The nature of Ukraine is extremely generous and extremely diverse. A wonderful temperate climate and fertile land, as well as numerous rivers and ponds, largely contribute to the growth of diverse steppe, meadow and forest vegetation. Unfortunately, human activities on the development of natural lands often lead to the extinction of rare species of flora and fauna. In order to preserve and, if possible, increase the rare and endangered species of plants and animals, as well as to preserve unique landscapes and improve the overall ecological situation, national reserves of Ukraine were created.
What are nature reserves for?
The reserve fund of the country is a part of the natural territory least affected by man. It serves for constant and comprehensive monitoring of the state and course of natural processes occurring in nature in those parts of the biosphere that still remain unchanged or slightly changed. Reserves of Ukraine are self-regulating natural systems, separated from other ecosystems and various types of negative anthropogenic impact.
The state takes care of the water spaces and lands included in the protected areas, and removes them from economic use, as they are the highest of the forms of nature protection territories and a kind of laboratories serving for complex scientific research.
Reserves in Ukraine
On the territory of numerous national parks and reserves there are a large number of endemic and rare species of birds, insects, plants, as well as the rarest animals brought from other continents. The nature reserves of Ukraine are of great world value from the point of view of the gene pool, represented here by a variety of flora and fauna, as well as the unique landscapes inherent only in this area.
In Ukraine, there are four biosphere reserves - these are the Carpathian, Danube, Black Sea and Askania Nova, as well as 9 state, which are located in various natural zones: Polessky and Rivne on the site of mixed forests, Kanevsky, Rastochye and Medobory - in the forest-steppe zone, Dnieper-Orelsky, Yelets steppe, Lugansk, Ukrainian steppe, in the Carpathian mountains - Carpathian and Gorgan, as well as 6 reserves on the territory of the Crimean peninsula - Kazantip, Opuk, Karadag, Yalta mountain-forest, Crimean and Cape Martyan.
Biosphere Reserves
The reserves were approved by the International Coordinating Council under the Man and the Biosphere program. One of their main tasks is to protect natural territories in order to preserve the biological diversity and natural state of natural objects and complexes. In addition, scientific research has been organized on the territory of the reserves, as well as an environmental assessment of the environment. By 1994, there were already more than 300 biosphere reserves worldwide, four of which are currently located in Ukraine.
Biosphere reserves of Ukraine consist of plots of land and water, as well as entire natural complexes and individual objects that have special scientific, environmental, aesthetic and other value.
Reserve structure
UN experts have developed a zoning concept for biosphere reserves. These reserves should consist of three zones: the core, or main territory, buffer and transition zones. The core is the land with the least disturbed ecosystem. It conducts research and educational activities. There may be one core, but there may be several. Around them is a buffer zone, which can be used both for various kinds of research, and for ecotourism. In the transition zone there may be settlements, in addition, minor agricultural activity is allowed here.
Askania Nova Biosphere Reserve
This reserve is a truly unique corner of pristine nature and the last section of the steppe in Europe, which has never been plowed up. It is worth noting that the steppe, once plowed, will never fully recover. There are more than 400 species of plants in the Askanian steppe, most of which are cereals.
Askania Nova is perhaps the most famous national reserve located in Ukraine, with an area of more than 11 thousand hectares. It was founded in 1921 in the Kherson region. On the lands of the reserve there is a forest park with artificial ponds and canals, where more than 1000 species of animals and more than 60 species of birds live.
The uniqueness of the Askania Nova Nature Reserve lies in the fact that in addition to the local species of wild fauna, very rare species of animals brought from Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa and America have perfectly taken root here. The area of the zoo's extensive corrals is 30 square meters. km Under semi-free conditions, Scottish ponies, Kaffir buffaloes, zebras, llamas, Przhevalsky horses and even saigas, ancient ungulates that lived during the time of mammoths, graze here.
Danube Biosphere Reserve
It was founded in 1981 in the Odessa region. Initially, its area was 14.8 thousand hectares. But the area of the reserve was expanding all the time and now it has already reached 50, 252.9 ha. The reserve protects the unique landscapes of the Danube floodplains, unique for the whole of Europe.
The nature reserves of Ukraine are extremely rich in various species of flora and fauna. Only in one Danube biosphere reserve there are 563 species of plants. This biological diversity is due to the presence of a special fertile sludge inflicted by the river. Among the grass, there are often areas with aquatic vegetation formed by plants listed in the Red Book of Ukraine - floating nuts and floating salvia.
Great ecology and sufficient fodder resources of floodplains attract a huge number of birds. Here, there are more than 200 species, among which there are very rare ones: spoonbill, pink pelican, curly pelican, firefight, white-tailed eagle and others. In addition, the water of the reserve is a wintering place for more than 120 species of birds.
Carpathian Biosphere Reserve
Its creation began in 1968 in the Transcarpathian region. The total area is 57 880 ha, of which 31 995 ha are a conservation area. This reserve consists of six arrays and two botanical reserves with the status of state: Yulevskaya mountain and Black Mountain. All protected areas are located at an altitude of 2061 m above sea level in the sector of the Ukrainian Carpathians. There are pristine mountain mixed, beech and spruce forests, as well as foothill oak forests, alpine and subalpine meadows with rocky-lichen landscapes.
The nature reserves of Ukraine are famous for their forest lands, especially the Carpathian. About 90% of its entire territory is covered with primeval forests. The reserve includes 66 species of mammals, more than 10, 000 species of various invertebrate animals, 193 species of birds and more than 1000 species of vascular plants. In addition, there are more than 60 species of plants and 72 species of animals listed in the Red Book.
Black Sea Biosphere Reserve
It is considered one of the largest, oldest and most valuable nature reserves of Ukraine, the territory of which extends over two regions - Kherson and Nikolaev. A special pride of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve is the variety of landscapes represented here. These are areas of saline steppes, and sand spits, and water areas of bays, and fresh and salt lakes, as well as black alder, aspen and birch groves.
The functional area of the reserve is 70, 509 ha, and the buffer zone is 18, 620 ha. Of these, about 84% are waters of the Yarlitsky and Tendrivsky bays of the Black Sea.
A huge number of species of migratory and wintering birds attracts many ornithologists to this biosphere reserve. Ukraine diligently takes care of the safety of these truly unique complexes created by nature itself.
At the moment, it is known that in the reserve there are more than 3, 500 species of fauna, of which 124 species of animals are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine and 29 in the European Red List. Also, the nature reserves of Ukraine are distinguished by a wide variety of insects, and the Black Sea Nature Reserve is no exception. More than 2000 species of insects have already been discovered on its site, 168 of which are arachnids.
