Victor Parfenov

Institute of Experimental Botany

Belarusian Academy of Sciences

Michael Pikulik

Institute of Zoology

Belarusian Academy of Sciences

Belovezhskaya Pushcha, with its centuries of complicated history, will be of the greatest concern here. Whatever that history may be from the standpoint of politics, Belovezhskaya Pushcha can be regarded as an element which has united the intention of people not only to use natural resources, but also to conserve them.

Belovezhskaya Pushcha is a unique complex with protected forests and diverse plants and animals, and it is a source of national pride for both the Belarusian and Polish people. It has acquired world fame for the conservation of wild flora and fauna (primarily in large forest massifs), as well as for numerous studies conducted by many researchers from different countries to determine the ways in which natural ecosystems function. Knowledge of the relationships involved is of very great importance if the trends in human-induced transformations of landscapes are to be estimated. Belovezhskaya Pushcha has contributed much to the restoration of the European bison, a unique animal species in the area. It is one of the most representative protected areas with regard to the biological diversity of plants and animals in the forest zone of Europe. For this reason, a very careful and ecologically-justified approach to solving the problems of conservation in this unique natural complex is required.