Appeal for protection of endangered habitats and species in the Wierna Rzeka river valley near the village of Franisławice (Małopolska Upland, S Poland)

Praca przedstawia walory przyrodnicze środkowego odcinka doliny Wiernej Rzeki (woj. świętokrzyskie), na którym planowana jest regulacja koryta i budowa zbiornika rekreacyjno-retencyjnego. Rzeka tworzy liczne meandry i starorzecza w naturalnej i niedostępnej dolinie. Na obszarze tym występują siedliska wodno-błotne będące przedmiotem zainteresowania Wspólnoty Europejskiej (m.in zbiorowiska makrofi tów wodnych ze związku Nymphaeion i Potamion, torfowiska niskie, przejściowe i trzęsawiska, zmiennowilgotne łąki trzęślicowe), na których stwierdzono występowanie wielu rzadkich roślin, np. czarcikęsika Kluka Succisella infl exa i zwierząt, np. podgorzałki Aythya nyroca. Niniejsze opracowanie jest apelem o wsparcie działań zmierzających do powstrzymania zaplanowanej inwestycji i pomoc w ochronie przyrody i krajobrazu doliny Wiernej Rzeki.

The main objective of the paper is to present the natural values of the middle section of the Wierna Rzeka river valley, which is situated in the mesoregion of Łopuszańskie Hills, near the village of Franisławice, where the river engineering and construction of a recreational and retention reservoir is planned (Fig. 1). The valley of the Wierna Rzeka river has very natural and wild character (Fig. 2) – it forms numerous oxbow lakes resembling meanders (Fig. 3) and small ponds (Fig. 4). There are many natural habitats along the boundaries of the planned investment, especially: oxbow lakes rich in species (habitat code 3150) and plant communities of the Nymphaeion alliance and the Potamion alliance (e.g. the Nupharo-Nymphaeetum association with the dominance of the Yellow Water-Lily Nuphar luteum – Fig. 4), humid Molinia meadows of the Molinion alliance (habitat code 6410) and peat bog communities of the Scheuchzerio-Caricetea nigrae class (habitat code 7140), which forms a specifi c mosaic with bulrush communities of the Magnocaricion alliance. Many endangered and protected species of the Polish flora have been found in these plant communities, e.g. Polemonium coeruleum (Fig. 5), Drosera rotundifolia, Ophioglossum vulgatum and Succisella infl exa (Fig. 6). It is worth saying that Succisella infl exa (on a new location situated in the area of the planned investment) grows in the humid Molinia meadow, which turns into bulrush communities (Fig. 6). Unfortunately, all these natural, vulnerable characteristics of the Wierna Rzeka river valley are threatened by engineering of the river banks connected with the planned construction of a recreational-storage reservoir (Fig. 1). This kind of construction will have enormous, negative consequences for all habitats and species occurring not only along the researched river section, but also along the whole river valley. The aim of this paper is to warn about irreversible changes that will take place when the planned investment will be performed and, hopefully, to convince the decision-makers to resign from their plans. Th e latter would substantially improve the protection of nature and landscape values of the Wierna Rzeka river valley.