The Ecological Role of Abandoned Agricultural Lands in Buffer Zones Around Landscape Parks in the Łódź Voivodeship

Stanisław Krysiak, Jolanta Adamczyk

The publication presents an evaluation of the ecological role of abandoned agricultural lands which exist around the seven landscape parks in the Łódź Voivodeship. In thirty-nine land abandonment study plots, arranged into thirteen groups, agrophysical and agrochemical analyses were conducted as well as phytosociological and mycological inventorying, in order to determine the relationships between the vegetation and macromycetes fungi and the abiotic features of the natural environment. The role of geocomplex potential, the influence of adjacent urbanised areas and the development of touristic functions in rural areas were demonstrated in the spatial pattern of abandoned lands. The research revealed a high diversity of vegetation, flora and macromycetes fungi, vulnerability to the impact from the neighbouring habitats and the importance of abandoned lands as refugia of species which enrich the biodiversity. At the same time, attention was drawn to invasive plant species of non-native origin, which may pose a threat to the natural phytocoenoses of protected areas.