Spatial structure of natural landscapes within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone

The article demonstrates the results of a study of the landscape structure of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve (Ukr.: Chornobylskyi radiatsiino-ekolohichnyi biosfernyi zapovidnyk – ChREBR). Because of radioactive pollution, a sharp drop in human activity, and the granting of the territory the status of a protected object, the process of area rewilding took on certain characteristics and led to the return of ecosystems’ natural processes. The studies cover a 7-year period from 2016 to 2022, i.e., from the moment this territory was granted protected status. That territory was abandoned by people more than 37 years ago and the former rural and urban landscapes have either already been transformed or are in the process of being transformed into natural ones. The scale of forest massifs has changed during the previous seven years, which has caused increased pasture overgrowth. huge forest massifs have been lost because of enormous forest fires and floods, particularly along the Pripet and Uzh rivers. Semi-natural successions occur in the gardens, and wooden homes are almost extinct. From orbit, a number of communities no longer resemble settlements. They are cloaked in bushes and trees instead. For places that have been ploughed, the same holds true. The last seven years show that change is happening more slowly than in the decades before. The pattern of natural processes in ecosystems, including periodic fires, the blocking of reclamation channels, and other factors, is the primary driver of changes in the composition of the land cover

Historical Landmarks of Congresses of All-Ukrainian Public Organization “Scientific Society of Anatomists, Histologists, Embryologists and Topographic Anatomists of Ukraine”

The Scientific Society of Anatomists, Histologists, Embryologists and Topographic Anatomists of Ukraine - is a public organization whose activity is aimed at the formation of conditions for revealing the scientific and creative potential of morphologists in Ukraine; at the development of the research work; at the development of innovative activity; and at the creation of a society website. This article aims to highlight the historical aspects of the formation and development of the society since Ukraine gained independence and up to nowadays, to focus attention on the famous Ukrainian scientists having managed the society and made significant efforts to develop morphology in Ukraine and in the whole world

Methodology of toxicological effects assessment in aquatic ecosystems by biodiversity indicators use

The implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC within Eastern European is now becoming of utmost significance. This is especially relevant to the territory of Ukrainian Polessie, which is characterized by specific geological and geomorphological conditions, excessive humidification and significant anthropogenic pressure on all components of ecosystems. In this section, we present a methodology for evaluating the content of specific toxicological substances based on a diversitological approach to the macrophyte composition of reservoirs. At the same time, the possibility to apply diversisologic indicators for the bio-indication of the content of heavy metals in coastal soils and bottom deposits was assessed. The most striking changes in the species composition are manifested at the points of the most significant anthropogenic pressure in the presence of toxic compounds in aquatic ecosystems. Significant variations in view indices were noted when the high concentration of heavy metals was reached in the bottom soil. The most significant influence on the species composition is due to high concentrations of the active forms of zinc and cuprum cations in both coastal soils and bottom deposits, although the excessive maximum limits allowed were only in the second group of substances. The close correlation between the content of all investigated groups of heavy metals in bottom deposits and species numbers, the index of dominance, Shannon Diversity Index, and Pielou’s Evenness Index were established. For Margalef Species Richness Index, close dependencies were established for active forms of cations of nickel, cobalt, zinc and cadmium, for other groups the bonds were weak. For Sørensen–Dice Index weaknesses were found with the contents of active forms of cations of nickel and chromium; for other groups of active forms of heavy metals, except cobalt cations, close ties were established as well

Strong Decline in Breeding-Bird Community Abundance Throughout Habitats in the Azov Region (Southeastern Ukraine) Linked to Land-Use Intensification and Climate

In recent decades, bird communities associated with agricultural systems have declined in Western and Central Europe and in North America, but how widely these dynamics extend to other regions is poorly known. In this study, we assessed the dynamics and the main drivers of the changes in the abundance, richness, and composition of breeding bird communities over a 30-year period in the various types of habitats of southeastern Ukraine (Azov region), a region that has undergone agricultural intensification for several decades. This study was conducted in the valley of the Molochna River during the 1988 to 2018 nesting seasons. The area studied hosted 81 bird species. Species richness varied from three species in salt marshes to thirty-three in reed beds but did not show a general trend over time. However, we identified a decline in bird communities’ total abundance over time in all habitats except shelterbelts and meadows. Similarly, species composition changed over time, reflecting the way in which species varied in their abundance changes. Climatic variables contributed to bird community turnover, but with decreasing importance over time. Overall, our results indicate that the recent declines in bird populations in farmland regions also extend to eastern Europe, with land-use effects interacting with climate to shape temporal dynamics of bird communities

Edaphoclimatic factors determining sunflower yields spatiotemporal dynamics in northern Ukraine

The climate and soil conditions have a significant impact on sunflower yields. Sunflower yield dynamics in the Central European mixed forests (Polissya) and Eastern European forest-steppe ecoregions in Ukraine from 1991 to 2017 was proved to fit a log-logistic model most adequately. The model has four characteristic parameters: the Lower Limit indicates the lowest level of yield over the study period; the Slope indicates the rate of yield increase over time; the ED50 is the time required to reach half of the maximum yield level and simultaneously the point with the highest rate of yield increase; the Upper Limit shows the highest yield level. The parameters of the yield model are used to meaningfully interpret the causes of yield dynamics. Edaphoclimatic factors account for 34 to 58% of the variation in the yield trend parameters. The soil texture and soil organic carbon (SOC) predominate among the edaphic factors that determine the variability of sunflower yield. Continentality of climate and degree of temperature variability during the growing season are the main climatic determinants of sunflower yield parameters

Phytocenological approach in biomonitoring of the state of aquatic ecosystems in Ukrainian Polesie

The results of a research into the scale and consequences of the degradation of aquatic ecosystems in Ukrainian Polesie have been detected in article, and the areas of increased anthropogenic pressure have been identified which greatly affect the condition and number of aquatic macrophytes. The biodiversity of sites with different anthropogenic load was evaluated using the biodiversity criteria. In the research, the structural and functional features of macrophytic species diversity within Teteriv River ecological corridor as a typical river landscape of Ukrainian Polesie were determined and described, the floristic composition was determined. Within the ecological zones, the number of species and their projective coverage in areas with different anthropogenic pressures within Teteriv River ecological corridor were determined. The basic criteria for the implementation of deferred biomonitoring based on the analysis of the dynamics of the species composition of the phytocoenoses of Teteriv River ecological corridor on the indicators of ecological stability and plasticity using the species-specific criteria, are: Margalef species richness index, Sørensen–Dice index, Shannon diversity index, Simpson’s index, and Pielou’s evenness index. Based on the results, correlation dependencies have been constructed, which will allow to obtain data on the stability of the development of aquatic ecosystems according to the data of species surveys. Interconnections between biodiversity indicators and indicators of surface water quality within the Ukrainian Polesie were found; they are the fundamental component of a long-term monitoring of the stability in the development of aquatic phytocenoses

Features of the surface water oxygen regime in the Ukrainian Polesie Region

The research analyzed seasonal changes of the oxygen regime and related indicators on the example of water objects of the Ukrainian Polesie Region. The region shows different directions of economic use. Zebrafish (Danio rerio Hamilton–Buchanan) and the Prussian carp (Carassius auratus gibelio Bloch) were used as test objects to investigate survival responses. Dissolved oxygen (DO) concentration in water, pH values and temperatures were determined by standard methods. Based on research results, the main problems were determined pertaining to the oxygen regime of investigated waters, i.e. the increase in temperature and toxicity of the aquatic environment in the summer. A rather dangerous decrease in DO concentration, almost up to the levels of maximum allowable concentration (MAC) (4.10 mg∙dm–3 in group E1 and 6.07 mg∙dm–3 in group E2), was observed in August and it was typical for the reservoirs with a slow water movement. Flowing river waters (group E3) were eliminated due to their better aeration compared to other groups. The correlation analysis based on the presented data revealed a high and average degree of probable correlation between the DO concentration and water temperature, as well as an average degree of correlation with general toxicity determined on sensitive species of D. rerio, and in group E1 on the persistent species C. auratus gibelio as well. The interrelations and equations of the rectilinear regression can be used to predict the oxygen regime of the waters investigated and other surface waters having similar problems

Distribution and ecological growth conditions of Utricularia australis R. Br. in Ukraine

The study shows the biodiversity of Utricularia australis from western to northern regions of Ukraine. The environmental conditions of Ukraine are favourable for the spread and formation of phytocenosis involving U. australis, especially on thermoclimatic, cryothermal and continental scale. A broader range of the species’ relation to humidity has been recorded. The research outcome shows the existence of the species in conditions from shallow, parched reservoirs to deep water habitats which allows the species to withstand temporary drying of reservoirs in summer periods. The resilience of U. australis to some water quality parameters, including nitrogen, phosphorus, iron content, colour, pH and organic contamination was higher than in previous studies and Tsyganov’s ecological scales. Thus, due to its wide range of tolerance to the majority of environmental factors, U. australis tends to spread in contemporary climatic conditions in Ukraine. Considering that the species has category “vulnerable” in the country and is listed in the red data book of Ukraine, its conservation status is likely to be revised further