The Future of the National Ecological System in Poland

Areas of the utmost natural and landscape values are subject to different forms of protection. It is generally believed, that the system of protected areas should ensure ecological balance on the regional and national scale. In order for this to happen, the system should be adequately vast, rich and varied, and not subject to degradation. At the end of 2006 the system of protected areas constituted 32,1% of the area of Poland. Despite this fact, the condition of ecological resources of the country is seriously threatened and is diminishing rapidly. Moreover, a lot of protected areas do not efficiently realize the tasks assigned to them. Contrary to a frequently repeated slogan about the improving condition of Poland’s environment, a lot of data proves, that, with the end of the 90s, we entered the stage of environmental loading increase and subsequent degradation of country’s ecological system. The main tendencies observed in the changes in natural environment are: drainage of moist areas, acceleration of surface runoff and a decrease in water abundance of rivers, diminishing of biologically active surface, fragmentation of landscape, thickening of ecological barriers net and spatial isolation of ecosystems, as well as, a decrease in biological and landscape diversity. In the face of such pressure, it is necessary to recognize nature protection and strengthening of the ecological structure of Poland as one of the key elements of new spatial planning policy of the country.