The University of Rzeszów will develop new environmental documentation for 13 Protected Landscape Areas (PLAs) across the Subcarpathian region. The announcement was published on the official website of the Marshal’s Office of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, confirming that scientists from the University’s Faculty of Technology and Life Sciences and the Faculty of Exact and Technical Sciences will lead the project.

Earlier this year, the Marshal’s Office launched a public tender for the task, which was awarded to InventUR Ltd., a special purpose company of the University of Rzeszów. The agreement has now been officially signed. The cost of developing the documentation is close to PLN 4 million, with funding provided by the European Funds for Subcarpathia 2021–2027 under the regional operational program. The project will be overseen by the Department of Environmental Protection of the Marshal’s Office.

Protected Landscape Areas are regions of high scenic and ecological value that serve not only recreational and tourism purposes, but also play a critical role as ecological corridors—pathways that allow the movement of plants and animals between habitats, helping them survive in changing environmental conditions. Such areas may include river valleys, forest complexes, ridge systems, and peat bogs.

In Subcarpathia, PLAs span 99 municipalities and constitute the largest portion of protected areas in the region, covering nearly 470,000 hectares. Under the newly signed agreement, University of Rzeszów researchers will update documentation for all 13 designated areas. This will include reevaluating natural and cultural assets, assessing the continuity and vulnerability of ecological corridors, identifying key ecosystems and distinctive landscape types, and pinpointing zones with the highest tourism and recreation potential. The comprehensive documentation is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

The project is led by Prof. Krzysztof Kukuła, an expert in ecology, environmental protection, and nature conservation, who will also be responsible for the analysis of ecological corridors. The thematic areas will be coordinated by a team of specialists from the Faculty of Technology and Life Sciences:

• Dr Agata Gajdek, Eng. Arch. – landscape evaluation, including cultural components
• Dr Paweł Wolański, Eng., Dr Krzysztof Rogut Eng., and Dr Jan Ziobro – phytosociology and assessment of botanical values
• Prof. Bogdan Wiśniowski – conservation of terrestrial invertebrates, particularly insects
• Prof. Aneta Bylak – protection of aquatic environments, especially fish and aquatic invertebrates
• Dr Jerzy Michalczuk – conservation of terrestrial vertebrates, with emphasis on avifauna
• Dr Grzegorz Pitucha – protection of terrestrial mammals and ecological corridor assessment
• Dr Agata Ćwik – spatial planning and evaluation of tourism and recreation potential
• Dr Bernadetta Ortyl – geographic information systems (GIS)

From the Faculty of Exact and Technical Sciences, Prof. Barbara Pękala will oversee data modeling and computational intelligence methods.