Pollution, Habitat Destruction, and Biodiversity in Poland

In the past 50 years, Poland has experienced unprecedented deterioration of the environment and loss of biodiversity. Emissions of toxic gases, such as SO₂, have reached 3 to 4 million tons annually, widely affecting flora, fauna, and human health. Almost all surface waters are heavily polluted. More than 75% of the water in the Vistula, Poland's largest river, is unsuitable even for industrial use. Environmental pollution, habitat loss and fragmentation, and industrialization of agricultural lands and forests have contributed to the loss of biodiversity. As many as 2500 plant species may be endangered (≈25% of all species) and approximately 228 (≈2%) have been extirpated from Poland. The largest losses of flora and fauna have occurred in wetland ecosystems. Among vertebrate species, 15 (≈2%) have been lost and more than 210 (another 30%) are endangered. Given the current economic uncertainty, it is difficult to predict future trends in pollutant emissions and their effects on Poland's biological diversity.