Barycz river valley (3258)
Poland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: Dolina Baryczy
Central coordinates: Latitude: 51.5333, Longitude: 17.4167
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 95 to 140
Area of KBA (km2): 555.76873
Protected area coverage (%): 99.12
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A stretch of the Barycz river valley between ¯migród in the west and the vicinity of Przygodzice in the east. Habitats include five large and five small complexes of fishponds, totalling 130 ponds in all, as well as surrounding meadows, arable fields, marshy areas and forests. Extensive meadows at Odolanów are mainly wet and have a dense drainage system which is cleared every few years with limited effectiveness. Mechanized hay-cutting is carried out in June and July. Some fish-eating birds are controlled (mainly Ardea cinerea and Phalacrocorax carbo).
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: An important area for breeding, moulting and migrating waterbirds. A total of 276 bird species have been recorded (including 126 waterbirds), of which 166 have bred (including 56 waterbirds).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (47%) | fisheries/aquaculture (25%) | forestry (23%) | hunting | urban/industrial/transport (5%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 12 | |
| Grassland | 20 | |
| Forest | 37 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 31 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Mechanical deepening of the fish-ponds by bulldozers destroys aquatic vegetation and deepens pond margins. Other problems are the disturbance of birds during the breeding season by fish-farming activity and osier harvesting, tree-felling on the pond dams during the breeding season, pollution of the water, air and soil (`Other'), and the drainage of alder woodland. The site is an amalgamation of six sites (the former PL047-PL052) identified in the previous pan-European IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Subsistence/artisinal aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Dams (size unknown) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Persecution/control | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Agricultural & forestry effluents | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Only in the future | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Only in the future | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing | |
| Pollution | Garbage & solid waste | Ongoing | |
| Climate change & severe weather | Storms & flooding | Ongoing |