The current state of Białowieża Forest based on the results of the LIFE+ ForBioSensing project

For centuries, the Białowieża Forest was a unique and very interesting place, especially for foresters, who could learn various methods of reforestation and forest management here. It was also an important place for ecologists who could observe interesting processes in forest ecosystems here, and for every ordinary person who could learn something about the forests that covered large parts of Poland centuries ago. The area of the Białowieża Forest has always been an object intensively used by science. Research on stand dynamics, habitats and plant communities, population dynamics of various animals and research on fungi was conducted here. The special feature of the research on stand dynamics was the use of sample plots on which measurements of the different development stages of the trees were carried out. Statistical methods were then used to characterise the state and direction of changes in Białowieża Forest.
The project “LIFE+ ForBioSensing PL Comprehensive monitoring of the dynamics of the stands of Białowieża Forest with the use of remote sensing data” was inspired in 2012 by the then Director of the Forest Research Institute, Prof. Dr. hab. Tomasz Zawiła-Niedźwiecki. The impetus for the project was the desire to use remote sensing data, mainly airborne laser scanning data, in forest stand analysis. Remote sensing data enable stand characterization at a specific date. Acquisition of data in several periods allowed not only to describe the static situation, but also to characterise changes taking place in the stands of Białowieża Forest. Additionally, this type of data was intended to provide a reference point for analysing the condition of Białowieża Forest in subsequent decades using new methods of data analysis and interpretation.
The project involved the development and application of a monitoring system for Białowieża Forest using ground-based monitoring plots and remote sensing data. The main objective of the project activities was to link multitemporal remote sensing data (in 2015-2019) with the results of various ground measurements to enable and facilitate subsequent monitoring of forest-wide processes. This monitoring generally involved selected elements of stand dynamics and was limited by the capabilities of the specyfied remote sensing data.

The project established and inventoried 685 permanent sample plots that served as ground-based monitoring plots. It should be emphasized that, for the first time in its history, the ForBioSensing project created a network of field sample plots located objectively on the entire territory of the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest, covering all administrative units and forms of nature conservation. There were 355 plots distributed in a 1300×1300 m grid, with one side rotated in a 330º azimuth (for more details see subsection 1.4 in Chapter 4, see also Fig. 6.2 in Chapter 6). In addition, a number of existing permanent sample plots with longer measurement histories and resulting empirical data were used. These were 160 research plots objectively distributed in the Białowieża National Park (in a grid of about 267×1067 m) (see subsection 1.3 in Chapter 4 with Fig. 6.2 in Chapter 6), and 170 research plots of the Forest Research Institute subjectively distributed in the best preserved fragments of the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest (map 1).
As a result of the activities conducted under the project, the usefulness of individual remote sensing data in monitoring forest associations was reviewed, the characteristics of trees and stands that can be successfully monitored were determined, and the best types of data for analyses of stand dynamics were identified. In addition, based on ground data, the dynamics of all tree generations in the Białowieża Forest were determined, the condition of coarse wood in local tree stands was inventoried, the most extensive dendrochronological material on the territory of the Polish part of the Białowieża Forest to date was analysed, data on recent changes in the stem diameter of the main tree species in the area were collected, the dynamics of regeneration in gaps was analysed, and the phytosociological map of forest communities was prepared.
The results of the project and the effects of all activities were widely promoted to the public. Almost 5 million people were directly informed about the project and/or its activities. A series of videos and radio programs were created as part of the project. Promotion of the project took place at various meetings organised by the project team, as well as at various mass events (e.g., Earth Days) and scientific conferences.
Below are the key facts about the project:
● Implementation period: 1.10.2014 – 30.04.2022;
● Funding Source: European Commission under the Life+ Instrument, National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management and the Forest Research Institute;
● Contract numbers: KE: LIFE13 ENV/PL/000048, NFOŚiGW: 485/2014/WN10/OP-NM-LF/D;
● Amount of funding: KE: 1 955 251 €; NFOŚiGW: 1 755 616 €; IBL 352 559 €;
● Beneficiary: Forest Research Institute.

One of the three most important areas of activity in the ForBioSensing project, in addition to the technical work and promotion of project results, was the ongoing project management process. Any project, especially projects characterised by a large number of interrelated tasks, interactions with numerous stakeholders, a long lead time, a large project team, numerous risks, and multiple financing institutions, required a methodical management approach. Numerous tools were already envisioned for the project at the proposal stage to enable effective management, controlled execution, and achievement of the planned outcomes (products). ForBioSensing's project management was based on selected elements of the PRINCE2 methodology. The project Steering Committee, management, and project team were established. Special emphasis was placed on building an effective project team. As part of the project, more than a dozen project roles and their responsibilities were defined and assigned to individuals. At the time of writing, from the perspective of the project coming to an end, it can be stated with confidence that the proper planning and leadership of a competent and dedicated project team (over 60 people) by the experienced management was one of the key factors that enabled the project to run smoothly and be completed. The second of the most important elements to ensure project implementation was the development of numerous mechanisms to monitor the correctness of the project. The ForBiosensing project was characterized by almost 170 measurable indicators (project outputs, milestones, task progress indicators, meeting indicators), the successive achievement of which within 15 main tasks (task groups) ensured the controlled progress of the project. Another, undoubtedly one of the most important elements, if not the most important, was the planning of effective communication, both formal and informal. In the area of communication, nearly 40 formal reports on the progress of the project were planned to be submitted to the institutions co-financing the project. There were also formal communication channels in the form of numerous registers (risks, issues, lessons learned), frequent cyclical meetings at various levels of project management, and appropriate locations for teams to ensure informal direct communication.
This publication is a summary of the activities undertaken as part of the project. It contains previously unpublished material as well as a summary of activities, particularly using remote sensing data already widely published in scientific journals.