Tatra National Park
Encyclopedia
Tatra National Park is a National Park located in the Tatra mountains in the Małopolska Region
in southern Poland
, bordering Slovakia
. It was created in 1954 on an area of 215.56 km², but it is currently slightly smaller, at 211.64 km² (81.7 sq mi). Of this, 151.91 km² is forest and the remainder mainly meadows. Strictly protected zones account for 115.14 km², of which 61.49 km² are forest ecosystems.
The Park has its headquarters in the town of Zakopane
. There is also a similar national park on the Slovakian side of the border, called Tatranský národný park
.
The first calls for protection of the Tatras came at the end of the 19th century. In 1925 the first efforts to create a national park
, in cooperation with Slovakia, took place. Formally the park was created in 1937, on an area that belonged to the state forests authority. In 1947, a separate administrative unit, Tatra Park, was created. And in 1954, by decision of the Polish Government, Tatra National Park was created. In 1992, the Polish and Slovakian national parks in the Tatras were jointly designated a transboundary biosphere reserve
by UNESCO
under its Man and the Biosphere programme.
mountain range in Poland. The highest peak in Poland, Rysy
(2,499 m AMSL), is located here. The Polish Tatra range, which is a part of the Carpathian Mountains
, is divided into two parts: High Tatras
(Tatry Wysokie) and Western Tatras
(Tatry Zachodnie). The landscape consists of sharp-edged peaks and hollows with numerous rock formations. There are around 650 caves, of which the cave system Wielka Sniezna is the longest (18 km) and the deepest (maximum depth 814 m). Six caves of the system are open to public.
with an area of 349,000 m² and maximum depth of 50.8 m, and Wielki Staw Polski with an area of 344,000 m² and maximum depth of 79.3 m. Longest streams reach 20 km. Waterfalls, such as Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza are popular with tourists. The highest waterfall is Wielka Siklawa at 70 m.
and beech
forests. Higher levels, up to 1,550 m, are covered with spruce
forests, which turn into grassland at higher heights, which grows up to 1,800 m. The highest level, above 1,800 m, is of Alpine character.
and marmot
, both protected since the mid-19th century, brown bear
, Eurasian lynx
, wolf, otter
, eagle
, and falcon
.
). The most important elements of their culture are language (Podhale dialect
), clothes and customs. Their past is preserved in oral stories and traditional architecture, such as huts.
and ironworks
were built here, and these establishments needed a lot of timber. Tourism has developed since the late 19th century, and the excessive number of tourists is the largest threat to Park’s nature now. Other threats are proximity of the fast-developing town of Zakopane
, air pollution
from the industrial zones in Kraków
, Ostrava
and Orava
, and poachers.
Tatra National Park covers only 0.07% of Poland, but it is visited by more than 3 million tourists every year, which makes it the most visited national park in Poland. The current infrastructure, such as hotels and car parks, is not sufficient for the current amount of visitors. Some time ago fees for entering the park were introduced.
Lesser Poland Voivodeship
Małopolska Voivodeship , or Lesser Poland Voivodeship, is a voivodeship, in southern Poland...
in southern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, bordering Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It was created in 1954 on an area of 215.56 km², but it is currently slightly smaller, at 211.64 km² (81.7 sq mi). Of this, 151.91 km² is forest and the remainder mainly meadows. Strictly protected zones account for 115.14 km², of which 61.49 km² are forest ecosystems.
The Park has its headquarters in the town of Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
. There is also a similar national park on the Slovakian side of the border, called Tatranský národný park
Tatra National Park, Slovakia
Tatra National Park is one of the nine national parks in Slovakia. It is situated in North Central Slovakia in the Tatra Mountains. The Tatra National Park protects the area of the Western Tatras and the Eastern Tatras .The National Park covers an area of 738 km² , and the buffer zone around the...
.
The first calls for protection of the Tatras came at the end of the 19th century. In 1925 the first efforts to create a national park
National park
A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or owns. Although individual nations designate their own national parks differently A national park is a reserve of natural, semi-natural, or developed land that a sovereign state declares or...
, in cooperation with Slovakia, took place. Formally the park was created in 1937, on an area that belonged to the state forests authority. In 1947, a separate administrative unit, Tatra Park, was created. And in 1954, by decision of the Polish Government, Tatra National Park was created. In 1992, the Polish and Slovakian national parks in the Tatras were jointly designated a transboundary biosphere reserve
Biosphere reserve
The Man and the Biosphere Programme of UNESCO was established in 1971 to promote interdisciplinary approaches to management, research and education in ecosystem conservation and sustainable use of natural resources.-Development:...
by UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
under its Man and the Biosphere programme.
Geography
The National Park covers the only AlpineAlpine climate
Alpine climate is the average weather for a region above the tree line. This climate is also referred to as mountain climate or highland climate....
mountain range in Poland. The highest peak in Poland, Rysy
Rysy
Rysy is a mountain in the crest of the High Tatras, lying on the border between Poland and Slovakia. Rysy has three peaks: the middle at ; the north-western at ; and the south-eastern at...
(2,499 m AMSL), is located here. The Polish Tatra range, which is a part of the Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
, is divided into two parts: High Tatras
High Tatras
High Tatras or High Tatra are a mountain range on the borders between Slovakia and Poland. They are a part of the Tatra Mountains...
(Tatry Wysokie) and Western Tatras
Western Tatras
The Western Tatras are mountains in the Tatras, part of the Carpathian Mountains, located on the Polish-Slovak borders. The mountains border the High Tatras in the east, Podtatranská kotlina in the south, Choč Mountains in the west and Rów Podtatrzański in the north...
(Tatry Zachodnie). The landscape consists of sharp-edged peaks and hollows with numerous rock formations. There are around 650 caves, of which the cave system Wielka Sniezna is the longest (18 km) and the deepest (maximum depth 814 m). Six caves of the system are open to public.
Geology
There are several streams and around 30 mountain lakes called staw (pond). These water bodies are an important part of the High Tatra landscape. The largest lakes are: Morskie OkoMorskie Oko
Morskie Oko is the largest and fourth deepest lake in the Tatra Mountains...
with an area of 349,000 m² and maximum depth of 50.8 m, and Wielki Staw Polski with an area of 344,000 m² and maximum depth of 79.3 m. Longest streams reach 20 km. Waterfalls, such as Wodogrzmoty Mickiewicza are popular with tourists. The highest waterfall is Wielka Siklawa at 70 m.
Flora
Up to 1,250 m there are mainly firFir
Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...
and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...
forests. Higher levels, up to 1,550 m, are covered with spruce
Spruce
A spruce is a tree of the genus Picea , a genus of about 35 species of coniferous evergreen trees in the Family Pinaceae, found in the northern temperate and boreal regions of the earth. Spruces are large trees, from tall when mature, and can be distinguished by their whorled branches and conical...
forests, which turn into grassland at higher heights, which grows up to 1,800 m. The highest level, above 1,800 m, is of Alpine character.
Fauna
The National Park contains several endemic species and many endangered and protected ones. Animals include: Tatra chamoisTatra chamois
The Tatra chamois is a subspecies of the Chamois of the Rupicapra genus. Tatra chamois lives in the Tatra Mountains in Slovakia and Poland and, unknown to many, the Low Tatras in Slovakia....
and marmot
Marmot
The marmots are a genus, Marmota, of squirrels. There are 14 species in this genus.Marmots are generally large ground squirrels. Those most often referred to as marmots tend to live in mountainous areas such as the Alps, northern Apennines, Eurasian steppes, Carpathians, Tatras, and Pyrenees in...
, both protected since the mid-19th century, brown bear
Brown Bear
The brown bear is a large bear distributed across much of northern Eurasia and North America. It can weigh from and its largest subspecies, the Kodiak Bear, rivals the polar bear as the largest member of the bear family and as the largest land-based predator.There are several recognized...
, Eurasian lynx
Eurasian Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...
, wolf, otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
, eagle
Eagle
Eagles are members of the bird family Accipitridae, and belong to several genera which are not necessarily closely related to each other. Most of the more than 60 species occur in Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just two species can be found in the United States and Canada, nine more in...
, and falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
.
Human life
The park is home to original culture and folklore preserved by the Polish highlanders (góraleGórale
Górale may refer to:*Gorals, a group of people indigenous to Polish, Czech and Slovak mountain areas*Górale, Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship *Górale, Łódź Voivodeship...
). The most important elements of their culture are language (Podhale dialect
Podhale dialect
The Podhale dialect refers to the language spoken by the Gorals, or the highlanders living in the Tatra Mountains. The dialect, itself a part of the larger Lesser Polish dialectal group, is characterized as Proto-Slavic from the Eastern Lechitic, Old Polish area, superimposed by Slovak.In other...
), clothes and customs. Their past is preserved in oral stories and traditional architecture, such as huts.
Environment and tourism
The area of the Tatra mountains was exploited by human activities in the past. During summer numerous herds of animals (like goats, sheep and cows) pastured on the meadows and these practices caused erosion processes. In the 18th and 19th centuries several minesMining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and ironworks
Ironworks
An ironworks or iron works is a building or site where iron is smelted and where heavy iron and/or steel products are made. The term is both singular and plural, i.e...
were built here, and these establishments needed a lot of timber. Tourism has developed since the late 19th century, and the excessive number of tourists is the largest threat to Park’s nature now. Other threats are proximity of the fast-developing town of Zakopane
Zakopane
Zakopane , is a town in southern Poland. It lies in the southern part of the Podhale region at the foot of the Tatra Mountains. From 1975 to 1998 it was in of Nowy Sącz Province, but since 1999 it has been in Lesser Poland Province. It had a population of about 28,000 as of 2004. Zakopane is a...
, air pollution
Air pollution
Air pollution is the introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or biological materials that cause harm or discomfort to humans or other living organisms, or cause damage to the natural environment or built environment, into the atmosphere....
from the industrial zones in Kraków
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
, Ostrava
Ostrava
Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the...
and Orava
Orava (region)
Orava is the traditional name of a region situated in northern Slovakia and partially also in southern Poland . It encompasses the territory of the former Árva county.-History:...
, and poachers.
Tatra National Park covers only 0.07% of Poland, but it is visited by more than 3 million tourists every year, which makes it the most visited national park in Poland. The current infrastructure, such as hotels and car parks, is not sufficient for the current amount of visitors. Some time ago fees for entering the park were introduced.