Wildlife of Ukraine

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Pine forest near Klavdievo, Bucha Raion, Kyiv Oblast

The wildlife of Ukraine consists of its diverse fauna, flora and funga. The reported fauna consists of 45,000 species when including the areas of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov.[1] Ukraine's protected environments 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.[2][3] Their vegetation pattern is mixed forest area, forest-steppe area, steppe area, Ukrainian Carpathian Mountains and Crimean Mountains. Some of the protected areas that were reserves or parks are subsumed under the biosphere reserves.[4]

The

Chornobyl, while evacuated of all human habitation, has an abundance of wildlife which is reported to be increasing. However, reports indicate that bird's brains are 5% smaller, and the insect and spider population is in decline.[5]

Geography

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".[6]

"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."[6]

Ecoregions

Ukraine contains six terrestrial

Pontic steppe.[7]

Flora

Tylihul estuary
.

Ukraine's climate influences the country's distinctive forest stands.

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, and hornbeam
. In the southeast area, the steppe-belt is situated, oak and pine are the main species. Mountainous areas are characterized by three zones: lower slopes contain mixed forests, higher elevations contain pine forests, and the highest altitudes contain alpine meadows. In the Carpathian Mountains,
palm trees
.

Fauna

Little egret in Belosarayskoy Spit, Sea of Azov, Ukraine

There are 45,000 faunal species reported.

Eurasian elk (Alces alces).[10]

A wide variety of birds are found in Ukraine, those reported including game birds, nighthawks, raptors, song birds, swifts, waders, and waterfowl.

partridges. There are also migratory ducks, storks, and wild geese. The number of migratory birds is reported as 100 species.[1]

Mammals include

jerboas. Some of the fish species recorded include perch, pike, sterlet, and sturgeon
.

Aqua fauna of the Black Sea, the Sea of Azov and estuary have 32 animal species which belong to the Pontic–Caspian steppe region.[1]

There are approximately 385 endangered species listed in the

cancroid, 7 annelida, 3 centipedes, 2 nematodes, 2 hydro polyps[clarification needed] and 2 chubby-faced[clarification needed].[1]

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.
Golden jackal
Golden jackal in the Tuzly Lagoons National Nature Park

Ukraine falls into two main zoological areas. One of these, 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, such as brown bears, make their home. 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.[12]

Fungi

More than 6,600 species of fungi (including lichen-forming species) have been recorded from Ukraine,[13][14] 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.[15] 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.[16]

Conservation

Cape Kazantyp

Conservation effort is through 33

Ramsar Wetlands of International Importance which cover 7,446.51 square kilometres, three biosphere reserves and three national parks.[2][3]

Ramsar wetlands

Main article:
Ramsar sites in Ukraine

The 33 wetlands inscribed under the Ramsar Convention from 1994 till 2013 are the: Aquatic cliff complex of Cape Kazantyp (2004, 251 ha), Aquatic cliff complex of

Lake Synevyr (2004, 29 ha), Lower Smotrych River (2004, 1,480 ha), Molochnyi Lyman (1995, 22,400 ha), northern Dniester Estuary (1995, 20,000 ha), Obytochna Spit and Obytochna Bay (1995, 2,000 ha), Perebrody Peatlands (2004, 12,718 ha), Polesian Marshes (2004, 2,145 ha), Pripyat River floodplains (1995, 12,000 ha), Sasyk Lagoon (1995, 21,000 ha), Tuzly Lagoons (1995, 19,000 ha), Shatsky Lakes (1995, 32,850 ha), Stokhid River floodplains (1995, 10,000 ha), Gulf of Tendra (1995, 38,000 ha), Tylihul Estuary (1995, 26,000 ha), and Yahorlyk Bay (1995, 34,000 ha).[2]

Biosphere reserves

Among the nature reserves established under the

Karkinit and Dzharylhach bays.[3]

National parks

Main article: National parks of Ukraine

There are 54 national parks in Ukraine.[17]

See also

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ a b c "The List of Wetlands of International Importance" (PDF). Ukraine. Ramsar Organization. 11 October 2013. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  3. ^ a b c "National planning tool for the implementation of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands" (PDF). Ramsar organization. 2002. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  4. ^ "National Parks and Reserves in Ukraine". Ukraine.com. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Wildlife of Ukraine". Iberian Nature. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  6. ^ a b Rudnicki 1918, p. 99.
  7. PMID 28608869
    .
  8. ^ Mosquera-Losada, Riguero-Rodriguez & McAdam 2005, p. 51.
  9. ^ Katchanovski et al. 2013, p. 185.
  10. ^ "Taxon Information". Animal Diversity web. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
  11. ^ "Birds of Ukraine (Птица От Украинский)". World Institute for Conservation & Environment. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
  12. S2CID 91026124
    .
  13. ^ D.W. Minter and Dudka, I.O. "Fungi of Ukraine – a preliminary checklist". CAB International, 1996
  14. ^ "Cybertruffle's Robigalia – Observations of fungi and their associated organisms". cybertruffle.org.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  15. ^ Kirk, P.M., Cannon, P.F., Minter, D.W. and Stalpers, J. Dictionary of the Fungi. Edn 10. CABI, 2008
  16. ^ "Fungi of Ukraine – potential endemics". cybertruffle.org.uk. Retrieved 13 July 2011.
  17. ^ "Environmental Impact of the War in Ukraine". ecologica.life. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 11 July 2023.

Sources

External links

Media related to Nature of Ukraine at Wikimedia Commons

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