Scientific research in the park

Scientific research is the foundation of nature protection. Without research we do not know how and what to protect. The National Park is a great place for conducting ecological research. On the other hand, it should not be treated as a place where hypotheses are tested and thus plants and animals, which in some cases are endangered, affected or harmed. Research is conducted in accordance with the principles of scientific exploration and research co-ordination. The consent for research in the Park is issued by the Park director who may consult with the Scientific Council, an advisory body of the Director, which assess research plans and projects.

Field studies are carried out by employees of various scientific institutions, but also employees of the Park. Some research topics are undertaken jointly. Sometimes volunteers and students staying in the Park on placement and members of the Lublin Ornithological Society can also participate in the studies.

 

THE PRINCIPLES OF SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION

AND CO-ORDINATION OF RESEARCH IN THE POLESKI NATIONAL PARK

 

Introduction

 

1.    The principal goal of the Poleski National Park is to ensure the lasting safety of its nature and all its components. All social and cultural functions and forms of using the Park have to be subordinated to this goal.

2.    The specific nature of the Poleski National Park makes it necessary for meeting its basic goals and fulfilling its basic functions of the Park, only when the business activity in the protection zone (surroundings) is subordinated to the needs of the protection of the Park.

3.    Scientific research in the Poleski National Park should be conducted in accordance with the gen-eral programme co-ordinated by the Scientific Board of the Park.

4.    Teaching and tourist aspects should not be in conflict with the basic goals of the Park, which are protection and scientific research.

5.    Complementary scientific research can also be conducted in protection zone of the Poleski National Park and in the nearest nature reserves.

 

 

I. General principles.

1.    Scientific research in the Poleski National Park should be conducted in accordance with a general programme, taking under consideration:

1.    the needs of science and water management,

2.    the goals of scientific research in the Poleski National Park,

3.    the unique qualities of the Park related to its water peat bogs and peat bog complexes unique in Poland and Europe,

4.    extending scientific co-operation with the Szacki National Park in Ukraine and other national parks of similar character.

2.    Co-ordinated tasks in the scope of scientific research are carried out by the Scientific Board of the Park.

3.    Comprehensive, monitoring and inventory research have priority over fragmentary and contribu-tory research

 

 

II. The goals of scientific research in the Poleski National Park.

1.    Comprehensive study and drawing up of an inventory of all the elements of nature, and also explaining mutual correlations between these elements – drawing up an inventory of nature, the structure and functioning of phito- and zoocenoses and also the structure, organisation and func-tioning of water, peat bogs and forest ecosystems.

2.    Studying and determining the representative character of the nature of the Poleski National Park in relation to the nature of Polesie, and, subsequently, to the nature of the area on the border of Central and Eastern Europe, so as to know the probability of generalising the results of research received in the Poleski National Park in terms of the nature of the above-mentioned areas.

3.    Study of the phenomena and processes of a broadly natural character, which can only be researched in the Poleski National Park, or which, due to their character, degree of naturalness and the state of security of the Poleski National Park, are significantly easier to research.

4.    Study of the mechanisms and the scope of impact of various form of activity connected with scientific research, education, tourism etc. in the National Park, and also business activities in its protection zone, on the nature of the Park. Developing scientific principles concerning the protec-tion of the Poleski National Park, which will guarantee maintaining its natural assets and also the social and cultural values.

 

III. Acceptable measures and methods of scientific exploration in the Poleski National Park.

1.    Applied methods and measures must be compatible with the character of the Park and must not cause deterioration of its natural assets.

2.    The principal methods of the scientific exploration of the Poleski National Park are observational methods as non-destructive methods.

3.    Applying experimental methods in research on the area of the Park violating the organisation, or affecting the functioning of ecological systems should be restricted and possible only on follow-ing the conditions:

1.    Research may be conducted solely on the area of the Poleski National Park, because there is no other facility meeting the criteria of the experiment,

2.    Obtaining results of the research is possible only by means of applying experimental method, and the expected results of the experiment may be of significant theoretical or practical importance.

3.    Damage caused to the nature of the Park, or violation or destruction of certain of its elements will have solely local or short-lasting character, i.e. it will be possible to restore the initial state of the biotope or bio-cenosis as a result of the impact of regenerative succession,

4.    The side-effects of an experiment will not cause the non-deliberate introduction in or independent invasion of the bio-cenoses of the Poleski National Park by the species of plants or animals different in ecological or geographical terms,

5.    The experiment will not consist of the introduction of the species of plants or animals different in ecological or geographical terms, or the introduction of outside substances (ele-ments), which would later be impossible to remove.

4.    It is not allowed to conduct experiments changing certain processes of mutually-correlated character in an irreversible manner, destroying certain elements of the geographical environment in a total manner, or threatening the unique forms of plants, animals and landscape on the area of the Park.

5.    Conducting certain research tasks should not make it difficult or impossible to conduct other re-search tasks in any aspect.

6.    Acquiring the specimens of nature in the course of exploration should involve minimal and should be actually necessary for the research quantities. Gathering materials for the goals of col-lecting and teaching purposes is not permitted.

7.    Acquiring species under legal protection is allowed after obtaining permission of the Minister of the Environment.

8.    The specimens of nature and scientific documentation obtained in the course of the research in the Poleski National Park may not become a private possession of the person conducting the research. They should be deposited in scientific institutions, and the Poleski National Park should be in-formed about the place at which they are stored.

IV. Planning and popularising the scientific research conducted in the Poleski National Park.

1.    Scientific research in the Poleski National Park may be conducted solely upon the basis of permission of the director of the Park.

2.    The director issues permission after having consulted the Scientific Board of the Park. The opin-ion of the Board is not necessary in the case of works requiring no interference with the natural environment of the Park.

3.    Obtaining permission for conducting research is necessary in the case of acquiring financial means from other sources as well.

4.    Scientific research in the Poleski National Park may only be conducted by scientific institutions and pro-ecological organisations with intermediary participation of their employees or teams of employees. Conducting research by private individuals, with the exception of researchers who have obtained credentials from appropriate scientific institutions, is not permitted.

5.    Foreign scientific institutions may obtain the right to conduct scientific research in the Poleski National Park if they obtain a positive reply of a Polish scientific outlet and acceptance of the Scientific Board of the Park.

6.    Students who are to perform research related to their M.A., diploma, B.A. etc. theses, have to present a request for consent for conducting  their research, signed by a scientific supervisor.

7.    The basis for obtaining permission for conducting research is presenting, no later than a month before its commencement, a written application for the consent for conducting it in the Park together with a filled-in and signed identification card of the research topic (Attachment 1a).

8.    The Director of the Park may request from a person or institution applying for consent for conducting research, additional explanations relevant to the goal, methodology, course of research and the kind and quantity of obtained natural materials (specimens, samples, etc.).

9.    Permission is issued in two copies, one of which is received by the person or persons applying for the permission, and the other one remains in the scientific and research section of the Poleski National Park.

10.    Permission is issued for the person or persons conducting research in the field. The person or persons possessing permission for conducting research in the Park may take advantage of the as-sistance of other people in the course of conducting works in the field, on the condition of having informed (by means of a phone call or in writing) the Director of the Park (scientific and research section) about the number of these people, and having provided their personal data (name and surname).

11.    People engaged into conducting works in the field may stay on the area of the Park solely in the presence of the person or persons possessing permission for conducting research.

12.    A person possessing permission for conducting research may travel in a private or in an organisa-tion car (the registration number of the car is stated in the issued permission) on public roads, and also on roads available only to the Park Service.

13.    Commencement of research works may take place after obtaining permission for conducting sci-entific research in the Poleski National Park.

14.    In the case of obtaining consent for travelling by car elsewhere, other than on public roads and on roads made available to the Park Service, a photocopy of the permission should be left behind the car window. In the course of works in the field, permission should be presented upon every re-quest of the employees of the Park Service.

15.    Permission is issued for a determined period of time (usually, until the end of a calendar year). In the case of research lasting for more than a year (season), prolonging the permission under the continuation of a research programme should be applied for in the following year.

16.    A letter of request for prolonging the permission should be sent to the Director of the Park no later than by 31st January of the year in which research will be conducted.

17.    Together with a request for prolonging the permission, a report on the research works conducted in a given year should be sent. Failure to submit this report may be the basis for refusing the per-mission to continue the research, or not issuing permission to conduct research in the future.

18.    After completing the research, a research unit is obliged to submit a collective report, containing information on the results of the research, manner of making these results available, publication and the place of storage of natural materials which were used for performing the work within six months.

19.    The Director of the Poleski National Park may oblige a research unit conducting research on the area of the Park to assemble the second set of scientific materials and to hand it over to the Park. This institution should be informed of this request on obtaining the right to conduct research in the National Park.

20.    A research unit is obliged to hand over two copies of the published results of works performed on the area of the Park (books or photocopies), and, if the work is not to be published, one copy of documentation proper for a given scientific disciplines, to the library of the Park.

 

Research proposals- Priorities

We list below research proposals, that would be of particular interest for us, because, we are short of data. Monitoring research on surfaces or transects, which thanks to any simple and legible methodology , which we will be able to repeat, are precious for us.

Research proposals:

-    Water connections – problems connected with excessive water outflow from the area, modelling- the influence of excessive damming on the water state (computer stimulation of undercut areas); habitat analyses by GIS (Chief Habitat Inspectorate), tele-detection

-    The influence of the protective tasks (including re-naturalisation, and mowing) on selected habitats or species (for example the European pond turtle, the aquatic warbler, the black grouse, enthomopagous plants, orchids, and others.

-    Marsh fritillary ecology (occurrence, habitat, dangers and the influence of preservative operations on the population).

-    The occurrence of bats in Poleski NP.

-    The amphibians of Poleski National Park – quantity studies on surfaces.

-    Swamp ponds characteristics (physio-chemical conditions, flora and fauna).

 

And also:

Flora.

-    Foreign and brought species of vascular plants in PNP.

-    Characteristics of birch-wood in PNP.

-    Characteristics of spruce-wood in PNP.

-    Natura 2000 Habitat in Poleski NP – verification of database.

Fauna.

-    Characteristics of click beetles concentration (Elateridae, and Coleoptera).

-    Bark beetle (Scoloidae, Coleoptera).

-    Apterygota (insecta) of PNP.

-    Land heteroptera (Heteroptera).

-    Caddisflies (Trichoptera).

-    Aculeata (Hymenoptera).

-    Parasidol wasps.

-    Cicada.

-    Aphids.

-    Nematodes of PNP.

-    Annelids.

-    Land and water mollusca.

-    Great bittern and little bittern in Poleski National Park.

-    Nightingales of Poleski National Park.

-    Otters in the Park