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Refuges of the European ecological network "Natura 2000"
The Brzeszcze Ponds
It is an area situated in the eastern part of the Upper Vistula Valley mesoregion being a part of the O¶więcim Basin. It has been shaped to a significant extent by continuous human activity, which started in the 13th century. Fish-farming ponds dominate the landscape as their set-up was favoured by hospitable climate and a well-developed river network supplying water.
The refuge is a complex of several fish-farming ponds situated on both sides of the Vistula River. They are mostly surrounded by forest and partly border on riverside meadows. The Vistula has preserved a natural character in this section and it is still a small meandering river. In the river valley there are lots of small oxbow lakes in different phases of land formation. The terrain is flat; numerous ponds with different surface area are enclosed by artificial weirs covered with low vegetation and few bushes and trees.
The vegetal cover is dominated by low vegetation - mostly aquatic and wetland plants. It influences the character of the bird habitats of the fish-farming ponds. Patches of the yellow water-lily Nuphar luteumon on Pond Przebór belong to the most striking aquatic plant communities. Also some specimens of the white water-lily Nymphaea alba have been registered here. An interesting fern, the floating watermoss, grows in an oxbow lake situated near the Vistula channel at the level of Pond Granicznik. Between Pond Frydrychów and Pond Rudak a humid meadow of high wildlife value has developed, where the creeping thistle grows.
In the Brzeszcze Ponds refuge, at least 14 species listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive have been noted to occur. The numbers of two species meet the requirements for designating bird refuges introduced by BirdLife International. Besides, six species have been listed in the Polish Red Data Book of Animals as endangered birds. The Brzeszcze Ponds are one of the most important Polish refuges of the Night Heron and Little Bittern. The area has also deep local significance for the Whiskered Tern.
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