Directions for landscape protection and planning. Problems of maintaining remnants of natural ecosystems in urbanized areas, planning of systems of natural areas in cities and ways of natural evaluation for these purposes, in order to improve environmental conditions for inhabitants, are very current. The aim of the paper is the presentation of methodical approach to natural evaluation of landscape and formulating recommended guidelines for landscape protection and planning in the urban study area including the Bielański Forest nature reserve and its surroundings. The presented method of landscape evaluation consists on: division of the study area into spatial-landscape units characterized with relatively similar type of landscape, analyses in units’ areas and external preconditions, selection of suitable criteria of natural evaluation determining the way of estimation – the range of points awarded in each criterion (points bonitation) and interpretation of results. The guidelines for landscape protection and planning have been formulated, among others maintaining and improving of three external ecological corridors.

The term “fortress landscape” is a holistic one which involves coverage and terrain adapted for defensive purposes. The specificity of the historical heritage of the Polish cultural landscape is expressed in a great number of such objects, some of which have been absorbed by its cities. A case in point is the Warsaw Fortress. A significant part of its fortification has survived to this day. Due to its spatial structure, manner of use and condition, the Fortress constitutes a valuable element of Warsaw’s natural system. At the same time, it should be noted that this element is important due to being a tourist attraction and is an example of qualified military tourism. Military tourism is one of the most popular types of modern tourism. Its elements are frequently integrated into the urban green area system. Moreover, due to its specific spatial structure, the Fortress provides a unique element enriching the cultural landscape of the city. In this paper, a historical background of the Warsaw Fortress is analyzed with a special emphasis on its cultural value and public perception. The methods used in the study include a cultural value assessment, the WNET method, a survey questionnaire and both PCA and PCC statistical methods. The analysis showed that the landscape value of the Fortress received 70% of the maximum possible rating in the conducted survey. What is more, the Warsaw Fortress was also evaluated using all the assessment criteria. The study shows that the entry of the fortress elements into the city’s natural system is perceived as being valuable, although it often lacks a specific program. Consequently, the Warsaw Fortress should be subject to landscape protection with a view towards revitalization, along with introducing a recreational program.

The paper presents the results of a survey questionnaire conducted in order to determine the social preferences of young adults regarding their willingness to finance pocket parks in Warsaw (Poland). The preferences concerned the impact of the appearance and attractiveness of pocket parks for the inhabitants of the capital, the impact on the microclimate, the materials used to build water reservoirs, and the effect of the respondent’s income on their willingness to finance them. The data were analyzed statistically (Kruskal–Wallis test, Mann–Whitney U logistic regression). The results show that young respondents prefer parks with natural water reservoirs. Willingness to pay was the highest in the case of natural parks and parks containing the most anthropogenically modified water reservoirs. It has been shown that the willingness to finance increased with the need for more greenery of this type and greater awareness of their positive impact on the improvement of the microclimate in the city. The higher the attractiveness of pocket parks for leisure and the higher the level of respondents’ incomes, the greater the willingness to finance them. The level of financing also depended on the materials used to build water reservoirs in parks—the more elements made of hydrotechnical concrete, the higher the level of financing. This type of relationship was not found for natural materials, which is surprising given the already well-known threat of climate change and the decrease of biodiversity.

Mostly parks and forest are the most important 'green islands' in urban ecological network. Urban forests are belong to green areas and collected many plant species. The main aim of the article was characteristic of ancient plant species in urban forests in Tarnów. The field studies were carried out in years 2011-2012. It covered 80 phytosociological records on the area 500 m2 in herb layer of urban forests and in forest nature on oak-hornbeam. The results showed that many ancient plant species were growing in urban forest but less than in nature reserves.

In connection with the implementation of the National Programme for Forest Cover Growth in Poland, environmental preconditions, national, EU and international legal requirements as well as necessity of the implementation of green economy in the framework of adaptation to climate change and regarding implementation of sustainable development, increase of total forest cover is very beneficial. However, decisions on afforestation should be thought out. The aim was to draw attention to the more important arguments and principles, supported by scientific and practical facts, in which cases: afforestation is much needed, afforestation is forbidden/not indicated and which terrains should be excluded from deforestation. In particular the aspects related to protection of the landscape have been highlighted. The landscape is understood as a synthesis of the natural, cultural and visual environment. Due to the fact that the first two groups of arguments and principles are generally well known, more focused on the areas and cases where afforestation is not allowed or not advisable. Sites should be excluded from afforestation in particular as a result of circumstances such as: 1) the necessity of coexistence, next to forests, other valuable elements of landscape ecological structure, including water and semi-natural ecosystems (e.g. in Nature 2000 areas), 2) occurrence of valuable terrestrial non-forest ecosystems, 3) protection of proper exposure of landscape dominants (cultural, natural or mixed), creation of exposure of valuable views, panoramas, creating view axes, 4) valuable forms of terrain relief and, in case where are landscape dominants, as well terrains around them. The set of rules where afforestation and exclusion from afforestation is needed, has been presented being, at the same time, the set of indications for shaping the environment, the landscape and the land-use planning in terms of the formation of the spatial structure of forest areas in Poland.