The richness of our forests is testified by the occurrence of about 441 of protected species altogether, including  390 species under strict protection and 51 under partial protection.
Plants  – 136 of protected species including 27 ones under partial protection.
Fungus - 32 of protected species including 9 ones under  partial protection.
Animals   - 273 of protected species including 15 ones under  partial protection.

The most numerous group of protected animals are birds. In fact, almost  175  species of birds live in local forests. There also occur 7 species of reptiles and 14 species of  amphibians. Besides, in flowing rivers and the hidden forest lakes, there live 55 different species of fish (including 7 under protection) and 2 species of lampreys. Among invertebrates, there are also 40 species under protection.

At the same time , Lubusz Forests are the place, where many dying breeds live, at the same time having crucial meaning for national resources. These are: wolfs, dormice,  capercaillies, fish hawks , red kites, white-tailed eagles, eurasian pygmy owls,  pond turtles, smooth snakes and  rare  beetles as: a stag beetle, a great capricorn beetle and  a hermit beetle.

In Lubusz Forests, there are natural areas, that are unique on Polish and European scale, among others:

• The area of  Nature 2000 in Nietoperek – place of wintering (also called hibernaculum) for bats with the European meaning, where 30 000 of bats representing 14 species may hibernate to survive the winter,
• agglomeration of rare species and  habitats (broad patches of Rhynchosporetum areas with beak sedge   found in fairly acidic wetlands and waterlogged moss-grown territories with cross-leaved heath) with Atlantic range in western part of  Lower Silesian Wilderness,
• Oder Valley with well sustained riparian forest complexes, as well as oak-elm-ash forests and numerous populations of water and marsh  birds.

The main element endangering biodiversity is the appearance of invasive species to the indigenous fauna and flora, introduced by humans.  On the one hand, within our area, among animals  the most dangerous  for local nature are: a racoon dog, an American minks, anorconectes limosus and a red-eared sliders. On the other hand, there are also very dangerous and invasive species among plants, such as:                            a steeplebush, which ranges over peat-bogs, an  impatiens parviflora and a knotweed, which seriously endanger  biodiversity of this region. Lubusz Forests are also the centre of black locust availability -      the breed, that badly deforms natural forest ecosystems.

Summing up, Lubusz Forests  constitute an important area for biodiversity of the country. The most valuable nature and landscape places are taken under different types of nature conservation, as defined by the Act on Protection of Nature of 16 April 2004:

Forms of conservation of nature within the area of RDLP in Zielona Góra (dated on 01.01.2013)

* - areal natural monuments
** - including the total area of yearlong zones (compact) 850,72 hectares

Marek Maciantowicz