Forest monitoring in Poland: legal foundations and scope of the programme

A bstract Year 2024 marks the 35th anniversary of forest monitoring in Poland. It is the first and only Europe-wide harmonized research programme to assess the health of the forest environment. In this article, we refer to international legal documents and acts of the Polish Parliament, based on which the forest monitoring programme has developed in recent years and is currently being implemented. We also present the scope of monitoring research, considering all activities carried out in Poland. The results of forest monitoring provide a reliable identification of the key factors influencing forest health in both the short and long terms, as well as information on the condition of forests and a comprehensive assessment of the pace and direction of change in forest ecosystems. It provides the scientific basis for policy decisions on air pollution control and can contribute to forestry issues such as the impact of climate change on forests, the contribution of forests to climate change mitigation, sustainable forest management and forest biodiversity.