Białowieża Forest—A Relic of the High Naturalness of European Forests

In Europe only some small isolated patches of forestswith a high degree of naturalness still exist. These are forests, whose structure, composition and function has been shaped by natural dynamics without substantial anthropogenic influence over the long period. In this respect, Bialowieza Forestis a unique location in Europe, with continuous forestcover for close to 12,000 years. The palynological, archaeological and historical data document only a weak anthropogenic fingerprint compared to other European lowland forestsin Holocene history. Due to long-lasting protection, a large portion of the forestis still composed of stands originating from the pre- silviculturalperiod. Moreover, the stands of Bialowieza Forestconverted by silviculturalactivities during the 20th century have the potential to recover owing to patches of stands with high naturalness, scattered throughout the forest. As conflict over management of the foresthas recurred regularly for close to century, there is a need to summarize our knowledge on the foresthistory and natural assets, to help making scientifically informed decisions over its future. Expansion of a non-intervention approach to the Polish part of the forestis suggested to increase the stability of the entire ecosystem and enhance the chances for its successful adaptation to changing environmental conditions. This will increase the importance of Bialowieza Forestas an open-door laboratory for biology, ecology, and forestry.