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Efforts to protect forest plantations from wildlife in Subcarpathian Poland, balancing conservation and thriving wildlife, with innovative measures costing PLN 13 million.
In the forests of the Subcarpathian Region, specifically within the Regional Directorate of State Forests (RDLP) in Krosno, a comprehensive initiative has been undertaken to safeguard young trees from wildlife browsing. This year, the protective measures covered an expansive area of nearly five thousand hectares.
While the thriving wildlife population in the Subcarpathian forests is a source of pride, it poses a threat during winter, causing significant damage by nibbling on the shoots of young trees, especially the valuable fir trees.
In mountainous areas, bison inflict the most damage to trees of various ages, while in other regions, deer and roe deer are the main culprits. To counter this, the RDLP employs a range of methods, including mechanical and chemical approaches. The most effective involves fencing with a high mesh and stakes, securing 490 hectares of new plantations this year alone. Additionally, existing fences from previous years are being refurbished, with the total cost of these actions exceeding six million Polish złoty.
Chemical protection, utilizing environmentally friendly substances to deter wildlife, has shielded over 4,600 hectares in the region. Mechanical protection methods like cardboard tubes and plastic spirals are becoming less common. Fast-growing trees like larches are safeguarded through staking. The overall cost of wildlife protection in this Polish region reaches 13 million złoty.
All these efforts share one goal: ensuring that young trees, planted with effort and substantial financial investment, survive the winter without falling prey to wildlife.
The majority of plantations this year were safeguarded in the following forest districts: Jarosław, Lesko, Oleszyce, and Ustrzyki Dolne – each exceeding 300 hectares.