Wildlife of Ukraine

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Pine forest near Klavdievo, Borodianka Raion, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine.

Wildlife of Ukraine includes its diverse fauna and flora. Ukraine contains six terrestrial ecoregions: Central European mixed forests, Crimean Submediterranean forest complex, East European forest steppe, Pannonian mixed forests, Carpathian montane conifer forests, and Pontic steppe.[1] Ukraine is home to a diverse assemblage of animals, fungi, microorganisms and plants.[citation needed]The reported fauna includes forty-five thousand species including the areas of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.[2] Protected areas consist of 33 Ramsar sites covering an area of 7,446.51 square kilometres (2,875.11 sq mi). Biosphere nature reserves and three national parks are all part of the GEF projects portfolio of conservation of biodiversity in the Danube Delta.[3][4] Their vegetation pattern is Mixed Forest area, Forest-Steppe area, Steppe area, Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains and Crimean Mountains. Some of the protected areas which were reserves or parks are subsumed under the biosphere reserves.[5]

The isolated or abandoned zone of the Chernobyl nuclear power station disaster around the city of Chernobyl, while evacuated of all human habitation, has an abundance of wildlife which are reported to be multiplying in numbers. However, reports indicate that bird brains are 5% smaller in size, and the insect and spider population is in decline.[6]

Geography of Ukrainian wildlife[]

The Ukrainian Carpathians

A synopsis of Ukraine's faunal and flora history was noted in Stephen Rudnicki's Ukraine, the Land and Its People: An Introduction to Its Geography (1912): "Ukraine has a much more varied plant and animal geography than the proper Russian territory, despite the latter's much greater extent. In Ukraine, the borders of three main divisions of plant-geography of Europe meet—the Mediterranean division, the steppe region, and the forest region, with their transition regions. Besides, we meet in Ukraine three mountain regions—the Carpathian. In respect to flora, Ukraine possesses only a few endemic species".[7]

"To be sure the great ice period covered only comparatively small areas of Ukraine with its glacier, but the polar flora undoubtedly prevailed in the entire country at that time. After the withdrawal of the glacier, steppes first appeared in its place, which then, especially in the Northwest, were forced to make room for a forest flora that had immigrated from Central Europe and Siberia. Hence, despite the considerable area of Ukraine, so few endemic species. Since those primeval days, only a very few natural changes have occurred in the vegetation of Ukraine. However, man, through his cultural activity, has wrought many changes in the plant-world of the country."[7]

Flora[]

Wild hollyhock in a field near Tylihul estuary.

Ukraine's climate influences the country's distinctive forest stands.[8] Deciduous make up 52% with the balance being coniferous. The most densely forested area of Ukraine is in the northwest in Polisia where pine, oak, and birch are the main tree species. In the north-central area, where the forest-steppe belt is located, the main species are oak, pine, hornbeam. In the southeast area, the steppe-belt is situated, oak and pine are the main species. Mountainous areas are characterized by three different zones: lower slopes contain mixed forests, higher elevations contain pine forests, and the highest altitudes contain alpine meadows. In the Carpathian Mountains, beech, oak, and spruce are the main tree types, while in the Crimean Mountains, beech and oak form the largest numbers.[9] Along the Crimean peninsular coast, the vegetation is characterized by deciduous and evergreen plants.[10]

Fauna[]

Little egret in , Sea of Azov, Ukraine

There are 45,000 faunal species reported. mammal species number about 108, birds number about 400 species (350 is also mentioned[11]), there are 21 species of reptiles, fish (including subspecies) number about 170 (200 is also mentioned[11]), and amphibians number 17 species. There are about 35,000 invertebrates which include species of insects (of which 12 species are reported endemic). The Carpathian and the Crimea region are the dominant habitats of endemic species.[2] Some of the faunal taxon reported by Animal Diversity web are the European ground squirrel (Spermophilus citellus), European bison (Bison bonasus), European shag (Phalacrocorax aristotelis), steppe polecat (Mustela eversmanii) and Eurasian elk (Alces alces).[12]

A wide variety of birds are found in Ukraine, those reported including game birds, nighthawks, raptors, song birds, swifts, waders, and waterfowl.[13] Some of the bird species noted are black grouse, hazel grouse, gull, owl, and partridges, , stork, and wild goose, which are migratory.[11] The total number of migratory birds is reported as 100 species.[2]

Mammals include Eurasian elk, fox, marten, mouflon, roe deer, wildcat, wild pig, and wolf. Rodents mentioned are mice, and jerboas. Some of the fish species recorded include perch, pike, sterlet, and sturgeon.[11]

Aqua fauna of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and estuary have 32 animal species which belong to the Pontic–Caspian steppe region.[2]

There are approximately 385 endangered species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. These are made up of 41 species of mammals, 67 species of birds, 8 species of amphibians and reptiles, 32 species of fish, 173 species of insects, 12 species of mollusks, 26 species of cancroid, 7 species of annelida, 3 species of centipedes, 2 species of nematodes, 2 species of hydro polyps and 2 species of chubby-faced.[2]

speckled ground squirrel
The speckled ground squirrel is a native of the east Ukrainian steppes.
White storks danube
White storks are native to south-western and north-western Ukraine.

Ukraine falls into two main zoological areas. One of these areas, in the west of the country, is made up of the borderlands of Europe, where there are species typical of mixed forests, the other is located in eastern Ukraine, where steppe-dwelling species thrive. In the forested areas of the country, it is not uncommon to find lynxes, wolves, wild boars and martens.

This is especially true of the Carpathian Mountains, where many predatory mammals make their home, such as brown bears. Around Ukraine's lakes and rivers beavers, otters and mink make their home, whilst in the waters carp, bream and catfish are the most commonly found species of fish. In the central and eastern parts of the country, rodents such as hamsters and gophers are found in large numbers.[14]

Fungi[]

More than 6,600 species of fungi (including lichen-forming species) have been recorded from Ukraine,[15][16] but this number is far from complete. The true total of fungal species occurring in Ukraine, including species not yet recorded, is likely to be far higher, given the generally accepted estimate that only about 7% of all fungi worldwide have so far been discovered.[17] Although the amount of available information is still very small, a first effort has been made to estimate the number of fungal species endemic to Ukraine, and 2,217 such species have been tentatively identified.[18]

Conservation[]

Cape Kazantyp

Conservation effort is through 33 Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance which cover an area of 7,446.51 square kilometres, three biosphere reserves and three national parks.[3][4]

Ramsar wetlands[]

Main article: Ramsar sites in Ukraine

The 33 wetlands inscribed under Ramsar Convention from 1994 till 2013 are the: Aquatic cliff complex of Cape Kazantyp (2004, 251 ha), Aquatic cliff complex of Karadag (2004, 224 ha), Aquatic coastal complex of Cape Opuk (2004, 775 ha), Bakotska Bay (2004, 1,590 ha), (1995, 1,800 ha), (2004, 2,359 ha), (1995, 2,000 ha), Central Syvash (1995, 80,000 ha), Desna River Floodplains (2004, 4,270 ha), (1995, 76,000 ha), (2004, 2,560 ha), (1995, 26,000 ha), Eastern Syvash (1995, 165,000 ha), (1995, 87,000 ha), (1995, 500 ha), (1995, 1,400 ha), Kugurlui Lake (1995, 6,500 ha), (1995, 32,800 ha), Lake Synevyr (2004, 29 ha), (2004, 1,480 ha), Molochnyi Liman (1995, 22,400 ha), (1995, 20,000 ha), (1995, 2,000 ha), (2004, 12,718 ha), (2004, 2,145 ha), (1995, 12,000 ha), Sasyk Lake (1995, 21,000 ha), (1995, 19,000 ha), (1995, 19,000 ha), Shatsk Lakes (1995, 32,850 ha), (1995, 10,000 ha), (1995, 38,000 ha), Tyligulskyi Liman (1995, 26,000 ha), and (1995, 34,000 ha).[3]

Biosphere reserves[]

Among the nature reserves established under the UNESCO World Network of Biosphere Reserves, the three reserves are the covering the Lower Danube - , the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve covering a portion of the Black Sea - and , and the in a portion of the and .[4]

National parks[]

The national parks are the , the and the .[4]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Dinerstein, Eric; et al. (2017). "An Ecoregion-Based Approach to Protecting Half the Terrestrial Realm". BioScience. 67 (6): 534–545. doi:10.1093/biosci/bix014. ISSN 0006-3568. PMC 5451287. PMID 28608869.
  2. ^ a b c d e "Welcome to State of The Environment in Ukraine". The Ministry for Environmental Protection and Nuclear Safety of Ukraine. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "The List of Wetlands of International Importance" (PDF). Ukraine. Ramsar Organization. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. ^ a b c d "National planning tool for the implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands" (PDF). Ramsar organization. 2002. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  5. ^ "National Parks and Reserves in Ukraine". Ukraine.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  6. ^ "Wildlife of Ukraine". Iberian Nature. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  7. ^ a b Rudnicki 1918, p. 99.
  8. ^ Mosquera-Losada, Riguero-Rodriguez & McAdam 2005, p. 51.
  9. ^ Katchanovski et al. 2013, p. 185.
  10. ^ Cleaf 2010, p. 18.
  11. ^ a b c d Cleaf 2010, p. 19.
  12. ^ "Taxon Information". Animal Diversity web. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  13. ^ "Birds of Ukraine (ПТИЦА ОТ УКРАИНСКИЙ)". WORLD INSTITUTE FOR CONSERVATION & ENVIRONMENT. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  14. ^ Rusin, M.Y.; Banaszek, A.; Mishta, A.V. "The common hamster (Cricetus cricetus) in Ukraine: evidence for population decline". Folia Zoologica. 62 (3): 207–213. doi:10.25225/fozo.v62.i3.a6.2013. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  15. ^ D.W. Minter and Dudka, I.O. "Fungi of Ukraine – a preliminary checklist". CAB International, 1996
  16. ^ "Cybertruffle's Robigalia – Observations of fungi and their associated organisms". cybertruffle.org.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  17. ^ Kirk, P.M., Cannon, P.F., Minter, D.W. and Stalpers, J. "Dictionary of the Fungi". Edn 10. CABI, 2008
  18. ^ "Fungi of Ukraine – potential endemics". cybertruffle.org.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2011.

Bibliography

External links[]

Media related to Nature of Ukraine at Wikimedia Commons

Retrieved from ""