1. Aurors: Kinga Kozak i Łukasz Majcherczyk

2. A forest is a large area of land covered with trees or other woody vegetation. Forests are the dominant terrestrial ecosystem of Earth, and are distributed across the globe. Forests account for 75% of the gross primary productivity of the Earth's biosphere, and contain 80% of the Earth's plant biomass.

3. Information on forests is essential for the implementation of EU environmental policies as forests play a key role in aspects related to the protection of European ecosystems, biodiversity, the sustainable use of natural resources, carbon sequestration and climate change.

6. The structure and characteristics of forest in Poland: In Poland, dominated by coniferous forests, where the dominant species is Scots pine (which constitutes 69.4% of all forests). The huge advantage of pine trees in a national forest stand is the result of high resistance and small requirements of the soil and climatic conditions and of large-scale afforestation in the genre. The average age of the trees is 50 years. Forests cover in Poland, 28.3% of the total area of the country. In our country it was left little of the original plant communities. Primary complexes primeval forests have survived in fragments, mainly in the Bialowieza Forest. Stand most of the forests are young and susceptible to diseases. The negative impact on the state to industrial pollution. Particularly sensitive to dust, gases and acid rain are conifers. Forests are destroyed by fires and also unsustainable forest management.

7. deciduous forests, coniferous forests, mixed forests

8. - Natural: cleans the air from dust and other harmful substances, reduces soil erosion and prevents the formation of sand dunes and moving sand, increases the humidity, regulates the movement of air masses, produces oxygen and is a place of life for various species of plants and animals, is a natural protection against flooding. - Economic: pulp and paper, furniture, construction, reduces flooding, supplies of wild game and berries, harvesting of timber as a source of energy. - Social: the place of recreation, relaxation, beneficial effects on human health, the formation of resorts and spas, tourist attractions, scientific importance (national parks, landscape and wildlife), inspiration for artists.

9. Polish forest resources against the world's resources The total area of the world's forests is approximately 4 033 060 thousand. ha. The average forest cover in countries around the world (in relation to land area) is approximately 31%, and 1 person on Earth for about 0.60 ha of forest, ie. About 2.5 times more than in Poland. The countries with the largest forest area (as a percentage of total forest area of the world are: Russia (20%), Brazil (13%), Canada (8%), USA (7%) and China (5%). European Union countries with the surface forests about 157 million hectares constitute about 4% of the world's forests. Poland (9.3 million ha) occupies 55th place on the list of countries according to the forest area. forest area in Poland is 0.23% of the world's forests and about 6% of the Union's forest European Union. In contrast, timber resources of the country (2.3 billion m3) represent 9.5% of the forests in the EU, which gives Poland 4th place among these countries.

10. In Europe, the largest forest area in the Russian Federation; it is about 809 million hectares, which represents 79% of the total forest area in Europe (Table 3). The biggest forest cover is characterized by Northern Europe (52.1%) and Russia (49.4%), and the smallest South-Eastern Europe (23.1%). In Europe, the forest area in the period of 20 years from 1990 to 2010 increased by 1.6%. In Europe (excluding Russia) growth in the 20-year period was 8.3%.

11. In turn, the most abundant forests characterized Europe Central and Western (227 m3 / ha) and Central and Eastern Europe (217 m3 / ha), and the lowest Europe South West (81 m3 / ha) and Russia (101 m3 / ha). The average wealth of forests in Europe (excluding Russia) - amounting to 155 m3 / ha - is similar to the average abundance in the forests of EU countries (154 m3 / ha). In Poland, the average wealth of forests is higher and amounts to 254 m3 / ha (including land related to forest management).