Narew river gaps (980)
Poland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: Przelomowa Dolina Narwi
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.1167, Longitude: 22.1833
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 100 to 120
Area of KBA (km2): 76.51304
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site comprises the Narew river valley between the drained Wizna marshes and the town of £om¿a. The valley is narrow (up to 1.2 km wide) and deeply cut into the plain, with a close to natural character. The valley bottom is covered mainly by peat, to varying depths. There are yearly floods, especially in spring. Flood-plain vegetation includes submerged waterweed (e.g. Potamogeton), reedbeds Phragmites, meadows, sedge-beds, dry sandy grassland, and fragmented forest of alder Alnus. Valley slopes are covered with oak Quercus forest, above which is patchy dry-ground forest of lime Tilia and hornbeam Carpinus.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: A total of 178 species have been recorded, including 125 breeders. Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla (one pair), Crex crex.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (80%) | forestry (10%) | hunting | tourism/recreation (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 10 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 75 | |
| Grassland | 15 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A new bridge system is planned as part of a new ring road around £om¿a and poses a potential threat to the site.