Editing Poland (section)

=== Biodiversity ===
{{main|Geography of Poland#Biodiversity}}
[[File:2020 żubry 03.jpg|thumb|The [[European bison]] ({{lang|pl|żubr}}), one of [[National symbols of Poland|Poland's national animals]], is commonly found at the ancient and [[List of World Heritage Sites in Poland|UNESCO]]-protected [[Białowieża Forest]].]]

[[Phytogeography|Phytogeographically]], Poland belongs to the Central European province of the [[Circumboreal Region]] within the [[Boreal Kingdom]]. The country has four [[Palearctic realm|Palearctic ecoregions]] – Central, Northern, Western European [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forest]], and the [[Carpathian montane conifer forests|Carpathian montane conifer]]. Forests occupy 31% of Poland's land area, the largest of which is the [[Lower Silesian Wilderness]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Forest area (% of land area) – Poland |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?locations=PL |access-date=1 April 2021 |website=[[World Bank]] |archive-date=30 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220530193553/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.FRST.ZS?locations=PL |url-status=live }}</ref> The most common [[deciduous trees]] found across the country are [[oak]], [[maple]], and [[beech]]; the most common conifers are [[pine]], [[spruce]], and [[fir]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Milewski |first=Wawrzyniec |url=https://www.lasy.gov.pl/pl/informacje/publikacje/in-english/forests-in-poland/lasy-w-polsce-2017-en.pdf |title=Forests in Poland 2017 |date=2017 |publisher=State Forests Information Centre |isbn=978-83-65659-23-1 |location=Warsaw (Warszawa) |page=8 |access-date=3 April 2022 |archive-date=31 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220531075659/https://www.lasy.gov.pl/pl/informacje/publikacje/in-english/forests-in-poland/lasy-w-polsce-2017-en.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> An estimated 69% of all forests are [[coniferous]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Frouz |first1=Jan |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9UpUEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22most%2Bcommon%2Btrees%2B%2Boak%2Bbeech%2Bpine%2B%2B%2522poland%2522%22&pg=PA245 |title=Applied Ecology: How agriculture, forestry and fisheries shape our planet |last2=Frouzova |first2=Jaroslava |date=2022 |publisher=Springer International Publishing |isbn=978-3-030-83225-4 |location=Cham |page=245 |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180500/https://books.google.com/books?id=9UpUEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA245&dq=%22most+common+trees++oak+beech+pine++%22poland%22%22 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[flora]] and [[Fauna of Poland|fauna]] in Poland is that of [[Continental Europe]], with the [[European bison|wisent]], [[white stork]] and [[white-tailed eagle]] designated as national animals, and the [[Papaver rhoeas|red common poppy]] being the unofficial floral emblem.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Aniskiewicz |first=Alena |date=2016 |title=That's Polish: Exploring the History of Poland's National Emblems |url=https://culture.pl/en/article/thats-polish-exploring-the-history-of-polands-national-emblems |access-date=3 April 2022 |website=culture.pl |publisher=Adam Mickiewicz Institute |quote="A white eagle [...], the profile of a shaggy bison in a field of grass. These are emblems of Poland". "Nation's (somewhat disputed) national flower – the corn poppy". |archive-date=3 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220403012530/https://culture.pl/en/article/thats-polish-exploring-the-history-of-polands-national-emblems |url-status=live }}</ref> Among the most protected species is the [[European bison]], Europe's heaviest land animal, as well as the [[Eurasian beaver]], the [[Eurasian lynx|lynx]], the [[gray wolf]] and the [[Tatra chamois]].<ref name="Rocznik 2019" /> The region was also home to the extinct [[aurochs]], the last individual dying in Poland in 1627.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Rokosz, M. |year=1995 |title=History of the Aurochs (''Bos taurus primigenius'') in Poland |url=http://agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/agtrweb/Documents/Library/docs/agri16_95.pdf |journal=Animal Genetics Resources Information |volume=16 |pages=5–12 |doi=10.1017/S1014233900004582 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130114152435/http://agtr.ilri.cgiar.org/agtrweb/Documents/Library/docs/agri16_95.pdf |archive-date=14 January 2013 |accessdate=3 April 2022 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Game animals such as [[red deer]], [[roe deer]], and [[wild boar]] are found in most woodlands.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Reidar Andersen |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-ycg5PtQPugC&dq=%22boar%2Bdeer%2Bpoland%22&pg=PA225 |title=European Ungulates and Their Management in the 21st Century |last2=Marco Apollonio |last3=Rory Putman |last4=Piotr Wawrzyniak |date=2010 |publisher=University Press |isbn=978-0-521-76061-4 |location=Cambridge |pages=223–231 |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180448/https://books.google.com/books?id=-ycg5PtQPugC&pg=PA225&dq=%22boar+deer+poland%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> Poland is also a significant breeding ground for [[migratory birds]] and hosts around one quarter of the global population of white storks.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kevin Hillstrom |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dMexywMD_okC&q=%252240%252C000%2Bbreeding%2Bpairs%2522 |title=Europe: A Continental Overview of Environmental Issues, Volume 4 |last2=Laurie Collier Hillstrom |publisher=ABC-CLIO World geography |year=2003 |isbn=978-1-57607-686-6 |page=34 |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=25 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230725000019/https://books.google.com/books?id=dMexywMD_okC&q=%252240%252C000%2Bbreeding%2Bpairs%2522 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Around {{convert|315100|ha|sqmi}}, equivalent to 1% of Poland's territory, is protected within 23 [[List of national parks of Poland|Polish national parks]], two of which – [[Białowieża Forest|Białowieża]] and [[Bieszczady National Park|Bieszczady]] – are [[List of World Heritage Sites in Poland|UNESCO World Heritage Sites]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mayer |first=Marius |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jt-GDwAAQBAJ&dq=%2223%2Bnational%2Bparks%2Bpoland%22&pg=PA115 |title=Cross-Border Tourism in Protected Areas: Potentials, Pitfalls and Perspectives |date=2019 |publisher=Springer |isbn=978-3-030-05960-6 |location=Cham |page=115 |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180454/https://books.google.com/books?id=jt-GDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA115&dq=%2223+national+parks+poland%22 |url-status=live }}</ref> There are 123 areas designated as [[Landscape Park (Poland)|landscape parks]], along with numerous [[nature reserve]]s and other [[Protected areas of Poland|protected areas]] under the [[Natura 2000]] network.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Kowalczyk |first1=Barbara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eo6WDwAAQBAJ&dq=%22%2522123%2522%2Blandscape%2Bparks%2Bpoland%22&pg=PT202 |title=Environmental law in Poland |last2=Mikowski |first2=Rafał |last3=Mikowski |first3=Łukasz |date=2019 |publisher=Kluwer Law International |isbn=978-94-035-0950-1 |location=Alphen aan den Rijn |access-date=24 July 2023 |archive-date=2 October 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002180453/https://books.google.com/books?id=eo6WDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT202&dq=%22%22123%22+landscape+parks+poland%22 |url-status=live }}</ref>