Important Plant Areas of Belarus

There is a total of 10 IPAs in Belarus, covering 698,330 hectares, they are distributed in two biogeographical zones: Boreal (8), Continental (2).

Geography

Belarus covers 207,000 km2 in eastern Europe and has two biogeographic zones, the Continental and Boreal. Belarus is bordered by Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Latvia and Lithuania, and shares several cross-border protected areas with its neighbours, including the famous Belovezhskaya Pushcha. Belarus’ natural and semi-natural vegetation is made up mainly of forest (taiga, coniferous and mixed), wetlands (bogs, mires and lakes), and grassland.

Habitats

Forest is the major habitat within the majority of Belarussian IPAs, covering 62% of the area of IPAs. There is coniferous forest in all ten IPAs and deciduous forest in three. Bog is the major habitat at one IPA, and mire, fens and bog are significant features of nine others. Grassland habitats occur at all ten IPAs. Running and standing water is also a key feature of all ten IPAs. Constructed habitats occur within all IPAs but at between 1-5% of the area.

Land Use

There is a low level of agricultural or cultivated land. Nature protection is the most common land use, occurring on eight sites. Forestry, and hunting, recreation and agriculture are also important land uses.

Threats

Deforestation threatens the majority of IPAs in Belarus. Other significant threats are the lack of management planning, intensified forest management, land improvement measures, tourist and recreation pressure, fires and the absence of monitoring.