Forest plant communities and their degeneration in the urban forests of Warsaw

This paper presents the results of an inventory of plant communities of the urban forests in Warsaw. It covers the occurrence of forest associations and forest plant communities in individual forest complexes. Due to their location within the boundaries of a large urban agglomeration, Warsaw’s city forests are particularly exposed to anthropopressure. The share of various degrees of degeneration and dominant forms of degeneration in individual complexes and over the whole surface under investigation was assessed. Possible causes of the conditions existing in the forests have been discussed; in particular, within the context of the development and use of these forests for tourism and recreation. Particular forests’ distinct historical origins, forestry management, and existing forms of surface protection possess fundamental significance for the determination of their current state.