Individual natural environment features and landscape and tourist values of the Cephalantero rubrae-Fagetum habitat on Wolin Island

The cliffed coast in Wolin National Park is especially valued in terms of biogeography. The coastal area is highly valuable not only in view of the abiotic advantages offered by the natural environment but also due to the presence of valuable plant associations. A coastal orchid beech forest – the Cephalanthero rubrae-Fagetum habitat – is a site that is unique in Poland, in Europe and in the whole world. This plant association is found only on the cliffed coast of Wolin Island in Poland in specific hydrometeorological, morphodynamic and soil conditions. The main aim of this study was a qualitative and quantitative description of the Cephalanthero rubra-Fagetum site, including determining its present range and species composition. In addition, the studied cliffed coast area was evaluated in terms of its visual attractiveness based on the aspects of geodiversity and biodiversity of landscape. Field studies corroborated the outstanding landscape values determining the attractiveness of the study area to tourists. The cliffed coast section, Grodno-Biała Góra, features unique environmental characteristics that are absent from the remaining part of the coastal area of the Baltic. A peculiar characteristic of geodiversity in that zone is the presence of the highest seashore in Poland where natural hydrodynamic and geomorphological processes occur free of human interference. This is the only part of the seashore featuring a unique soil, the so-called cliff naspa, on which orchid birch forests grow. This biodiverse plant community comprised 113 species of vascular plants among which 7 species of Orchidaceae were identified. The landscape values of the studied area of the Wolin National Park are further enhanced by two attractive tourist hiking trails and a vantage point on top of Gosań hill.

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Opracowanie rekordu ze środków MNiSW, umowa nr SONP/SP/546092/2022 w ramach programu "Społeczna odpowiedzialność nauki" - moduł: Popularyzacja nauki i promocja sportu (2024).