Poland

Poland is a large country with an terrestrial area of close to 312,000km² and a marine area exceeding 33,000km². In the north part of the country alongside the Baltic coast there are several lagoons and the Masurian lake district. The southern borders are dominated by the Sudete and Tatra mountains. It is bordered by 7 other countries. The highest point is Rysy at 2,499m. Poland has a population of 37.6 million people and a population density of 122.9 people per km².

of land covered

by protected areas

of marine waters

covered by protected areas

species protected

under EU law

habitats protected

under EU law

Protected areas in Poland cover a total of km² on land, representing the fourth largest terrestrial protected areas network in the EU, and km² at sea.

Percentage of area covered by protected areas

Currently, of Poland's terrestrial territory is designated as protected areas, which is significantly above the EU value of 26.4%. The EU Biodiversity Strategy has set a target of reaching 30% protected area coverage at the EU level by 2030. With a coverage of in its marine waters, Poland surpasses the EU value of 12.1%.

Number of protected areas

Poland has a total of protected areas, comprising sites designated under national laws and recognized as Natura 2000 sites. These Natura 2000 sites are designated under the Birds Directive, encompassing Special Protection Areas, and the Habitats Directive, encompassing Sites of Community Importance. Many sites are designated under both Directives.

Number of protected areas

Protected areas designated

under national laws

Designated sites

in the Natura 2000 network

Distribution of protected areas between national designations and Natura 2000

In Poland, about half of the terrestrial protected areas are designated exclusively as nationally designated areas. is covered solely by Natura 2000 sites and the rest by the overlap between the two. The marine protected areas network of Poland consists largely of Natura 2000 sites.

Spatial distribution of protected areas network

Protected areas designated under national laws

Designated sites in the Natura 2000 network

Size distribution of protected areas network

Terrestrial protected areas in Poland are quite diverse in their size, however, the majority are smaller than 1km². The marine protected areas network of Poland is characterized by the prevalence of larger protected areas with the majority being 100-1,000km².

Natura 2000 sites

Natura 2000 sites in Poland cover species and habitats from the nature directives. The number of species and habitats protected in each site varies depending on the location of the site, the biodiversity in the region, the designation being used, and the features the site is being created to protect.

Species protected in Poland under EU law fall under the Habitats and Birds Directives. Poland hosts protected under the Habitats Directive, which is approximately 13% of the total of the Habitats Directive’s species and protected birds, which is approximately 57% of the species protected under the Birds Directive.

species protected under EU law

species under the Habitats Directive

species under the Birds Directive

Conservation Status of species: Habitats Directive

In Poland, of species assessments indicate a good conservation status, while the EU average corresponds to 27.5%. The proportion of assessments indicating bad conservation status is reaching , compared to the EU average of 20.6%.

Protected species composition by taxonomic group

In Poland, the distribution of protected species across taxonomic groups highlights the prominence of birds, comprising the largest proportion at 59.8%. They are followed by mammals, accounting for 9.8% of protected species, and arthropods, representing 9.5%.

Conservation Status by Taxa

In Poland, the assessment of species groups reveals that molluscs have the highest proportion of species with a good conservation status, standing at 60%. Following closely behind are non-vascular plants, with 58.3%, and mammals, with 50.7% of species in good conservation status. On the other hand, fish exhibit the highest percentage of species with a bad conservation status, reaching 24.1%, while vascular plants also have a significant proportion of species in bad conservation status at 19.5%.

Habitats protected in Poland under EU law fall under the Habitats Directive. Poland hosts habitat types, which is approximately 34.8% of the total of habitat types protected by the Habitats Directive.

habitats protected under EU law in Poland

Conservation status of habitats

In Poland, 20% of habitats assessments indicate a good conservation status which is above the EU average of 14.7%. On the other hand, the proportion of assessments indicating a bad conservation status, amounting to 34.8%, is slightly below the EU average of 35.8%.

Protected habitat composition by group

In Poland, the group of protected habitats with the largest number consists of forests, encompassing 20.9% of the total. Following behind are grasslands, with 16%, of the protected habitats.

Conservation status by group

In Poland the assessment of habitat groups reveals that rocky habitats have the highest proportion of good conservation status, standing at 50%. Following behind are forests, with 24% of habitat types in good conservation status and heath and scrub with 22.2%. On the other hand, heath and scrub exhibit the highest percentage of habitat types with a bad conservation status, reaching 55.5%, while sclerophyllous scrub also have a significant proportion of habitat types in bad conservation status at 50%.

Poland is predominantly characterised by two main types of ecosystems: agroecosystems, which cover 57% of the country, followed by forest ecosystems occupying 34.6% of the land area. While urban areas account for 6.1%, Poland has also relatively smaller proportions of rivers and lakes (1.5%), heathlands (0.5%), and wetland ecosystems (0.4%).

In terms of the protected area network, forests constitute the largest portion, covering 52% of the protected areas. Agroecosystems make up 40.8% of the protected areas, reflecting the importance of conserving and managing agricultural landscapes for biodiversity. Urban areas account for 3.1% of the protected areas, emphasizing the significance of protecting nature within urban environments. Rivers and lakes contribute to 3% of the protected areas, while wetlands represent 0.8%, and heathlands comprise 0.4%.