Marshy Valley of the Narew River (953)
Poland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1d
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: Bagienna Dolina Narwi
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.0833, Longitude: 22.8667
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 107 to 122
Area of KBA (km2): 234.64497
Protected area coverage (%): 98.89
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A marshy stretch of the Narew valley, spanning 58 km between Sura¿ town and ¯ó³tki village, and from 300 m to 4 km wide. The valley has a natural character between Sura¿ and Rzêdziny towns and is periodically flooded. The Narew is a braided, meandering river, and creates a system which occupies the whole width of the valley floor in some places. There is a very rich mosaic of plant communities˜mainly beds of reed Phragmites and sedge Carex, alder Alnus forest and riverside scrub of willow Salix.
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: Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Aythya nyroca (formerly one pair, now extinct here), Gallinago media (6-8 pairs).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (10%) | hunting | nature conservation and research (78%) | tourism/recreation (5%) | water management (7%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Other | 1 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 37 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 22 | |
| Grassland | 23 | |
| Forest | 17 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: During 1978-1981 the riverbed between Rêdziny and ¯ó³tki towns (8 km long) was straightened, broadened and deepened, and meanders were cut off. This drastically reduced water-levels in the river channels and adjoining areas, and the area became intensively used for agriculture. However, soils became parched, water was lost from wells in the surrounding area, and the vegetation composition changed. There are efforts to stop further degradation by reconstruction of river riffles in the area of Rêdziny Dam.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural system modifications | Fire & fire suppression | Increase in fire frequency/intensity | Only in the future |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Marine & freshwater aquaculture | Subsistence/artisinal aquaculture | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Dams (size unknown) | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Unspecified species | Ongoing |
| Pollution | Domestic & urban waste water | Type Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing |