Botanical and mycological research of the Bielański Forest (Central Poland) during the twentieth century and current times

A bstract The Bielański Forest is one of the most valuable remnants of natural vegetation in Warsaw, being the subject of research since the 18th century. This article presents the research on vegetation cover and mycobiota of the Forest, conducted in the 20th century and to the present. The studies are discussed chronologically and divided by the biota of fungi and lichens, the flora of bryophytes and vascular plants, plant communities, veteran trees, and the issues of protecting these resources. The scope and completeness of the research results are discussed, particularly in the context of the forest’s conservation status. Significant differences in the completeness of data were found between the individual groups of living organisms discussed. The identification of the vascular flora and plant communities is relatively complete, both in terms of historical and contemporary data. The assessment of the forest’s conservation based on these components shows that it is a site that has undergone profound and unfavorable changes. The forest’s flora includes common species, while the rare species are only locally rare. The identification of the bryophyte resources is similar to that of the vascular flora. Additionally, this group includes species considered as relics of primeval forests. The current state of knowledge about mycobiota resources is unsatisfactory. It requires compilation, analysis, and publication of existing data. A thorough assessment of the contemporary fungal biota would be useful, allowing for the identification of its changes in relation to historical data. It is also worthwhile to continue the relatively recent research on the lichen biota. The state of the fungal and lichen biota, despite existing deficiencies, currently gives an image of the relatively best condition of the Forest. The knowledge of the ancient trees and deadwood in the Bielański Forest is quite good, but it is worth supplementing it with, for example, maps showing their distribution. In future mycobiota studies, it would also be worthwhile to pay special attention to epiphytic and saproxylic microhabitats. The Bielański Forest also offers opportunities for historical research. Based on the species found here over nearly three centuries, it is possible to describe the forest’s transformations resulting from the conditions in which it functioned.