Poland - Forestry

As of 2000, 30% of Poland's land was forested. Pine, larch, spruce, and fir are the most important varieties of trees. Polish forests are subject to difficult growing conditions such as wide temperature fluctuations in winter, hurricane strength winds, and unusually high temperatures in summer. Most Polish forests grow on highly degraded sandy soils that hold little moisture. Moreover, much of Poland suffered from drought during the 1990s. Almost 50% of forests are young trees; only 17% of the stand can be cut. The Wielkopolski National Forest, a reservation in Rogalin, is famous for its thousand-year-old oak trees.

Despite the adversity, the forest products industry was one of the most rapidly growing sectors of the Polish economy in the 1990s. Since 1992, output of value-added products has doubled, excluding sawn timber. Wood processing occurs in the Biala Podlaska region, while large areas of forest in the Zamosc region foster development in the furniture industry. In 2001, exports of furniture were valued at $2.4 billion (mainly to Germany), making it a leading export commodity. In 2001, over 80% of furniture production was exported, compared to 17% in 1989. The timber cut in 2001 was estimated at 23.5 million cu m (8.3 million cu ft) of roundwood. The annual harvest of roundwood is typically around 20 million cu m (706 million cu ft), equivalent to 65–70% of annual growth. Poland was once an exporter of timber, but given the booming construction of private homes, domestic production does not meet local demand. In 2000, imports of roundwood reached 365,000 cu m (12.8 million cu ft).

The government has been attempting to offset losses from territorial redistribution and wartime destruction by afforestation. During 1990–2000, the forested area increased in size by an annual average of 18,000 ha (44,500 acres) per year. Although land is being returned to forests, industrial pollution and pests are still causing deterioration.