik and in the valley of Szklarka.
The undergrowth is predominantly by plants specially of fertile habitats: sweetscented bedstraw, Eurasian baneberry, East Asian white birch.
A regular forest subsidence occurring in the lower valley is the artificial solid spruce stands. They occupy the habitat of another natural community of this floor - the lower glacial fir-spruce forest. From the upperland spruce forest it is still distinguished by the occurrence of lowland species such as fir, beech and ferns. Rocks of anthropogenic spruce form grasses, and in deciduous forest areas there are species of: raspberry, red elderberry, great willowherb, purple foxglove
The most important group of the lower valley - the low beech forest - consists exclusively of beech, spruce tree and fir. The patches of this community can be found in the vicinity of Jagniątków, Chojnik and Szlarka Waterfall. In the bush layer we can notice: rowan, sycamore and silver birch, in the fleece mostly grass and moss.
Another beech forest with beech dominance is the Sudetes beech woods. Slight fragments occur on the northern slopes of Chojnik and in the valley of Szklarka.
The undergrowth is predominantly by plants specially of fertile habitats: sweetscented bedstraw, Eurasian baneberry, East Asian white birch.
A regular forest subsidence occurring in the lower valley is the artificial solid spruce stands. They occupy the habitat of another natural community of this floor - the lower glacial fir-spruce forest. From the upperland spruce forest it is still distinguished by the occurrence of lowland species such as fir, beech and ferns. Rocks of anthropogenic spruce form grasses, and in deciduous forest areas there are species of: raspberry, red elderberry, great willowherb, purple foxglove
Alpine level
Due to the difficult climate conditions, the only tree stand here is the alpine Sudetes spruce (with a slight addition of rowan), which occupies all types of forest habitats on the surface of above 1000 m asl. As the height increases, the tree stand is reduced from 80% to 30%, and the tree shape and height are also changed. The undergrowth is rich, has the plantlife of shruby character (the dominance of European blueberry and lingonberry), grass (Calamagrostis villosa) or herbal (with a predominance of ferns -alpine lady-fern).
Alpine level spruce occurs in three components: conventional - which is characterized by a fast outflow of rainwater, fern type – with a constant effusion of tap water and bog type – produced on a flat surface that restricts the drainage of water – which causes the process of peat occurring and appear peatmos.
Alpine level spruce occurs in three components: conventional - which is characterized by a fast outflow of rainwater, fern type – with a constant effusion of tap water and bog type – produced on a flat surface that restricts the drainage of water – which causes the process of peat occurring and appear peatmos.
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