Dnipro River Basin Research Articles

Young-of-the-year fish as bioindicators of eutrophication and temperature regime of water bodies.

Young-of-the-year fish communities are widely used as bioindicators of various environmental disturbances. This study was conducted from 1997 to 2015 and aims to develop fish trait-based indices of changes in the temperature regime and eutrophication of water bodies in the Dnipro River basin. We identified fish traits that significantly correlate with both temperature and chlorophyll-a concentration optimum: reproduction habitat, oxygen tolerance, and toxicity tolerance. Compared to other ecological groups, lithophilic species exhibited the lowest degree of thermal and eutrophication optimum, indicating this species' greater vulnerability to environmental alteration. Fish species that are intolerant to water quality and low oxygen concentration were the most sensitive to changes in temperature regime and eutrophication level. Salinity preferences and water quality tolerance emerged as reliable predictors of temperature optimum. Freshwater fish had an average temperature optimum that was 4.5% higher than that of freshwater-brackish and freshwater-brackish-marine fish. Species tolerance to the temperature factors and nutrient loads correlated only with rheophily, with rheophilic species having an average 13.8% higher temperature tolerance than other fish species and a 10.4% higher chlorophyll-a concentration tolerance. The fish temperature index increased over time during the study period in all the studied water bodies, consistent with ongoing warming affecting all sites. In contrast, the Fish Eutrophication Index showed greater temporal heterogeneity in studied water bodies, indicating various adaptative potentials of fish communities to eutrophication. These indices can be relevant for assessing disturbed situations caused by changes in climatic and anthropogenic impacts on water bodies.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ ХІМІЧНОГО СКЛАДУ ПІДЗЕМНИХ ВОД У ТЕРИГЕННИХ ВІДКЛАДАХ ЕОЦЕНУ ТА АЛЬБ-СЕНОМАНУ В БАСЕЙНІ ДНІПРА

Background. The Dniprovsko-Donetskyi Artesian Basin is the largest hydrogeological region of the first order in Ukraine in both area and resources. The main forecasted resources within its boundaries are confined to the Eocene aquifer and the Alb-Cenomanian aquifer complex. These aquifer and complex are the principal ones - they are the basis for centralized water supply of a number of large settlements, so studying their chemical composition is of exceptional importance. The parts of the mentioned aquifer and complex that contain drinking water are identified as groundwater bodies (GWBs) – groundwater monitoring objects for which environmental objectives and risks of failure to achieve these objectives should be determined. At the same time, the natural water quality composition of these groundwater bodies groups is characterized by significant spatial heterogeneity, which should be taken into account when determining trends in its changes and specifying environmental objectives. The aim of the study was to establish the peculiarities of the spatial distribution of water with different chemical composition. The object of the study was aquifers in Eocene and Alb-Cenomanian sediments within the Dniprovsko-Donetsky artesian basin (Dnipro River Basin), and the subject was the chemical composition of water in these aquifers. Methods. To achieve these purposes, data on the chemical composition of the aquifer in the Eocene sediments and the aquifer complex in the Alb-Cenomanian sediments were collected, summarized and analyzed from published and fund sources. The information was processed using geographic information systems, and a database was created to generate specialized maps and perform joint data analysis. Results. In the article the mineralization and macrocomponent composition of groundwater in the terrigenous sediments of the Eocene and Albian-Cenomanian of the Dnipro basin are investigated and the peculiarities of their spatial distribution are established. Particular attention is paid to the areas where the exploitation reserves of both groundwater aquifers are explored. The qualitative, including microcomponent, composition of groundwater in terrigenous sediments of the Eocene and Albian-Cenomanian in Chernigiv City was characterized in detail. Peculiarities of formation of the chemical composition of groundwater in terrigenous sediments of the Eocene and Albian-Cenomanian were established. Сonclusions. It has been established that despite the fact that both GWBs are located in the zone of active water exchange, the content of macro- and microcomponents in them is quite different. In particular, in the water in the Alb-Cenomanian sediments, the macrocomponent composition of water is more homogeneous, and the content of macro- and microcomponents is characterized by a smaller range of variation. The identified peculiarities of the natural quality composition of the studied GWBs should be taken into account in the process of groundwater monitoring, in particular, when specifying environmental objectives and determining the frequency of groundwater quality state observations.

ОПТИМІЗАЦІЯ ГІДРОЕКОЛОГІЧНОГО СТАНУ РІЧКОВО-БАСЕЙНОВИХ СИСТЕМ ТЕРНОПІЛЬСЬКОЇ ОБЛАСТІ: СУЧАСНІСТЬ ТА ПЕРСПЕКТИВИ

The article is devoted to a comprehensive assessment of existing programs at the national and regional level, as well as measures provided for by the Management Plan for the Dniester River Basin District within Ternopil Oblast and aimed at improving the hydro-ecological state of the region’s river basin systems. These are the “State-wide target program for the development of water management and ecological improvement of the Dnipro River basin for the period until 2021”, the state program “Drinking water of Ukraine for 2011-2020”, regional programs: “Program for the protection of the natural environment in the Ternopil region for 2014- 2020”, the program “Drinking water of Ternopil for 2018-2020”, “Program for the development of water management and water-ecological improvement of the natural environment of the Ternopil region for the period until 2021”, a number of investment projects aimed at improving the hydro-ecological condition of the rivers of the Dniester basin in within Ternopil region. The Management Plan for the Dniester River Basin District (PURB Dniester), among other sections, contains a list of programs (plans) of measures for the river basin district, their content and problems to be solved. A total of 28 main measures are proposed for the plan of measures of the Dniester PURB within Ternopil region. Most of them (93%) are aimed at reducing the pollution of water bodies by organic, biogenic and hazardous substances from sewage treatment plants (WTP) in urbanized areas and industrial enterprises (point pollution). The Dniester River Basin District Management Plan also provides for a number of measures aimed at reducing diffuse pollution of water bodies

Snanthropic epiphytic bryocoenoses of Uzhhorod (Karpathian region, Ukraine) and its environs

The moss vegetation of urban ecosystems in Ukraine has not been studied enough. The study of the bryophyte vegetation of the Transcarpathian lowland is still at the initial stage. The aim of the study was to identify the main features of the structure of synanthropic bryophyte vegetation in the city of Uzhhorod. In the course of the research, generally accepted methods of floristic classification of communities were used, and the classification scheme of vegetation was built taking into account the prodromus of bryophyte vegetation of Ukraine [12]. As a result of the original research of the moss cover of Uzhhorod and its environs, it was found that the epiphytic vegetation is formed by synanthropic bryocenoses belonging to two classes, two orders, four unions and six associations. The basis of the epiphytic moss vegetation in the urban ecosystem of Uzhhorod is formed by associations of the class Frullanio dilatatae-Leucodontetea sciuroidis, order Orthotrichetalia, unions: Ulotion crispae (associations: Orthotrichetum pallentis, Orthotrichetum speciosi, Pylaisietum polyantae), Syntrichion laevipilae (Orthotrichetum fallacis), Leskion polycarpae (Leskeetum polycarpae). The communities of the class Cladonio digitatae-Lepidozietea reptantis, order Brachythecietalia rutabulo-salebrosi, union Bryo capillaris-Brachythecion rutabuli (Brachythecio salebrosi-Amblystegietum juratzkanii) occur mainly in the basal part of forophyte trunks and on their protruding roots. A brief ecological description of each syntaxon is given and their comparative analysis with the known syntaxons of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine and a number of cities of the Left Bank Dnipro River is made. The bryocenoses identified by us within Uzhhorod and its environs occupy an intermediate position between the corresponding syntaxes of natural ecosystems of the Forest-Steppe of Ukraine and the urban ecosystems of the Left Bank Dnipro River basin by almost all criteria (number of species in the community, area of the community, etc.). Such a comparison is correct because the natural conditions of the Transcarpathian lowland are defined as identical to the Forest-Steppe zone.

Fritillaria meleagris L. (Liliaceae) in the Kharkiv Region: ecological preferences, conservation problems

Fritillaria meleagris L. is a рalearctic species with a disjunct distribution. It is protected at the national level in Ukraine, listed as "vulnerable" in the Red Data Book. Most of the data on the species distribution, as well as on the status and stability of its populations, have been obtained for the Carpathian region. Much less information is available for F. meleagris in the Forest Steppe, especially for its left-bank part. The article presents the results of the study of the peculiarities of F. meleagris distribution in the Kharkiv Region and provides information on the structure of coenopopulations and their ecological and coenotic preferences. Problems and prospects for this species conservation are also considered. The studies cover the biotopes of the Merla River valley and its tributary, the Merchyk River (the Dnipro River basin) in an area of more than 35 square km. In the Kharkiv Region, the F. meleagris coenopopulations were found mainly in grass-type biotopes. These are usually secondary post-forest meadows of the Molinio-Arrhenatheretea Tx. 1937 class. Only one coenopopulation is located in a tree-type biotope (mixed floodplain forest with Quercus robur L., Ulmus laevis Pall., Alnus glutinosa (L.) Gaertn., Salix alba L., Padus avium Mill., Populus аlba L., P. deltoides Marshall, P. tremula L., Acer negundo L., А. tataricum L., A. campestris L., without a pronounced dominant). The specificity of the ecological regimes of the studied localities of F. meleagris has been clarified by the phytoindication method. As a rule, they are damp (less often, fresh) forest-meadow habitats with full, but uneven (temporarily excessive) wetting of the root layer of the soil. The soils are moderately aerated, weakly acidic (pH 5.5–6.5), enriched with salts, but with insignificant carbonate content, and often relatively poor in terms of mineral nitrogen. The climate is characterized by submicrothermal conditions with signs of subaridity and subcontinentality. We have not detected any significant variability of conditions (both edaphic and climatic) in the studied localities. They are more or less optimal for the existence of F. meleagris. In all the F. meleagris localities studied, the change in the hydrological regime due to the reclamation of floodplain remains a risk factor but does not pose an immediate threat. The existence of forest coenopopulations in glades is threatened by overgrowth of trees and shrubs (the invasion of Populus tremula and Acer negundo is particularly dangerous). The decrease in the number of meadow coenopopulations is a result of plowing and burning. Currently, in the Kharkiv Region, F. meleagris is protected in Slobozhanskyі National Nature Park (1 locality) and in Kapranskyі Botanical Reserve of local importance (11 localities). Monitoring of the existing localities outside the protected areas and their inclusion into the expansion zone of the Slobozhanskyі National Nature Park is an important condition for their preservation.

ANALYSIS OF THE HYDROCHEMICAL REGIME OF THE DNIPRO RESERVOIRS

A complex of issues was considered, namely: hydro-chemical pollution of catchment landscapes, bottom sediments of river basins and groundwater, slowing down of underground flow due to the regulation of the river network, regional development of flooding, presence of landscapes contaminated with radionuclides, and the growth of global climate change. All above as well as the ongoing war in the territory of Ukraine affect the conditions of the formation of the hydro-chemical regime and contribute to the changes in the quantitative and qualitative water indicators in the Dnipro River basin and the Dnipro reservoirs, as the main sources of water supply for Ukraine. The research determined the changes in the hydro-chemical regime of the surface water of the Dnipro reservoirs during 2016-2022 to specify the impact of climate change and anthropogenic factors on the drinking water supply. The dynamics of changes were analyzed for individual qualitative indicators of the surface water of the Dnipro reservoirs in the cold (January) and warm (July) months of the year. It was proven that the accumulation of flood water affects the mineralization of the Dnipro reservoirs along their longitudinal axis, and the mineralization rate and the content of the main ions are significantly affected by the water content of the year. It was established that, in the Dnipro reservoirs, the lower limit of mineralization relative to natural conditions increased by 55%, and the upper limit decreased by 30%. It was determined that despite the seasonal changes in the concentration of ions in the water of the Dnipro reservoirs, their ratio for each reservoir remains practically constant and only sometimes changes in the case of a shift in the carbonate balance and in the confluence of more mineralized waters, which increase the content of Mg2, Na+, K+, and SO42-. The predominant water cation is Ca2+, the anion is HСО3-, and the absolute and relative content of other ions is much smaller. The metamorphism of the water of the Dnipro reservoirs changed the ratio of ion concentrations, namely the relative amount of SO42-, Cl-, Na+, and K+ ions increased. The obtained results of changes in the quality indicators of surface water in the Dnipro reservoirs have proved the dependence of the formation of the hydro-chemical regime of the reservoirs on the impact of climate change, economic activity, and the consequences of military actions.

SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL FEATURES OF WATER CHEMISTRY CHANGES IN THE QUATERNARY UNCONFINED AQUIFERS OF THE DNIPRО RIVER BASIN

The article deals with the chemical composition of uppermost aquifers water in the Dnipro River basin. Its study is necessary not only in connection with the implementation the requirements of the EU Water Framework Directive methodological documents in the groundwater monitoring, but primarily because of water supply from these aquifers to rural areas. Unconfined aquifers water is characterized by a complex and heterogeneous chemical composition due to natural and anthropogenic factors. Natural hydrochemical zoning is distinctly visible on the territory of the Dnipro basin. A number of chemical elements and compounds in the water are contained in concentrations exceeding the standards for drinking water established by the State sanitary norms and rules 2.2.4-171-10 “Hygienic requirements for drinking water intended for human consumption” in the natural state. In addition, unconfined aquifers are subject to significant anthropogenic impact, as they are unprotected from pollution. Comparison of the data on total dissolved solids (TDS) and anionic composition of groundwater obtained during hydrogeological surveys in the period 1965–1975 and 2009–2013 on three sheets of the hydrogeological map (scale 1:200,000) in different sub-basins of the Dnipro River showed the widespread deep changes in groundwater chemical composition. In addition to a significant anthropogenic pressure, groundwater is significantly affected by climatic factors. Over a forty-year period, TDS in the north of the Dnipro basin increased by 50 %, in the central and southern parts – twice, due to an increase in the content of sulfates and chlorides. Within the analyzed areas in the Middle and Lower Dnipro sub-basins, nitrate pollution of unconfined aquifers is almost widespread. Thus, in a large area, waters of these aquifers are unsuitable for drinking water supply due to the excessive content of chemical elements and compounds of natural and anthropogenic origin. Therefore, one of the priorities of the post-war reconstruction of Ukraine should be the transfer of the rural population to water supply from protected confined aquifers and the improvement of sanitary conditions in rural areas.

Agricultural determinants of biogenic pollution of surface waters in the Dnipro river basin

Agricultural determinants of biogenic pollution of surface waters in the Dnipro river basin

ORGANIC FARMING - THE KEY TO RIVER BASIN REVITALIZATION

The article identifies one of the main elements of the Dnipro River basin rehabilitation through the cessation of herbicides, pesticides and mineral fertilizers, prevention of corn, sunflower, rapeseed, soybeans monoculture and organic farming expansion, arable land conservation and natural fodder lands, forests and meadow-marsh complexes and natural systems expansion. It has been shown that the state regulatory policy and environmental management standards should facilitate agricultural enterprises that implement and conduct organic farming. The paper also identifies the main aspects and factors that characterize the economic environment, the economic benefits of using ecological organic rent (monopoly), a special business environment for the formation of prices for organic products and the introduction of environmental marketing. Studies of the conditions for environmentally sustainable management in agriculture have identified the main link - the need for organic farming with a significant potential for water accumulation and increasing the natural fertility of rehabilitated land. A particularly important aspect is the price component, which is based on the uniquely created monopoly rent of organic farming and the special demand and inelastic supply. The above should be taken into account in the system of strategic management, program development of environmental relations and rehabilitation (revitalization) of the lands of the Dnipro river basin. The system of forming a healthy environment in the Dnipro basin, on the lands of enterprises engaged in organic farming, should take into account the environment of activity, the interaction of many factors with regard to ecological and economic goals, restrictions and development programs. The article presents the developed structural and logical scheme of strategic development of organic farming on the lands of the Dnipro basin. The above, by contributing to the expansion of the spatial basis of organic farming in the formation of the State strategic basin management with the aim of improving the Dnipro basin, ensures sustainable development and revitalization of water resources.

Late Mesolithic Individuals of the Danube Iron Gates Origin on the Dnipro River Rapids (Ukraine)? Archaeological and Bioarchaeological Records

Abstract In contrast to large-scale prehistoric migrations, associated with massive population shifts and changes in material culture, movements of small human groups or single individuals are barely visible but no less important. In publications of the 1960s–2000s, specificity of craniological, odontological, and metrical characteristics as well as stable isotope values of some individuals distinguishing the Late Mesolithic cemetery of Vasylivka II among other Mesolithic and Neolithic burial sites in the Dnipro River basin was explained by some gene flows. However, archaeologists could not develop these views since the original excavation report of 1953 and all grave goods from Vasylivka II were considered lost. Another old field document, where pendants of the pharyngeal teeth of fish, and the shells of spiral, probably Mediterranean, molluscs found there were mentioned, allowed the recent suggestion of the author of the current article that several individuals from the Danube Iron Gates region were interred in the cemetery. Previous arguments along with new evidence are presented here to develop this hypothesis. Re-found personal ornaments from one burial, the only available grave goods from Vasylivka II, are published here for the first time. The established regularity that most relatively young men and women from the graveyard have conditional “Danubian” δ13C values in the range from −20 to −21‰ assumes the mutual exchange of marriage partners born in the Iron Gates and the Dnipro Rapids. A waterborne route is discussed as a more probable mode of communication between these regions.

Ефективність застосування поліоксихлориду алюмінію для очищення питної води

The article presents the results of research of the effectiveness of aluminum-containing coagulants for the purification of water of the Dnipro River.The surface waters of the Dnipro River basin are characterized by a high content of organic compounds of natural origin, the presence of which determines the coloration of the water and significantly affects the course of its purification processes. If the aluminum sulfate reagent is used to purify such water, there is need to increase the dose of the reagent, which can cause an increase in the content of residual aluminum in the purified water. One of the technological solutions for increasing the efficiency of water purification is the replacement of traditional aluminum sulfate with modern highly effective reagents, in particular aluminum polyoxychloride. Based on the results of expe¬rimental studies, there was conducted a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the use of aluminum sulfate coagulants and aluminum polyoxychlorides with different degrees of basicity. It was established that for the water of the Dnipro River, which is characterized by a high content of organic substances and coloration, the best results were obtained in case of using aluminum polyoxychloride with a degree of basicity of 35—45%. In general, the efficiency of water purification with polyoxychlorides is higher in comparison with aluminum sulfate according to the following quality indicators: coloration — by 10—15%; turbidity — 10%, total iron content — 20—25%; permangana¬te oxidizability — 15—20%. The regression equation whichdescribe the dependence of the above indicators of the quality of purified water on the dosage of reagentswas developed. On the basis of the methods of optimization of technological processes, it was established that the rational dosage of polyoxychlorides for cleaning slightlytur¬bid colored water of the Dnipro River is about 40—50 mg/dm3, and for aluminum sulfate — 90—100 mg/dm3. The application of mathematical modeling and optimization methods in the practical determination of the rational dosage of coagulants for surface water of different quality makes it possi¬ble to effectively adjust the technological process in order toen¬sure the high quality of drinking water in accordance with regulatory requirements.

Dendroflora diversity in the coastal zones of the Dnipro river within the Northern steppe subzone of Ukraine

Coastal tree and shrub vegetation is an important component of river catchment ecosystems, it performs a wide range of ecological functions and ecosystem services; their effectiveness largely depends on species richness and diversity. Coastal habitats are among the main centers of biodiversity, but they often perform a function of centers of active anthropogenic activity and undergo significant transformation. The creation of a cascade of the Dnipro reservoirs (Kamenske, Zaporizhia (Dniprovske), Kakhovske reservoirs) has already caused the transformations of the Dnipro river flow regime and all biological components of the aquatic and wetland ecosystems in the Northern steppe subzone of Ukraine. In the current period, on the background of global climate change, dendroflora transformation on this territory is enhanced by the anthropogenic impact of industrial cities (Kamenske, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia). Assessment of dendroflora diversity in coastal zones was carried out within the protective strip of the Dnipro river (100 m): in native phytocenoses; semi-native vegetation associations; water protection plantings; public green spaces (excluding private plots and collections). It was determined that the dendroflora in the coastal protective strips of the Dnipro river within the Northern steppe subzone of Ukraine is characterized by significant taxonomic diversity and includes 184 plant species (excluding their decorative forms) belonging to 37 families. The highest species saturation was typical for the following families: Rosaceae (40 species), Salicaceae (23 species), Fabaceae (11 species), and Oleaceae (9 species). The dendroflora consists of 61 tree species, 78 shrubby species (including lianas) and 45 species that can be represented by both tree and shrubby forms. The highest species richness was recorded in public recreational green spaces: 181 species (98% of the total species number). The coastal tree and shrubby associations included 8 species that belong to rarity ones (the Red List of the Dnipropetrovsk region). The coenomorphic spectrum of dendroflora in coastal protective strips is dominated by culturants (70.7%), autochthonous silvants (19%), stepants (3.2%), silvomargoants (species of forest margins, 4.3%), pratants (1.6%), and paludants (1.1%). There is the dominance of mesophytes (55%) and species with a wide range of adaptations to the humidification conditions of hygrotopes in hygrospectrum (22.8%); mesotrophic species among trophomorphs (53.8%), and sciogeliophytes in heliospectrum (57%). In the dendroflora of the coastal zones of the Dnipro river, alien species completely predominated (71% of the species composition). Among them, 6.9% were invasive, mainly belonging to neophytes. In the current period, an increase in invasive activity is recorded in another 5.3% of adventive (potentially invasive) species. The significant taxonomic and ecomorphic diversity of dendroflora in the coastal zones of the Northern steppe subzone of Ukraine is associated with ecotone effects, active processes of the territory urbanization, and the use of a wide range of alien ornamental species in public green spaces of cities. It is advisable to increase the share of autochthonic and rare species participation in the composition of coastal protective and recreational plantings, which will contribute to the preservation of their gene pool and increase the native dendrological diversity in the Dnipro river basin. To reduce the threats of phytoinvasions, it is necessary to: i) prohibit the use of invasive species in the restoration of native floodplain forests; ii) conduct a preliminary assessment of environmental risks from the use of alien species; iii) monitor existing plantings with their participation.

Multiscale oscillations of the annual course of temperature affect the spawning events of rudd (Scardinus erythrophthalmus)

Identifying climate impacts on ecosystems and their components requires observing time series of sufficient length to ensure adequate statistical power and reasonable coverage of the historical range of variability inherent in the system. The complexity of the hierarchy of climate effects reflected in temporal patterns in time series creates a need to be accurately modeled. The life cycle phenomena of living organisms, including fish spawning, have the character of one-time or time-limited events in time. An approach to finding the relationship between continuous components of time dynamics of environment properties and life cycle events of living organisms was proposed. This approach allowed us to evaluate the role of temperature patterns in the phenology of spawning rudd (Scardinus erythrophthalmus Linnaeus, 1758) in the Dnipro River basin water bodies. The atmospheric temperature time series may be decomposed into the following components: trend, annual cycle, episodic component, harmonic component, extreme events, and noise. Systematically low water temperatures at the beginning of the spawning period were observed in the Protoka River system and the Obukhov floodplain, and systematically elevated temperatures were recorded in the Dnipro River. The annual temperature dynamics was shown to be presented as a composition of oscillatory processes of different scale levels. The sinusoidal trend was previously extracted from the temperature series data. The average annual temperature, amplitude, and phase shift were calculated on the basis of the sinusoidal regression model. The residuals of the sinusoidal trend were processed by means of redundancy analysis with variables derived from symmetric distance-based Moran’s eigenvector maps as explanatory predictors. A set of 104 orthogonal dbMEM variables was extracted from the annual time series. These temporal variables were divided into the broad-, medium-, and fine-scale components. The parameters of temperature dynamics and biotope type are able to explain 51–72% of variability of spawning event. The time of spawning in water bodies corresponds to the time of spawning start: the earlier spawning starts, the earlier it ends. The duration of the spawning season is influenced by the patterns of different scale levels, as well as the amplitude and shift of phases. In this case, the duration of spawning in all water bodies does not differ. Spawning temperature depends on medium- and fine-scale temperature patterns, but does not depend on the characteristics of the sinusoidal annual trend. The annual temperature variation has been shown to be such that it can be decomposed into a sinusoidal trend, patterns of a multiscale nature, and a random fraction. Over the time range studied, the trend of increasing mean annual temperature was not statistically significant for spawning events. The sinusoidal trend explains 78.3–87.6% of the temperature variations and depends on the mean annual temperature, the amplitude of temperature variations during the year, and the earlier or later seasons of the year. Amplitude and phase shift play a role in describing spawning phenology. The residuals of the sinusoidal trend have been explained using dbMEM variables. This variation was decomposed into large-scale, medium-scale, and small-scale components. Winter and spring temperature fluctuations prior to spawning initiation had the greatest effect on spawning. Water temperature determines the lower possible limit for the start of spawning, but the actual start of spawning is determined by the preceding temperature dynamics. The results of the study have implications for understanding the dynamics of fish populations and assessing the influence of environmental conditions on the harmonization of the various components of ecosystems.

ДЕЯКІ АСПЕКТИ ЩОДО СТАНУ ТЕРИТОРІЇ РАЙОНІВ РІЧКОВИХ БАСЕЙНІВ ТА МОНІТОРИНГУ ВОД ПІД ЧАС ВТОРГНЕННЯ РОСІЇ В УКРАЇНУ (2022 р.)

Characterizing the military aggression launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine on February 24, 2022, the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyi noted on June 2, 2022 that as of today, Russian troops control about 20% of the territory of Ukraine, that is 125 thousand km2. The purpose of this article is to assess the state of the territories of some of the river basins districts of Ukraine in relation to their coming under the control of Russian troops in the summer of 2022, as well as the possibility of conducting monitoring in accordance with the state water monitoring program approved by the order of the Ministry of Environment of Ukraine for 2022. As a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, as of August 1, 2022, in the territory controlled by Russian troops: a) 2 of the river basins districts – Crimea (since 2014) and Azov coast – were completely located; b) 4 areas of river basins districts were partially occupied: approx. 69% of the territory of the Don rrver basin district, 22% – of the Black Sea river basin district, 6% – of the Dnipro river basin district. Of the large water bodies in the territory captured by the Russian troops in the summer of 2022: a) 2 large canals were completely located: the North Crimean and Kakhovsky main canals; b) 1 canal was partially occupied – 40% of the length of the Siverskyi Donets-Donbas canal; c) a large part of the Siverskyi Donets River (Donbas region); d) the lower part of the Kakhovka reservoir (together with the Kakhovka HPP). Since the beginning of Russia’s military aggression in the State Water Agency of Ukraine, 1 of the 4 basic regional water monitoring laboratories (of the Eastern region) have stopped working. Water samples from these region were forwarded to the water monitoring laboratory of the Western region. Taking into account the operational military situation, in July 2022, units of the State Water Agency took water samples at 398 monitoring points, which was 68% of the number of points provided for by the state water monitoring program. In August 2022, the State Water Agency of Ukraine started preparing proposals for the surface water monitoring program for 2023, in particular: about the possibility of including additional indicators of pollutants – petroleum products, chemicals contained in ammunition, missiles; on updating the list of monitoring points based on the results of the assessment of the chemical state of surface water bodies; on the inclusion of additional water monitoring points in the de-occupied territories to detect the impact of military operations on water quality.

Infection of Dice Snake (Reptilia, Colubridae) with Larvae of Eustrongylides excisus (Nematoda, Dioctophymatidae) in the Middle and Lower Dnipro River Basin

Dice snakes can be a paratenic host for a stage IV of Eustrongylides excisus, Jägerskiöld, 1909 larva due to specific diet of the snakes. The infection rate of E. excisus in Natrix tessellata (Laurenti, 1768) was studied in the basin of the middle and the lower Dnipro River in 2013–2017. We searched for nematodes in snakes from four sites: Prydniprovska Thermal Power Station, Majorova Balka, Zaporizhzhia; National Nature Park Velykyi Luh. The snakes from all studied areas had high prevalence of infection (more than 90 %). The lowest level of intensity (2.50 ± 0.60) and abundance (2.27 ± 0.58) were in ecosystems near Prydniprovska ТPP. There was no significant difference between infection parameters in snakes from other groups. Capsules with larva localized in the gastrointestinal tract, liver, muscles, and lung. The most infected organ was the liver, statistical analysis showed significant differences with other organs. The lowest infection was found in the lung. Environmental pollution of the Dnipro River waters with pesticides and other pollutants accompanied by a climate change may influence on the E. excisus life cycle that needs additional studies.

ЕКОЛОГІЧНА ОЦІНКА ЯКОСТІ ПОВЕРХНЕВИХ ВОД ЖИТОМИРСЬКОГО ПОЛІССЯ

The ecological assessment of the quality of surface water of the Dnipro basin (within Zhytomyr region) is carried out. In general, surface water of rivers of teter, rotten, Guiva, forest stone, Irsha, Human, Arpin, Rostavitsa and Kamyanka were investigated. The study was conducted according to systematic observations based on the ecological classification of the quality of surface water and estuates in Ukraine, which includes a set of hydrophysical, hydrochemical, hydrobiological and other indicators reflecting the peculiarities of components of aqueous ecosystems. On the basis of unified ecological criteria, the technique allows you to compare the water quality in separate areas of water objects, in water objects of different regions. The calculation of the ecological assessment of water quality was carried out within three blocks: a block of saline composition (I1), a block of troph-sanitary (ecological-sanitary) indicators (I2) and a block of indicators of specific substances of toxic action (I3). The results are presented in the form of a combined ecological assessment, based on the final conclusions of three blocks and is to calculate the integral ecological index (IE). The results of observations on the qualitative state of surface water in the Tetereva Basin, the right tributaries of the Dnieper “Good”, “clean” water (II class of quality) here are less than half (47%) of all observation points. Such a quality is the water of the rivers of Irsha, Guiva, rotten, varnia, teter. In 6% of cases, “satisfactory”, “contaminated” water of the quality of the quality (3,7 ≤ IE ≤5,4), namely: r. Teters, within the city of Zhytomyr, 200 m above the fall of the River Forest Kamyanka and River Forest Kamenka, within the city of Zhytomyr, 100 m above the fall in Teter. Waters of all other research points occupy an intermediate position between II and III of quality classes and are evaluated as “good”, “clean” and “satisfactory”, “contaminated”. The water of the pools Irpen and dew, represented by the rivers Irpin, Rostavitsa and Kamenka, are characterized by the second class of quality “good”, “clean”. Executed researches allowed to analyze and evaluate the ecological state of the rivers of the rivers of the Zhytomyr region within the Dnipro River basin, which will establish the environmental standards of water quality and to determine the basic areas for improving the state of water resources and substantiate the system of recommendations aimed at improving the environmental state of the basins under study in the boundary of the area.

Regular Intergeneric Hybridization of Leuciscine Cyprinids (Cyprinidae, Leuciscinae) in the Dnipro Affluant

The large-scale hybridization of fishes of the subfamily Leuciscinae in the subordinate systems of the Dnipro River basin is presented by the data on two pairs of species, roach Rutilus rutilus × bream Abramis brama, and bleak Alburnus alburnus × rudd Scardinius erythrophthalmus. The hybridization and occurrence of F1 hybrids are confirmed with allozyme spectra and morphological characters on series of samples. A complete morphometric analysis of the characteristics of bleak and rudd hybrids was performed. The paper discusses the intergeneric hybridization in nature, which is a unique phenomenon characteristic only of some groups of cyprinids. The most likely reason is the overestimation of the taxonomic status of European cyprinids, which is confirmed by the insignificant level of intergeneric genetic divergence.

ИССЛЕДОВАНИЕ ТРАНСФОРМАЦИИ ХИМИЧЕСКОГО СОСТАВА ПОВЕРХНОСТНЫХ ВОД С ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕМ МОДЕРНИЗИРОВАННОЙ КЛАССИФИКАЦИИ АЛЕКИНА

Climatic changes and value of anthropogenic load of watershed of the rivers can be main reasons. The article researched long-term changes in the chemical composition of rivers in Ukraine. Long-term changes in the chemical composition of the river waters of Ukraine were analyzed using the modernized Alekin classification (modernization was proposed by V.K. Khilchevskyi and S.M. Kurylo). The additions introduced by the authors to the basic classification of O.A.Alekin allow fixing the dynamics of changes in the chemical composition of natural waters by cations at the group level, as well as at a more detailed level, revealing quantitative changes in the relative content of class-forming anions (at the level of subtypes). Taking it into account for the most relevant tasks which arise for hydrologists and hydrochemicals are considered to be determination of modern regularities of streamflow and hydrochemical regime in conditions of warming which happens and assessments of such changes for the perspective. The mineralization of water and concentration of the main ions in river waters change for many reasons. Studying has been executed on the Udaj river, Tur`ya river, Sula river. The trend of increasing salinity of river water is detection. Main changes are taking place in the spring. During period of supervisions there was growth of mineralization of water: Sula – from 440 to 1125 mg/dm3.The main factor there is an increased part of groundwater flow. In favor of this conclusion the following results of researches serve. The special executed calculations showed dependence between part of ground flow and chemical composition of water of the rivers. Different classifications are used to systematize natural waters by chemical composition. Attempts to classify water in accordance with the general conditions by which their chemical composition is formed are known. For analysis of long-term changes of the hydrochemical regime in different phases of the water was found and application of the classification of Alekin (modernizated). Modernization does not touch the highest trait – class, but concerns groups and types, with the introduction of a new taxon – subtype. Modernization to the basic classification of Alekhin allow to fixed in detail the dynamics of changes in the chemical composition of natural waters by cations at the group level. At a detailed level, quantitative changes in the relative content of anions (at the level of proposed subtypes) can be fixed. Verification of the modernized classification of O.A. Alekhin, made on 25 rivers of the Dnipro river basin. Rivers are located in different environmental zones, have different anthropogenic pressure and term of observations (40 – 60 years). An attempt was made to apply the modernized classification to other types of natural waters – groundwater and atmospheric.

Удосконалення механізму організації природокористування на території басейну Дніпра

It was proved the priority of choosing the principles of rational use of nature, which activates the search for ways of optimizing the use of natural resources and developing effective mechanisms for their reproduction. It has been established the strengthening of anthropogenic-induced degradation of land and water resources of the transboundary Dnipro river basin, which is a key factor in the formation and organization of political, economic and social life of society. It has been determined that rational using of nature is based on the conceptual model of ecological and rational exploitation of the territory of the transboundary basin. It has been developed a methodology of integrated assessment, analysis and forecasting of the ecological state of the catchment area and optimization of land using in rivers basins, which contains six logical and sequential blocks of research organization that provide systematic use of complementary general, adapted and authorial methods. In addition to optimizing the use of natural resources, support should be given to mechanisms for their reproduction through the search of optimal nature using scenarios, which will ensure the effective development of the territories and the restoration of the Dnipro river ecosystem. The principles of activity of the Interstate Basin Council of the Dnipro River and the mechanism of nature protection organization of the territory of the transboundary basin on the basis of improved methodology and author's methods with the use of GIS and Remote sensing of Earth technologies are offered. It was established that the result of the study is the formation of a unified system of parameters of control of the current state of the whole Dnipro river basin, with the obligatory determination of the risks of violations of ecological parameters of the basin landscape structures and determination of their consequences. It was determined that the organization of the catchment area of the Dnipro River requires the transfer to the scientific and legal plane of using the nature with the necessary development of appropriate soil and water conservation measures. The urgency of the planning of the catchment basins on the basis of the balance of environmental sustainability of agricultural landscapes and the intensity of agricultural production in order to maximize profits was determined. The Dnipro river health management system should be based on a comprehensive spatio-temporal analysis of the ecological state of its basin and on the basis of the basin management principle

DEVELOPMENT OF SCIENTIFIC BASIS FOR WATER MANAGEMENT IN AGROLANDSCAPES

Quantitative and qualitative depletion of water resources in Ukraine because of the increase in climate aridity make the problem of integrated surface and ground water management more urgent. The integrated management is based on the water balance of the territories, which automatically takes into account natural and artificial features of water use.
 The paper presents the results of a long term research aimed at resolving the problems of scientific support of integrated water resources management in Ukraine in the context of climate change.
 The plans for integrated water management are developed according to the administrative principle allowing optimization of the structure of water consumption and the assessment of available water resources capacity to meet water demand of the required quality without environmental risk for aquatic ecosystems and population.
 The surface and ground water in Ukraine have spatially homogeneous hydrochemical spectrum, which characterizes the concentration anions and cations in water and the nature of their change at different water exchange rates.
 Studies of hydrochemical spectrum have shown that its basic parameters are much higher for groundwater than for surface water.
 The results of the study on the spatial changes in the chemical composition of surface waters in the Dnipro river basin testify to the distinct homogeneity of their hydrochemical spectrum, which gives the reason to limit in practice observations of changes in the chemical composition of water to local points.
 As the experimental data are accumulated and the geospatial analysis of hydrochemical spectrum is made, the number of such points can be reduced ten times without significant negative impact on the reliability of the final results.
 It is possible to draw up a water balance with the use of correlation functions, the observance of which will guarantee the rational water resources use, based on their actual available volume and restrictions on the total water inflow, filtration losses, surface runoff (discharges).
 The water balance in the graphical representation is described by a linear function, which cuts the average of the sum of expendable elements on the ordinate axis over the entire observation period. The tangent of the slope of the graph represents the coefficient of water supply.
 The scope of this methodological approach's application is limited only by the availability of raw data. There are sufficient data from precipitation observations, water abstraction from all sources in volumes comparable to precipitation and more. It is also desirable to have observations of groundwater level fluctuations and air moisture deficit.
 The experimental research confirmed a high positive impact on the water resources formation made by forests, shelterbelts and meadows. In the humid zone it is possible to separate natural landscapes of wetlands and floodplains (60% of the territory), in the southern part - transitional landscapes that replace artificial agrolandscapes (40% of the territory). In arid climate conditions, the types of landscapes differ in the area of irrigated lands and the density of shelterbelts.
 Agrolandscapes are complex natural-technical systems. In most cases, when investigating their impact on the processes of formation and use of water, it is possible to operate a finite number of interconnected parts (subsystems). The purpose of such separation on subsystems is to obtain typical areas for which spatial structure of agricultural landscapes can be experimentally evaluated and the nature of its relationship with the factors of surface water resources formation can be determined.
 According to the assessment of water balance of rural territories, their water resources potential is equal to the sum of atmospheric precipitation and the volumes of water entering the balance space due to its withdraw for economic needs from surface and ground water bodies. When drawing up water balance for a hydrological year, water resources do not include precipitation, which is almost completely converted to river flow. The available volume of water for use should include the volume of water, the removal of which from natural or artificial circulation will not lead to negative environmental impacts or increase the cost of economic activity and restoration of fresh water bodies. The volume of water available for use is also limited by its qualitative indicators, which in turn are determined by its chemical composition (spectrum).