Paper short abstract:

Pasturing of livestock has had profound consequences for Białowieża Primeval Forest (BPF), where it was a part of traditional forest use. Historical sources allow to retrace changes and tensions connected with forest cattle pasturing , along with ecological impact of cattle presence in BPF.

Paper long abstract:

Pasturing of livestock has had profound consequences for Europe’s landscapes, including forests. In Białowieża Primeval Forest (BPF), currently straddling the Polish-Belorussian border, cattle pasturing was a part of traditional forest use that ceased only in the second half of the 20th century. Historical sources contain information on the institutional changes governing forest cattle pasturing and social tensions connected with that, changes in spatial extent of cattle presence and cattle numbers in BPF in the last two centuries. The spatial extent of cattle pasturing was highly variable, with the distribution of grazing areas frequently changing. Forest near villages (constituting less than 10% of the area) was most often used for cattle grazing during continued longer time periods. Analysis of this information allows to draw conclusions on cattle impact on forest regeneration, which is not as straightforward as previously thought: the frequent changes that occurred in the extent of cattle grazing indicate that their impact occurred locally, was smaller in other less intensively used areas, and in the forest as a whole.