Does the State of Scientific Knowledge and Legal Regulations Sufficiently Protect the Environment of River Valleys?

Monika Konatowska, Adam Młynarczyk, Irmina Maciejewska-Rutkowska and Paweł Rutkowski ()
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Monika Konatowska: Department of Botany and Forest Habitats, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71F, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Adam Młynarczyk: Environmental Remote Sensing and Soil Science Research Unit, Faculty of Geographic and Geological Sciences, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, Wieniawskiego 1, 61-712 Poznań, Poland
Irmina Maciejewska-Rutkowska: Department of Botany and Forest Habitats, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71F, 60-625 Poznań, Poland
Paweł Rutkowski: Department of Botany and Forest Habitats, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Wojska Polskiego 71F, 60-625 Poznań, Poland

Land, 2024, vol. 13, issue 5, 1-20

Abstract: The pressure of human activity in river valley environments has always been high. Even today, despite the increasing awareness of societies around the world regarding the need to protect water and biodiversity, there are concerns that the current river valley management systems are insufficient. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the state of knowledge about the soils and forest ecosystems of river valleys in terms of the possibility of protecting river valley environments. This study used data obtained from the Forest Data Bank (FDB) database, which focuses on forests in Poland. After analyzing 17,820 forest sections where the soils were described as fluvisols, it was found that forest areas associated with fluvisols (typical, fertile soils of river valleys) are quite well recognized and protected in Poland. Most (55%) forested fluvisols are located in Natura 2000 sites (an important European network of biodiversity hotspots), 4% in nature reserves, and 1% in national parks. Additionally, the main forest habitat type associated with fluvisols is riparian forest, composed mainly of Quercus , Ulmus , and Fraxinus , which is protected as Natura 2000 habitat type 91F0. Preserving the sustainability of the forest is also a form of soil protection. Despite the identification of soils and forests in river valleys, as well as appropriate legal tools, their protection may be ineffective due to the fragmentation of forms of protection and the lack of a coherent system for managing river valleys. Because the conservation status of the river valleys is also influenced by the management of areas located outside the river valleys, in order to protect river valley ecosystems, integrated conservation plans for entire catchments should be implemented. Due to potential conflicts related to the management of areas with diverse expectations of local communities, it would be advisable for such plans to be created by local experts but under the supervision of a specialist/specialists from outside the area covered by a given river basin.

Keywords: alluvial soils; management plans; protection river basins; Natura 2000 network (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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