The vast lowland plains are home to enchanting oak forests, where the last wild herds of European bison continue to roam. While much of the land has been converted into meadows and pastures by human activity, there are still sizable areas of untouched woodland, with the mystical Białowieża Forest standing out as one of Europe’s last large stretches of primeval forest. The forest is a haven for birds like the greater-spotted and white-tailed eagles, which glide above the towering Norway spruce trees, some of which grow as tall as 50 meters.
A symbol of the Central European Mixed Forests ecoregion, the European bison (Bison bonasus) embodies its character.
This ecoregion spans the lowland plains of Northern Europe, covering substantial portions of Poland, Belarus, Lithuania, and Ukraine, with smaller extensions into Germany, Romania, Moldova, Austria, and Russia. The region experiences a continental climate, especially to the east. Its natural forests are composed of oak, European hornbeam, lime, and beech, with Norway spruce and European silver fir being common in the northern areas.
In wetland areas, black alder, downy birch, and willow thickets thrive. Scots pine, extensively planted and managed for commercial purposes, is now the most prevalent tree in the region, sometimes making up to 90% of the forested areas in Western Poland.
The white-backed woodpecker, a key species of the ecoregion, requires high-quality habitats such as old-growth forests filled with decaying trees. Its presence is closely associated with other notable species, including brown bears, Eurasian lynx, grey wolves, and European bison. Following World War I, European bison were nearly wiped out from most of their original range, surviving only in a small population in the Caucasus Mountains.
Since then, several reintroduction efforts have successfully restored these majestic creatures to nearly every country in the ecoregion, with over 4,500 bison now living in 51 free-ranging herds. Other species of concern include the spotted souslik, pond bat, barbastelle, and black grouse. While endemism in the region is relatively low, unique occurrences like boreal species such as cloudberry and dwarf birch can be found in the northern areas, relics of past glaciations.
The ecoregion is both densely populated and highly altered by human activities. Much of its original vegetation has been lost, and it is estimated that only 0.2% of the pristine forests remain. Agriculture, urbanization, and plantations are the main drivers of habitat change, although semi-natural habitats such as traditional pastures continue to support significant plant and animal populations.
Hunting remains a major economic activity, with red deer, fallow deer, ducks, and pheasants commonly stocked in forests. The Białowieża Forest in Poland stands as a vital protected area, preserving old-growth woodlands and a rich array of plants, fungi, and slime molds, including the world’s largest free-ranging European bison herd. In Ukraine, the Podolskie Tovtry National Park offers stunning canyons, lakes, and caves, while Germany’s Westhavelland provides a sanctuary for great bustards.
Despite legal protection, threats persist as logging and hunting are still common in many protected areas. Overstocking of game animals puts immense pressure on forests and crops, while the release of domesticated mallards has led to the erosion of wild gene pools. Semi-natural habitats face growing pressures from intensive management in some regions and the abandonment of traditional practices in others.
In Poland, management plans aim to strengthen ecological corridors through targeted afforestation of agricultural land and to support bird and insect populations by increasing the amount of deadwood in forest ecosystems. Reforestation efforts are also underway in Belarus and Ukraine.
European bison populations face risks from low genetic diversity and the isolation of reintroduced herds. Several countries are working to create large, interconnected meta-populations to link existing herds and introduce new ones.
Key conservation priorities for the next decade include: 1) managing the stocking of game animals to avoid exceeding habitat capacities; 2) enforcing stricter regulations to prevent wildlife overexploitation within protected areas; and 3) improving connectivity among protected areas to prevent the isolation of European bison populations.