Location
Dabrowy Krotoszynskie are located on borderlands of two counties: krotoszynski and ostrowski, in south part of wielkopolskie voivodeship. They encompass area of 37835.8 ha. Ostrów Wielkopolski and Krotoszyn cities are situated near the refuge.

Landscape
Vast areas of oak woods occurrence is strongly connected with geographical position, and especially with geomorphologic relief of the area. Most of Krotoszyn Forest Inspectorate's oak woods appears in subregion of Kosminska Plain, which boggy, flat centre, located in watershed zone and made of solid clays is commonly called Plyta Krotoszynska (Krotoszyn Plate). It is vast flat height of bottom moraine made of glacial clays of Central Polish glaciation.

Ecosystem
Dabrowy Krotoszynskie grow on krotoszynskie clays on Kaliska platau. Dense complex of oak tree stands is sensational in country scale, because typical oak woods occure only in conditions of continental climate on Podolia region, Hungary and Romania. Types of krotoszynskie oak woods are closer to one which grow in Western Europe. Dabrowy Krotoszynskie are characterised by big participation of fresh forests and mixed fresh forests (over 65%) and coniferous woods occupy only 30% of the surface. Jasne Pole wood complex is very interesting and worth seeing. It used to be forest inspectorate with the same name. Dense tree stand of penduculate aok grows on the area of almost 5 000 ha.

There are 12 habitats appearing mentioned in Appendix I of Habitat Directive:

• Old acidophilous oak woods with Quercus robur on sandy plains,
• Molinia meadows on calcareous, peaty or clavey-silt-laden soils (Molinion caeruleae),
• Lowland hay meadows (Alopecurus pratensis, Sanguisorba officinalis),
• Galio-Carpinetum oak-hornbeam forests,
• Alluvial forests with Alnus glutinosa and Fraxinus excelsior (Alno-Padion, Alnion incanae, Salicion albae),
• Riparian mixed forest of Quercus robur, Ulmus laevis and Ulmus minor, Fraxinus excelsior or Fraxinus angustifolia along the great rivers (Ulmenion minoris),
• Xeric sand calcareous grasslands,
• Hydrophilous tall herb fringe communities of plains and of the montane to alpine levels,
• Transition mires and quaking bogs,
• alkaline fens,
• Luzulo-Fagetum beech forests,
• bog woodlands.

There are also soft water springs (Cardamino-Montion) - habitat not listed in Appendix I.

Flora
Flora of this area is very rich. Over 850 species of vegetation appear here, with many rare and endangered plants. Pendiculate oaks occure here together with beeches, hormbeams, rowans, maples, elms and ashes. Oaks of Krotoszyn reach 40 m of height.

You may also find such species on the area of the refuge as: giant bellflower, Bauxbaum sedge, European centaury, Cnidium dubium, early marsh orchid, spotted orchid, western marsh orchid, Mezereon, sweetwilliam, fringed pink, yellow foxglove digitalis, round-leaved sundew, helleborine, marsh helleborine, great horsetail, marsh gentian, gladiolus imbricatus, Siberian iris, martagon lily, European common twayblade, European honeysuckle, stiff clubmoss, lesser loosestrife, bastard balm, buckbean, annual water miner's-lettuce, bird's nest orchid, yellow water-lily, lousewort, lesser butterfly-orchid, common polypody, wild service tree, globe-flower and fen violet.

Fauna
The area of Dabrowy Krotoszynskie has rich fauna inhibitated forests and its vicinity. Relatively numerous populations of amphibians and reptilias occure here: European fire-bellied toad, great crested newt, slow worm, common spadefoot, sand lizard, grass snake, european green toad, European viper.

Birds representing the area are: black stork, middle spotted and black woodpecker, ortolan, collared and red-breasted flycatcher, common crane, white-tailed eagle, red-backed shrike, woodlark, gray-headed woodpecker and barred warbler.

Among fish species living in the waters of the refuge is worth to mention about weatherfish - the species under the strict protection in Poland.

There are also many invertebrates on the refugium site. You may find here such species like: Lesser Purple Emperor, Nymphalis polychloros, Swallowtail butterfly, wasp spider, moss bladder snail, roman snail, Trichia lubomirskii and many more.

Protection and Threats
Most part of the area is within the Dąbrowy Krotoszyńskie Area of Protected Landscape (55 800 ha) with 6 nature reserves: Dąbrowa koło Biadek Krotoszyńskich (16.6 ha), Dąbrowa Smoszew (9.8 ha), Miejski Bór (29.2 ha), Mszar Bogdaniec (22.0 ha), Buczyna Helenopol (42.0 ha) and Baszków (3.6 ha).

The main potencial threats are: successive drainage of the area in a result of wrongly conducted meliorations for meadows' gatherings, cessation of extensive usage and difficulties of oak tre stands' restoration.

Health state of oak woods is fair nowadays, however there still exists big danger caused by pathologic complex of oaks'dying which has been monitored on 8 viewing surfaces since 1997. Praying of harmful insects with the most manacing green oak moth (Tortrix viridana), which is chemical splushed from planis, is less threatening. Also deers seriously destroy arboriculture and young trees, that is why still larger areas are fenced, what gives good effects. There are damages repeating in few yeares in a result of huricanes.