The desert is situated between the towns of Errors, Chechło and Keys. It covers an area of \u200b\u200bapproximately 34 km2 and is divided into a northern and southern, separated by a White Przemsza. In the past, the area was much higher and reached more than 80 km2.
landscape and nature This peculiarity was due to the presence in these areas of huge deposits of sand and human activity consisting of among others the systematic cutting down the forests. In distant times in the area there were numerous Olkusz lead and silver mines to the smelting of metals which is a wood-fired kilns used. Robbery felling of trees in conjunction with the lowering of groundwater levels (the effect of mine drainage) and poor sandy soils of these areas, led to the gradual disappearance of vegetation and the creation of large areas that look like natural wilderness (Ash dunes of up to 20 m, sand storms and temperature, which in summer heats up the sand to the 70st. C).
Difficult conditions for vegetation caused a degree of flora tarsometatarsal here - the desert with a unique specificity (similar vegetation occurs in Poland only in the area of \u200b\u200bsand dunes). Many species of plants and animals that are found in the vicinity Chechło is inscribed to the "red book" as an extremely endangered. The desert region can also be found endemics - plants found only in the area. The most interesting representatives of the flora of what is mentioned here must be at least wydmuchrzycę sand, sand fescue, dziewięćsił, variety helleborine, clematis, mountain omiega and warzuchę Polish (endemic) - some sources say that the latter have unfortunately perished.
among animals and birds deserve attention include Boric lark, pipit grasshopper, dipper, Śniegula, Ortolan Bunting, Hoopoe, nightjar, Warbler, predatory buzzard, black grouse and protected species of woodpeckers. There are also entered in the Red Book of snake, Common Shrew, and the river threatened Flora brook lamprey. From the shores of the commoner animals Przemsza can meet many beavers, musquash, steppe polecats, moose, deer, wild boars, foxes, deer, roe deer, hawks, and some species of owls. White Przemsza is a kind of oasis among the sand and in the wider area are rich in animals forests.
Trivia
wilderness areas were backdrop for the film "Pharaoh" in the nearby coal mining excavation of sand shot a video for "Shadow of the Eagle" by Varius Manx. Several years ago the camel caravan arrived Błędowa, which sponsored the Muammar Gadhafi Libyan leader (it was a propaganda trip.) Animals underwent one thousand kilometers of many European countries and only in the vicinity of the Desert refused further down the road - perhaps sensed a friendly atmosphere and therefore no longer wanted to continue the journey.
Desert, as such, is almost entirely in the commune of keys, but the rich deposits of sand are also present in many nearby towns. Often they were and still are exploited, and the excavations are no longer empty ideal place for arranging them in water tanks. Created this way include Dabrowska Pogoria III (205 ha) and Pogoria IV (500 hectares), and the flood of jaworzniańskiej Sosinie (50 ha). Sosnowiec was less fortunate because the authorities there, instead of the lake in the mine workings Maczki-Bor urządziły landfill.
Proving Grounds
desert since time immemorial been used as a testing ground for various military formations - both Polish and German. Already in 1914, shooting activities take place here legionary infantry battalion from Czestochowa, preparing to battle Krzywopłotami. In During the Second Republic was a desert area of \u200b\u200bschooling for 2 Air Regiment and the Army infantry and artillery Krakow. During the occupation the Germans in the desert, arranged for an experimental testing ground of the Luftwaffe, the air base was located in Udetfeld Pyrzowice nearby. Luftwaffe tested here among other things, V1 missiles, and the tests took place Udetfeld fighter Me 163 rocket-powered. According to the often repeated opinion of the desert was a training ground for the German Afrika Korps expeditionary force, but the lack of a specific (especially German) source documents.
Shortly after the war were the areas around Chechło used by fighter aircraft and infantry LWP, and in later years classes were held here for landing troops from Krakow to this area, (formerly 250 ha) are used to today. Wilderness areas in 1999 were multinational maneuvers of NATO and aspiring to membership in the alliance, code-named "Co-Operative BEAR '99."
In the woods surrounding the wilderness can encounter many rare species of birds, including Buzzard.
Due to the use of such areas as military training, until recently there could be relatively easily encounter a variety of residues of these exercises (including unexploded ordnance). In 1994, engineers had cleared about 1900 hectares of wilderness, but only to a depth of 20 cm. The desert is too long, "purged" by collectors of militaria and colored scrap collectors - all this meant that there is a little "calmer", but certainly the desert sands lie a lot more dangerous memorabilia, especially from the period of WWII To this day, there are also some of the bunkers, including the German command bunker on the hill Ajuga. The hill is also a vantage point into the desert.Sands or forests
Desert Currently more and more transformed into a. .. forest. Everything has already been written about the unique landscape gradually becomes just a legend. Tourists who visit the area often tend to be disappointed .. In the 50s there were large-scale afforestation Caspian willow and pine (it did prevent the "volatile sand" on what local residents have complained), and every year more and more desert area is shrinking . Contributes to the increase of groundwater level. Virtually the desert near the southern part of the lost already have a desert character (although there is still sand there is no shortage), while in the northern part near Chechło yet he kept. Nearly all sources claim within the wilderness area 34 km2, but the reasons described above, it really would have to talk only about 12 km2, of which a major part is overgrown with vegetation. Since 2000, Desert (located in the Nests Landscape Park) is covered by the protection program "Natura 2000" as an ecological site. Has been voiced about the need to preserve it was even an association dealing with this problem, but whether it will show the effects of time. For now, the desert sands increasingly lose out to Scots pine.
