«Vakalivsky slopes» - projected local nature reserve in Sumy region

Abstract

The article presents the scientific substantiation of the ravine complex near the Vakalivshchyna village (Sumy district of Sumy region) as a landscape reserve of local significance "Vakalivsky slopes" and the nature protection regime of this territory is proposed. According to the public Ukrainian cadastral map the territories of the projected landscape reserve are listed as reserve lands. The area of the projected reserve "Vakalivsky slopes" is 52.37 hectares. The studies of biodiversity were conducted from 2014 to 2020. The route-field method was used to study flora and lichen biota as well standard entomological methods were used to study entomofauna. The inventory of floristic biodiversity showed the presence of 128 species of higher vascular plants. Four species from that list are regionally rare (Campanula persisifolia L., Muscari neglectum Guss. Ex Ten., Ranunculus illyricus L., Jurinea arachnoidea Bunge.) and one species (Adonis vernalis L.) is presented in the Red Book of Ukraine and the International List of Nature Conservation.Rare lichen species Sarcosagium campestre (Fr.) Poetsch & Schied and Peltigera didactyla (With.) J. R. Laundon were found on the territory of the designated reserve. The latter one is a candidate for the Red List of the Sumy region. The habitats in which these lichen species grow need to be preserved. As a result of entomological research, six insects species are registered in the Red Book of Ukraine (Papilio machaon (L.), Iphiclides podalirius (L.), Parnassius mnemosyne (L.), Zerynthia polyxena (Den. & Schiff), Aglia tau ( L.), Catocala fraxini (L.)) and twenty insects species are included in the list of regionally rare species. To ensure the effective conservation of biodiversity and natural complexes of this area, a nature protection regime of its territory has been developed in accordance with the Law of Ukraine "On the Nature Reserve Fund of Ukraine".Ravive system with meadow-steppe phytocoenosis has a special environmental, scientific, aesthetic and educational significance. A promising protected area should be created in order to preserve landscape and biological diversity, the gene pool of fauna and flora, maintain the overall ecological balance in the region and ensuremonitoring of the environment.