Dyspersja lasów bukowych (Fagion sylvaticae) na Pojezierzu Mazurskim – studium przypadku: od rejestracji faktu do interpretacji biogeograficznej

The paper analyzes the possible dispersion of beech and beech forest outside its natural range in the Masuria Lake District, taking into account the impact of forestry and addressing the following questions: (i) can the existence of persistent beech forest phytocenoses of anthropogenic origin outside its natural range be interpreted as a manifestation of area expansion; (ii) can a forest introduced by humans, forming the present vegetation, be identified under certain conditions as potential natural vegetation; (iii) what consequences, for science as well as for the practice of forestry and nature conservation, arise from that interpretation of specific biogeographical observations? The research is based on the example of the beech forest located in the Szczytno forest division. The habitat and local climate conditions of the research site were considered, as well as its location relative to the natural range of beech recorded in the ATPOL grid and on the map of potential natural vegetation. Two indicators of climatic conditions were used, based on temperature and precipitation data, tested before in analyses of the range of beech and beech forests on the scale of Central Europe. Our findings seem to confirm the dispersion of beech in northern Poland.