The Biebrza National Park is located in northeast Poland along the Biebrza River and its wetlands. It has a continental climate with long, cold winters and short growing seasons. The park protects 59,233 hectares of forests, agricultural land, and wetlands, making it Poland's largest national park. It is known for its highly biodiverse marshes and peatlands that support over 270 bird species, including many threatened species. One of the greatest threats to the park is artificial drainage of wetlands for agriculture.

1. Group 5

2. Logo

3. The park is located in Northeast Poland, in the
Podlaskie Voivodship. The northeastern
boundary of the park is near the Belarus border.
The Narew River and its confluence with the
Biebrza River form the southern boundary. The
park was established in 1993, and with a total
area of 59 233 ha, it is the largest of the Polish
national parks. The Park includes 15 547 ha of
forests, 18 182 ha of agricultural land, and 25
494 ha of wetlands - the most valuable habitats
of the park - the famous Biebrza marshes.

4. The Biebrza Marshes

5. Climate
 The Biebrza Wetlands lay in the north east region of Poland, known as the
"Green Lungs" region. With an exception of the mountains, this area has a
reputation for being the coldest region in Poland.
 Its climate can be characterized as a combination of continental and sub-
boreal, these overlapping characteristics are due to the wide marshy areas that
condense moisture on a very large scale and the valley`s unique geological
formation.
 Long winters and a short vegetation growth period characterize the
Biebrza valley.
 The average year round temperature is one of the coldest of these type
lowlands with the coldest month coming in February and temperatures
dropping as low as -50C.
 Winters can last up to 117 days and with average maximum temperatures
below zero. Snow cover can last up to 140 days in the upper basin with a
slightly lower longevity in the southern basin.
 July is the hottest month in the Biebrza valley with temperatures topping
out at 17,80C

6. Unique in Europe for its marshes and
peatlands, as well as its highly diversified
fauna, especially birds- the Park was
designated as a wetland site of global
significance and is under the protection of
the RAMSAR Convention.

7. Geology
The Biebrza National Park covers a large part
of the Biebrza valley, a huge depression
more than 100 km long.This peatland
complex covers about 90 000 ha and is the
largest and the least disturbed of its kind in
Central Europe.The Biebrza valley is
surrounded from the east, south and west by
morainic plateaux formed during the
penultimate (Central Polish) glaciation. In the
north, a morainic plateau, formed during the
last (i.e. Baltic) glaciation borders the valley.

8. Waters
The protection zone of the Biebrza
National Park surrounds the highly bio-
diversified and most unique Biebrza River.
Its headwaters are located in the small
moraine hills of Sokolskie, just south of the
small and quaint village of Nowy Dwór.
The length of the Biebrza River is 164 km.
The Biebrza Marshes are supplied by two
ways its water table and the tributaries that
discharges into the Biebrza.

9. The Biebrza River

10. Vegetation
Vegetation documented more than 70 natural and
semi-natural plant associations recorded in the
Biebrza valley. Some of the most dominating and
ecologically valuable of these associations include
sedge, sedge-moss, reed communities, and
mineral islands.
The most dominant forest associations include
black alder, swampy birch, and peat coniferous
forests.
Changes of the environmental condition caused by
the Augustowski Channel construction, together
with land amelioration done in the 60`s induce
permanent decreasing of the ground water table.

11. the Augustowski Channel

12. Flora
Characteristics that describes Biebrza's flora
are: spruce dominated with large amounts of
boreal species and glacial relicts such as
Shrub Birch, Narrow Small Reed, String
Sedge, Crowberry, Labrador Tea, Cranberry,
Moor King, Common Butterwort.
Of the more than 1000 vascular plants found
in the Biebrza Valley, more than 900 of them
exist in the Biebrza National Park. 90
vascular plant species are under strict
protection and another 17 are only partly
protected.

13. String Sedge
Crowberry
Butterwort

14. Fauna
The Biebrza valley supports a unique group
of bird species in Europe. About 270 species
have been observed here so far, including
181 breeding birds. Among 56 species
recorded in Polish Red Data Book of Animals
(1992), 17 breed in the Park, e.g.:
- Spotted Eagle,
- Great Snipe,
- Black Tern,
- Aquatic warbler.

15. A great spotted eagle
An aquaticwarbler

16. Threats
One of the greatest threats to the Park is artificial
drainage, which results in the invasion of marshes
by shrubs and trees. This loss of sedge and moss
communities is accelerated as farmers
(landowners) cease mowing for hay production.
Active conservation measures are applied to
limited extent to stop further succession and
maintain the valuable intermediate stage. Since
46% of park property is privately owned,
agricultural management compatible with
conservation principles is of primary importance,
and a broad public awareness campaign is in
place to encourage measures towards adopting
organic farming techniques.