Biodiversity losses and changes in the zones of prolonged hostilities in Ukraine: theriological component (2014—2022)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15407/visn2022.11.060Keywords:
mammal fauna, military operations, state of populations, UkraineAbstract
The factors of changes in biotic diversity acting in the war zones in the east and other regions of Ukraine are considered. The analysis is based on the previous experience of the authors' field works in the region and a number of new data sources. Among the latter — trips to the conflict zone, constant contacts with individual soldiers who are in the zone of active confrontation and worked as zoologists before the start of hostilities, contacts with employees of forestry and hunting farms, nature reserves and national parks, scientific and environmental services and environmental inspections, data from open sources, in particular analysis of publications in social networks, the press, numerous photos and video materials available on the Internet. Negative changes associated with factors of disturbance, excessive death, destruction of habitats, disruption of natural cycles and migration ways, etc. are analyzed. Examples of negative changes manifested at the level of life activities of individuals, populations and communities are given. Those are, as a rule, the direct death of animals from explosions of artillery shells and mines, chemical pollution, disappearance and destruction of biotopes. At the same time, certain positive changes were noted, which are connected to the actual complete cessation of all traditional forms of nature use, including hunting and fishing, cattle grazing, haying, and in many places, agriculture. All that contributed to the growth of the populations of a number of species, in particular representatives of the game fauna, and to the increase in the frequency of registration of a number of previously relatively rare and vulnerable species.
References
Dudley J.P., Ginsberg J.R., Plumptre A.J., Hart J.A., Campos L.C. Effects of war and civil strife on wildlife and wildlife habitats. Conservation Biology. 2002. 16(2): 319—329. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2002.00306.x
Machlis G.E., Hanson T. Warfare Ecology. BioScience. 2008. 58(8): 729—736. https://doi.org/10.1641/B580809
Lawrence M.J., Stemberger H.L.J., Zolderdo A.J., Struthers D.P., Cooke S.J. The effects of modern war and military activities on biodiversity and the environment. Environmental Reviews. 2015. 23: 443—460. https://doi.org/10.1139/er-2015-0039
Machlis G.E., Hanson T., Špirić Z., McKendry J.E. (eds). Warfare Ecology. A New Synthesis for Peace and Security. Series: NATO Science for Peace and Security C: Environmental Security. Dordrecht: Springer, 2011. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1214-0
Salter C., Nocella A.J., Bentley J.K.C. (eds). Animals and War: Confronting the Military-Animal Industrial Complex. Lexington Books, 2014.
Smirnov N.N. Assessment of the ecological consequences of wars, revolutions and catastrophes. In: Bioindikatsiya radioaktivnykh zagryazneniy (Bioindication of radioactive contamination). Moscow: Nauka, 1999. P. 21—25 (in Russian).
Baloga V.I. (ed). 20 rokiv Chornobylskoi katastrofy. Pohliad u maibutnie (20 years of the Chernobyl disaster. A look into the future). Kyiv, 2006 (in Ukrainian).
Azarov S.I., Zadunai O.S. Аnalysis of natural disasters and their impact on the environment. Environmental Safety and Natural Resources. 2019. 32(4): 78—91. https://doi.org/10.32347/2411-4049.2019.4.78-91
Vasyliuk O.V., Nekrasova O.D., Shyriaieva D.V., Kolomytsev G.O. A Review of Major Impact Factors of Hostilities Influencing Biodiversity in the Eastern Ukraine (Modeled on Selected Animal Species). Vestnik Zoologii. 2015. 49(2): 451—456. https://doi.org/10.1515/vzoo-2015-0016
Andrzejewski J. War: animals in the aftermath. In: Salter C., Nocella A.J., Bentley J.K.C. (eds). Animals and War: Confronting the Military-Animal Industrial Complex. Lexington Books, 2014. P. 73—99.
Gardashuk T. Is Russian aggression in Ukraine ecocide? Envigogika. 2022. 17(1): 1—6. https://doi.org/10.14712/18023061.642
Zagorodniuk I.V. Biotic diversity and environmental safety in the ATO zone: analysis of situation and risks. In: Diakov V.A. (ed.). Protection of Biological and Landscape Diversity of Ukraine: Proc. Conf. Sviatohirsk, 2016. P. 41—50 (in Ukrainian). https://bit.ly/3bZ3gu5
Blaga A.B., Zagorodniuk I.V. et al. Na mezhi vyzhyvannia: znyshchennia dovkillia pid chas zbroinoho konfliktu na skhodi Ukrainy (On the Edge of Survival: Destruction of the Environment During Armed Conflict in Eastern Ukraine). Kyiv, 2017. P. 1—88 (in Ukrainian).
Zagorodniuk I., Korobchenko M., Parkhomenko V., Barkaszi Z. Steppe rodents at the edge of their range: a case study on Spalax microphthalmus in the north of Ukraine. Biosystems Diversity. 2018. 26(3): 188—200. https://doi.org/10.15421/011829
Zagorodniuk I.V., Emelianov I.G. Taxonomy and nomenclature of mammals of Ukraine. Proceedings of the National Museum of Natural History. 2012. 10: 5—30 (in Ukrainian). https://bit.ly/3ALizB0
Zagorodniuk I., Kharchuk S. List of mammals of Ukraine 2020: additions and clarifications. Theriologia Ukrainica. 2020. 20: 10—28. http://doi.org/10.15407/TU2004
Zagorodniuk I., Mykytyuk O., Peregrym M. Program of monitoring of protected animal and plant species in the Luhansk oblast. In: Flora and Fauna and their Conservation: Collection of Scientific works of the Luhansk Natural Reserve. Luhansk, 2011. P. 5—19 (in Ukrainian). https://bit.ly/3o0Kvcp
Zagorodniuk I., Korobchenko M. Rare Fauna of Luhansk Region: Vertebrates of Priority Attention. Luhansk, 2014 (in Ukrainian). https://bit.ly/3yV1of6
Limansky S.V. Military actions on the territory of the reserve "Cretaceous flora". Steppe Bulletin. 2014. (42): 34—35 (in Russian).
Zagorodniuk I. Anthropogenic traps and survival of animals in transformed environment. In: Borejko V.E. (ed.). Tribune-12. Proc. Int. Conf. on Wild Nature, dedicated to the memory of F.R. Shtilmark. Kyiv, 2006. P. 160—171 (in Ukrainian).
Maistro D.M. Fireworks and salutes as animal cruelty. In: Modern law in the era of social changes. Proc. ХІ Conf. National Aviation University. Ternopil, 2021. P. 319—321 (in Ukrainian).
Ruiz G.M., Carlton J.T. (eds). Invasive Species: Vectors and Management Strategies. Washington DC: Island Press, 2003.
Kotov M.I. How the Civil War influenced the distribution of plants and animals in Ukraine and Russia. Znannia. 1923. (2): 24—26 (in Ukrainian).
Protopopova V.V. Roslyny-mandrivnyky (Wandering plants). Kyiv, 1989 (in Ukrainian).
Kuzmin I.V. Military flora: plants during wars and revolutions. In: Aus Sibirien-2015. Proc. VIII Steller Conf. Tyumen, 2015. P. 60—63 (in Russian).
Kucher O.O. An invasive species of Grindelia squrrosa (Pursh) Dunal. on the territory of eastern Ukraine. In: Zagorodniuk I.V. (ed.). Dynamics of biodiversity 2012. Luhansk, 2012. P. 96—99 (in Ukrainian).
Zavialova L., Protopopova V., Panchenko S. et al. Synanthropization of vegetation cover of Ukraine as a result of military operations. In: Overcoming ecological risks and threats to the environment in emergency situations. Dnipro, 2022. P. 31—52. https://doi.org/10.23939/monograph2022
Evstafiev I.L. Accidental and deliberate movement of animals and pathogens of natural focal infections to new territories. Novitates Theriologicae. 2020. 11: 145—154. http://doi.org/10.53452/nt1124
Protopopova V.V., Shevera M.V. Invasive species in the flora of Ukraine. I. The group of highly active species. Geo&Bio. 2019. 17: 116—135. https://doi.org/10.15407/gb.2019.17.116
Gleba V., Ocheretna K. Lodgments of expansion of alien animal species: the biota of a key site of anthropochory in Transcarpathia (Ukraine). Geo&Bio. 2021. 20: 3—80. http://doi.org/10.15407/gb2003
Zagorodniuk I., Negoda V. Pipistrelle bats of the genus Pipistrellus and genus Hypsugo. Novitates Theriologicae. 2001. 6: 65—72 (in Ukrainian).
Zagorodniuk I. Golden jackal (Canis aureus) in Ukraine: modern expansion and status of species. Proceedings of the National Museum of Natural History. 2014. 12: 100—105.
Zagorodniuk I., Korobchenko M. Rare fauna of eastern Ukraine: composition and distribution of rare species. Proceedings of the Theriological School. 2008. 9: 107—156 (in Ukrainian). https://bit.ly/3z5FFkx
Zorya O. Mammals of the Kharkiv region and their species richness. Sci. Bull. Uzhgorod Univ. (Ser. Biol.). 2005. 17: 155—164 (in Ukrainian). https://bit.ly/3RzQC53
Zagorodniuk I. Mammals of eastern provinces of Ukraine: composition and historical changes of the fauna. Proceedings of the Theriological School. 2006. 7: 216—259 (in Ukrainian). https://bit.ly/2zEofz1
Gaschak S.P., Vishnevskyi D.O., Zaliskyi O.O. Vertebrate fauna of the Chernobyl exclusion zone (Ukraine). Slavutych, 2006 (in Ukrainian). http://terioshkola.org.ua/ua/library/chernob.htm
Hanson T. Biodiversity conservation and armed conflict: A warfare ecology perspective. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 2017. 1429(1): 50—65. https://doi.org/10.1111/nyas.13689
Brady L. From war zone to biosphere reserve: the Korean DMZ as a Scientific Landscape. Notes and Records: the Royal Society Journal of the History of Science. 2020. 75(2): 189—205. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsnr.2020.0023
Voliansky B.E. Notes on mammal fauna of Odessa region (mainly from vicinity of Odesa city). Yuzhnaia Okhota (Odesa). 1924. (5–6): 16—20 (in Ukrainian).
Sokur I.T. Historical Changes and the Use of Mammal Fauna of Ukraine. Kyiv, 1961 (in Ukrainian).
Zagorodniuk I.V. Changes in ungulate fauna of Ukraine during the historical time. Vestnik zoologii. 1999. (11): 91—97 (in Ukrainian).
Borovik L. Consequences of the military conflict for the Luhansk nature reserve. Steppe Bulletin. 2014. (42): 35—36 (in Russian).
Milburn J., Van Goozen S. Counting animals in war: First steps towards an inclusive just-war theory. Social Theory and Practice. 2021. 47(4): 657—685. https://doi.org/10.5840/soctheorpract2020123110
