| Sandomierz Forest Polish: Puszcza Sandomierska | |
|---|---|
 Sandomierz Forest near Mielec | |
| Map | |
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| Geography | |
| Location | Poland |
| Ecology | |
| Dominant tree species | pine, common oak |
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Sandomierz Forest (Polish: Puszcza Sandomierska) is one of the biggest forests in southern Poland; covering large parts of the Sandomierz Basin. Its name comes from the historical city of Sandomierz, and in the Middle Ages its eastern edge created a natural border between Lesser Poland and Red Ruthenia.
Currently, the once mighty wilderness, which once stretched from Kraków to Lviv, now extends from Tarnobrzeg in the north, to the suburbs of Rzeszów in the south. It is regarded as one of the wildest forested areas of Poland. Among animals living here, one can find various birds, deer, wild pigs, moles, foxes, wolves, snakes, various spiders and insects. The area of the forest is 129,115.6 hectares, and it is made mostly of pines. Currently, large parts of the forest are covered by the Natura 2000 network (Natura 2000 Puszcza Sandomierska PLB180005). Sandomierz Forest has several small rivers, with the largest one being the Łęg, a right tributary of the Vistula. The soil is mostly poor quality podzols. The boundary of the forest is marked by four rivers - the Vistula, the San, the Wisłoka, and the Wisłok. The forest lies within Subcarpathian Voivodeship; its northern part is located in Tarnobrzeg Plain, while in the south it lies in Kolbuszowa Plateau.