Natural Heritage Research Articles

Problematic issues of international legal regulation of the use, reproduction and protection of specially protected flora

The article is devoted to the study of some aspects of international legal regulation of the use, reproduction and protection of specially protected flora. Unfortunately, the expansion of the scope of international environmental law does not adequately reflect the state of the environment. The problems of climate change, the destruction of the Earth’s ozone layer, deforestation, desertification, conservation of migratory species of animals, fish and birds, transboundary water and air pollution, natural disasters, preservation of biodiversity and the natural heritage of mankind, which directly affect flora, have now become global. Everyone in the world is interested in a high-quality environment, careful use of natural resources and fair distribution of income from natural resources. However, the current international environmental law is not a sufficiently perfect tool to address the problem of regulating the use, reproduction and protection of specially protected plant species. In particular, it is not properly systematised and codified. The author analyses that the problem identified in the article is not solved by the existing international legal acts of a general nature - the Stockholm Declaration on the Environment, the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development (1992), and the World Charter for Nature (1982). These documents are not legally binding and are not systemically important for international environmental law. Other international environmental legal acts are not universal. They were adopted at different times, by different actors, and contain many gaps. Often, the documents are declarative, contradictory and not based on the modern international legal doctrine of environmental law development.

Integrating cultural and natural assets in marine spatial planning: A new approach for joint management of cultural and natural assets

Effective sustainable marine management requires the integration of cultural and natural assets, a practice that is rarely attempted. This study developed and tested a new method for Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) that uses interdisciplinary knowledge of the spatial distribution of cultural and natural assets in marine ecosystems along environmental and human pressure gradients and seeks to understand their interrelationships. The study focused on Estonian marine areas in the north-eastern Baltic Sea. Environmental conditions and threats were assessed, and the extent of spatial overlap between underwater cultural heritage (UCH), natural assets and conservation measures was identified. Although nature reserves and UCH sites were generally exposed to different ranges of environmental and pressure gradients, significant overlap with UCH sites was observed for certain natural assets, as well as along gradients of current velocity, oxygen concentration, bottom sediment, and human pressure. These results highlight the value of joint archaeological and ecological analyses to identify natural assets specific to UCH regions that require protection from both a natural and cultural heritage perspective.

Tracking the distribution of persistent and mobile wastewater-derived substances in the southern and central North Sea using anthropogenic gadolinium from MRI contrast agents as a far-field tracer

The use of the rare earth element gadolinium (Gd) in contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging has led to a significant (micro-)contamination of riverine and coastal environments in many parts of the world. This study comprises a detailed investigation on the rare earth elements and yttrium inventory of the North Sea and also reports data for the major tributaries Thames, Rhine, Ems, Weser and Elbe. We show that large parts of the southern North Sea, including the Wadden Sea UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, are (micro)contaminated with Gd from Gd-based contrast agents (GBCA). Their dispersion reveals their estuarine input and allows to effectively track water masses and currents. The chemical persistence and conservative behavior of GBCA, coupled with the low detection limits of state-of-the-art analytical methods, makes the anthropogenic Gd a sensitive screening proxy for monitoring similarly stable, but potentially hazardous, persistent chemical/pharmaceutical substances in natural waters.

Heritage as a Driver of Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case Study of the Darb Zubaydah Hajj Pilgrimage Route

Heritage plays a pivotal role in sustainable tourism development along pilgrimage and historical routes, shaping the identity and character of these places. This study aims to investigate the relationship between heritage and tourism along the Darb Zubaydah pilgrimage route in Saudi Arabia, exploring strategies for developing sustainable tourism that preserves cultural and natural heritage while promoting local economies and community engagement. This research employs a mixed-method approach, integrating data collection and observational research along the Darb Zubaydah route, the main historic Hajj pilgrimage route connecting Kufa in Iraq to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. The chosen case study is analyzed through four heritage sustainable criteria: cultural, environmental, spatial, and economic development, through a cross-sectional analysis of the aspects related to safety measures and risk management. The results demonstrate that including the four criteria in the development of the pilgrimage route leads to defining strategic solutions to enhance this tourist trail for pilgrims, promoting the cultural landscape and heritage by strengthening the sense of identity via a sustainable approach. This study wants to contribute to Vision 2030 to enhance the development of tourism by revitalizing the Islamic, Arab, and national cultural heritage, offering insights into sustainable tourism practices that can be applied to other cultural routes globally.

Food shining amid nature: marketing potatoes in the Prades mountains (Catalonia, Spain)

PurposeWhile gastronomy has become a major tourist attraction for rural territories, its study in protected areas remains underexplored. These places use their cultural and natural heritage and landscape, as well as their local identity, to charm visitors. Gastronomy plays a key role in this, and restaurants do their best to promote local food products. The aim of this article is to use a qualitative and case study approach to analyze the marketing and touristic impact of Prades potatoes (“Patata de Prades”), which are certified with a Protected Geographical Indication.Design/methodology/approachA total of 16 semi-structured interviews with restaurateurs (11) and producers (4) and the manager of the local cooperative (1) are the basis for examining the importance of this potato as a form of tourist attraction, its commercialization processes and the role it plays in the development of this protected rural region of Catalonia, in the north-east of Spain.FindingsThe results show that despite the great success of restaurants and food-based tourism with regard to Prades potatoes, the sustainability and future of this starchy vegetable are not guaranteed due to the scarcity of production, as it is a seasonal commodity and there is a lack of generational replacement in farming.Originality/valueFood tourism that relies on local produce represents a “green” model for community development, but a specific public program is required to support the agricultural sector in the isolated areas to prevent the disappearance of this economic sector.

Multi‐decadal changes in vegetation and land use inferred from different data sources: Two case studies at the regional scale in the Slovenian karst

AbstractFew studies have used aerial imagery or various statistical records to analyse temporal land use and vegetation dynamics over large areas. This study presents an innovative approach that merges national‐scale data to provide temporal and spatial digital information on land use and vegetation cover change at high resolution. The work includes 326 historical aerial photographs from 1957 and 1980, derived digital terrain models, digital orthophotos (from 1994 to 1997), current land use (available from 2006), and forestry databases. Using two case studies in Slovenia, a detailed procedure for data preparation, processing (including orthorectification, on‐screen digitisation, visual photointerpretation), and result generation is presented. The used multiple sources showed great potential for the acquisition, mapping and quantifying selected land use categories. The study provided very important material for land use change assessment and implementation of the national documentary heritage. Although the processing methods were time‐consuming, they proved to be very suitable for delineating polygons of change with a spatial resolution of at least 1 m. The results show that the forest in the Rižana catchment has increased by 30 percentage points in the last 60 years and that in the Unica catchment 2/3 of the forest was damaged by large‐scale disturbances in 2014–2018.

Network for forest by-products charcoal, resin, tar, potash (COST Action EU-PoTaRCh)

COST Action EU-PoTaRCh establishes a network focused on the past, present and future use of the major forest by-products in Europe. The Action emphasizes forest by-products, mainly potash, tar, resin, and charcoal (PoTaRCh), as representatives of the traditional heritage of forest exploitation, including extractives used along the time for their specific chemical, biological activity and therapeutic effect. The scientific objective of the Action is to demonstrate the value of these products for the communities and their socio-economic growth, as well as their impact on biodiversity and climate throughout time. The general aim is to identify and assess changes in production and use of PoTaRCh and extractives, along with their social and environmental impacts on sustainable development, and draw lessons for the future based on this legacy. In this way, the Action supports the sustainable use of forests and the transfer of knowledge about circular economy practices, as a contribution to the systemic shift to the new circular bio-economy. A key component of the Action is to support stakeholders that are knowledgeable about PoTaRCh goods and are interested in them because they are used in production, education and promotion of our natural and cultural heritage. The Action meets a wide range of demands thanks to the participation of partners with various activity profiles (museums, state forests, forest industry, tradition bearers associations, tourism industry, etc.). The EU-PoTaRCh Action highlights three COST inclusivity policies: the participation of inclusivity Target Countries with a long history of developing PoTaRCh, a special emphasis on gender balance, and the involvement of young researchers in leadership positions.

Atacamite discolouration under the influence of arsenates in wall paintings in the Kizil Grottoes, Xinjiang, China

This study was focused on a specific blue‒green pigment applied on the edges of the green blocks of wall paintings in the Kizil Grottoes, the earliest Buddhist cave complex in China containing many wall paintings. Based on in situ portable XRF analyses, μ-Raman spectroscope, elemental analysis (SEM–EDS and EPMA-WDS) and μ-XRPD analyses, the pigment was proven to be lavendulan [NaCaCu5(AsO4)4Cl·5H2O], which has not been reported in ancient wall painting studies before. Lavendulan was found to coexist with atacamite [Cu2(OH)3Cl] in some of the samples in the study and showed a nanoneedle-like morphology. Further investigations of lavendulan revealed that it was probably not originally used as a pigment but was generated by the transformation of atacamite under the influence of arsenates [As(V)] and Na+. This phenomenon and the related mechanism were discovered in this study and are discussed in this paper. As an important cultural heritage site in the Silk Road, the Route Network of the Chang’an-Tianshan Corridor and the Kizil Grottoes are listed as UNESCO World and Natural Heritage sites. The pigment types and preservation conditions of wall paintings are similar to those of many wall paintings found along the Silk Road, and further attention should be given to this discolouration mechanism for heritage site conservation.

World natural heritage conservation integrates the sustainable development goals from the public perspective in Guilin, China

World Natural Heritage sites are globally significant natural and cultural landscapes, serve as crucial benchmarks of human efforts in conservation and contribute to broader sustainable development agendas. This study aims to investigate the multifaceted relationship between World Natural Heritage conservation and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regarding public perception. We focus on the Guilin Karst region and explore the viewpoints of 520 local residents living around the Guilin World Natural Heritage site. The findings demonstrate that most residents deeply understand and care about preserving heritage, express their satisfaction with it, and are willing to increase taxes to support heritage conservation. Additionally, they perceive the multifaceted influence of natural heritage site conservation on the SDGs. Living closer to the Guilin Karst region has a stronger impact on long-term residents’ conservation and sustainability perception. Incorporating the viewpoints of the local community into World Natural Heritage conservation and sustainable development, the study fosters a more inclusive and participatory approach towards managing and safeguarding our shared natural heritage.

A Comparative Genetic Analysis of Phoenix atlantica in Cape Verde.

The Cape Verde palm tree, Phoenix atlantica, holds significant ecological and cultural importance within the Cape Verde archipelago. However, its genetic distinctiveness has been questioned due to its close relationship and morphological similarity to the date palm (Phoenix dactylifera). In this study, we used an expanded sample set, 18 simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, and a plastid minisatellite to characterize P. atlantica in Cape Verde and investigate its relationship with other Phoenix species. Our findings identify genetic markers that differentiate the P. atlantica genetic pool, including a unique fixed allele. We also provide evidence of the recent divergence of P. atlantica from Northern African date palm populations, suggesting a relatively recent colonization of Cape Verde by palm trees. Additionally, we characterized the genetic composition of palm tree populations across three Cape Verde islands, concluding that wild samples from certain populations in Boavista and Sal are best suited for establishing a seed and/or germplasm bank for replantation efforts, representing a crucial step for the conservation of Cape Verde's natural heritage. Overall, our results enhance the understanding of the historical trajectories and genetic characterization of palm trees in Africa, offering valuable insights for conservation strategies.

Bio-monitoring of coral reef health based on benthic foraminifera in Makadi Lagoon, Hurghada, Red Sea Coast, Egypt: Application of the standard FoRAM index

The Red Sea Coast near Hurghada City is under continuous development in the tourism sector because of its natural heritage of corals reefs. This region is one of the favorite destinations of leisure tourism throughout the world. These activities lead to high environmental stress that affects the water quality and growth of coral reefs. The Foraminifera in Reef Assessment and Monitoring index (FoRAM Index) is one of the cost effective and fast results methods of bio-monitoring. The FoRAM Index is applied in the Makadi and Ras Disha Bays near to Hurghada. Topographic analysis shows that the tourist facilities are concentrated at the outlet of the low gradient valleys especially at Makadi bay. The FoRAM Index is supported with a statistical analysis of the foraminiferal association that resulted in the identification of three microtypes. These microtypes are stress tolerant rich Microtype 1, heterotrophic foraminifera rich Microtype 2 and symbionts-bearing foraminifera Microtype 3. The foraminiferal population pattern in these microtypes is similar to the groupings of the FoRAM Index. The values of the FoRAM Index range between 3.8 and 6.8 and these values reflect healthy water that supports the growth of coral reefs. However, a degradation gradient occurs in Makadi Bay indicating the impact of concentrated tourism activity on the water quality. The values observed in Ras Disha Bay can be considered as background for spatial and future studies. The FoRAM Index is a highly recommended application for economic and rapid bio-monitoring. The results are valuable for stakeholders planning for sustainable development and management of ecotourism.

The Meadoway: native meadow creation in underutilized transmission line corridors

Across Ontario, Canada, there are over 30 000 km of transmission line corridors. With proper planning and ongoing maintenance and monitoring, these corridors have the potential to be transformed into native meadow, offering vital pathways connecting natural heritage systems and supporting wildlife movement, while promoting biodiversity, natural functions, and ecosystem health. In 2019, seeding trials were established in the Gatineau Hydro Corridor in east Toronto where a long-term meadow creation project (The Meadoway) is ongoing, to evaluate the effectiveness of herbicide treatment (glyphosate), sowing method, and sowing season on seeding success with the goal of informing site-specific meadow creation techniques. Seed mixes included a variety of native grasses and forbs and were dominated by copper savannah grass ( Sorghastrum nutans), big bluestem ( Andropogon gerardii), little bluestem ( Schizachyrium scoparium), and switch grass ( Panicum virgatum). Overall, fall or winter seeding with herbicide led to the highest seeding success. There was no difference in the effectiveness of hand seeding or using the seed drill. The results of this work provide valuable insights into effective seeding techniques to improve seeding success and also highlight the benefits of in situ experimentation to inform meadow creation techniques.

Disentangling the Spatiotemporal Dynamics, Drivers, and Recovery of NPP in Co-Seismic Landslides: A Case Study of the 2017 Jiuzhaigou Earthquake, China

The 2017 Jiuzhaigou earthquake, registering a magnitude of 7.0, triggered a series of devastating geohazards, including landslides, collapses, and mudslides within the Jiuzhaigou World Natural Heritage Site. These destructive events obliterated extensive tracts of vegetation, severely compromising carbon storage in the terrestrial ecosystems. Net Primary Productivity (NPP) reflects the capacity of vegetation to absorb carbon dioxide. Accurately assessing changes in NPP is crucial for unveiling the recovery of terrestrial ecosystem carbon storage after the earthquake. To this end, we designed this study using the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Net Primary Productivity datasets. The findings are as follows. NPP in the co-seismic landslide areas remained stable between 525 and 575 g C/m2 before the earthquake and decreased to 533 g C/m2 after the earthquake. This decline continued, reaching 483 g C/m2 due to extreme rainfall events in 2018, 2019, and 2020. Recovery commenced in 2021, and by 2022, NPP had rebounded to 544 g C/m2. The study of NPP recovery rate revealed that, five years after the earthquake, only 18.88% of the co-seismic landslide areas exhibited an NPP exceeding the pre-earthquake state. However, 17.14% of these areas had an NPP recovery rate of less than 10%, indicating that recovery has barely begun in most areas. The factor detector revealed that temperature, precipitation, and elevation significantly influenced NPP recovery. Meanwhile, the interaction detector highlighted that lithology, slope, and aspect also played crucial roles when interacting with other factors. Therefore, the recovery of NPP is not determined by a single factor, but rather by the interactions among various factors. The ecosystem resilience study demonstrated that the current recovery of NPP primarily stems from the restoration of grassland ecosystems. Overall, while the potential for NPP recovery in co-seismic landslide areas is optimistic, it will require a considerable amount of time to return to the pre-earthquake state.

Heavy metals pollution characteristics, source analysis, and risk assessment in soil based on Geographic Information System: A case study of a typical area in Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, China

Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas, which was listed as World Natural Heritage, was suffering from increasingly serious heavy metal pollution. However, the existing research on heavy metal pollution in the area was almost blank. This study collected 115 surface soil samples from the local area and used inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy (ICP-OES) to determine the content of local 12 kinds of heavy metals. Results indicated that mining the tungsten-beryllium mine has caused serious heavy metal pollution to the soil in nature reserves. It poses risks to ecology and human health that cannot be ignored. There was severe pollution of tungsten (W) (Igeo = 8.30) and beryllium (Be) (Igeo = 1.92) in the topsoil. Subsequently, applied the pollution index assessment, potential ecological risk assessment (PERI), human health risk assessment (HHRA), and positive matrix factorization (PMF) models in conjunction with geographic information system (GIS) mapping to systematically evaluate the potential hazards of heavy metals in an abandoned tungsten-beryllium, where located in Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve that’s the core area of “Three Parallel Rivers”. The PMF model and GIS mapping identified four factors, nature, transportation, mining, and miners living, as the main sources of local heavy metals. The HHRA results indicated no health risks in the study area, but the GIS mapping identified areas where there are. It is the gaps in the systematic study of heavy metal pollution in the core area of the “Three Parallel Rivers” that the results of the study supplement and provide reference data for controlling soil heavy metal pollution in tungsten-beryllium mining areas and valuable information for managers to develop pollution control and risk management strategies.

Spatial Distribution, Influencing Factors and Sustainable Development of Fishery Cultural Resources in the Yangtze River Basin

Agricultural cultural heritage is crucial in advancing comprehensive rural revitalization. The Yangtze River Basin is rich in biodiversity and abundant in fishery cultural resources. The cultural resources not only reflect the ecological wisdom of harmonious coexistence and the human–land relationship between humans and nature but also provide critical cultural support for rural revitalization and watershed sustainable development. This study investigates the spatial distribution, influencing factors, and historical evolution of fishery cultural resources in the Yangtze River Basin. The highest proportions of significant resources are found in fishery engineering and landscapes, culinary flavors, fishery customs, dances, fishery gear, and poetry. By analyzing 14 categories of fishery cultural resources and 157 national and provincial intangible cultural heritage items, this study reveals a significant geographical clustering of these resources in the mid-lower reaches, particularly around the middle reaches of the Yangtze River and Poyang Lake Basin, Wuhan and Dongting Lake, and the lower reaches of the Taihu Lake Basin. This study underscores the role of natural geographical conditions, aquatic biodiversity, socio-economic factors, and historical–cultural backgrounds in the distribution and evolution of fishery cultural resources, with these factors interacting dynamically. By advocating for a comprehensive approach to coordinating fishery culture preservation with rural revitalization, this study outlines a multidimensional strategy for the preservation and sustainable development of fishery cultural resources.

Research on Categorizing and Deriving Proportions of Hanoks for Planning and Designing Hanok Architecture

A Hanok is a representative wooden structure in Korea and is recognized for its environmentally friendly architecture. Since the 2010s, the demand for Hanoks has increased significantly, but new Hanoks tend to be built with only numerical changes to existing plans or only imitate the shape. This is due to the fact that architectural designers do not have systematic training in Hanoks, so they rely on carpenters with extensive experience in Hanok construction. As designers reconfigure Hanok’s floor plan space using existing drawings to accommodate modernization, the building’s form changes as spatial reduction and expansion occur. This change in form creates problems with the proportions of the elements that make up a Hanok, such as the roof being smaller than the body or the building being taller than the scale of the floor plan. A more significant issue is the lack of recognition of the proportion problem. Therefore, this study has a direct role in the systematic design and construction of Hanoks by deriving objective proportions of Hanoks. To increase the objectivity of the data, numerical data of floor plans, cross-sections, and front elevations of national heritage Hanoks with well-preserved traditional shapes were extracted and analyzed for patterns. Subsequently, similar forms were categorized, and ultimately, the plan, section, and elevation proportions were quantified. The results indicated that the plan was characterized by spatial expansion in the X-axis direction more than the Y-axis while maintaining rectangular proportions. The cross-sectional structure showed a change in height depending on the width of the plan, and it was found that the larger the width of the plan, the lower the height ratio of the cross-section. Of particular interest was the analysis of the ratio of exposed area in the elevation, divided into three areas: roof, Gongpo, and the frame, and the interaction between the roof and Gongpo was confirmed within 63.7% of the total exposed area ratio. This result suggests that the proportion of Hanoks exists despite the different scales, times, and locations of Hanoks. This study can serve as a reference for designers in the process of verifying and modifying design drawings, and it is significant in providing a method and direction for building a new dataset for Hanok design.

RESONANSI OBJEK WISATA DENGAN NILAI ERGO-IKONIK UNTUK PENGEMBANGUN BERKELANJUTAN

This research aims to complete or fill the research gap conducted by previous researchers related to sustainable tourism development. This research uses a quantitative approach with a survey technique of 50 responses conducted during the April 2024 joint leave at the Belitung island tourist attraction. This research found that tiktok, natural, no additional costs, halal culinary are important points for tourists when deciding to travel. aligning tourist attraction development with these values, destinations can increase visitor satisfaction, preserve cultural and natural heritage, encourage local community involvement, and promote responsible and sustainable tourism practices. To achieve this resonance, tourist destination development should engage local stakeholders, adopt a place-based approach, apply ergonomic and eco-friendly design principles, authentically interpret cultural and natural heritage, and monitor and manage tourism impacts. The resonance of tourist attractions with ergo-iconic values can create meaningful tourism experiences and contribute to sustainable tourism development.

An experimental investigation on the damage mechanisms of red glutenite in the Mount Wuyi cultural and natural heritage site subject to acid rain and wet-dry cycles: a macro-to-micro approach

The safety of rock landscapes in Mount Wuyi is significantly impacted by acid rain and wet-dry cycles. In this paper, the decay characteristics of the physical–mechanical properties of red glutenite were investigated under acidic wet-dry cycles. A systematic approach, including cold field emission scanning electron microscopy (CFE-SEM), image processing techniques, and X-ray diffraction (XRD), was proposed to investigate the damage mechanism of red glutenite under acidic wet-dry cycles. The results indicate that with increasing solution acidity and wet-dry cycles, dry density (DD), longitudinal wave velocity (LWV), uniaxial compressive strength (UCS), and elastic modulus (EM) of red glutenite significantly decrease. Under different acidic conditions, DD, LWV, and UCS exhibit exponential decay with wet-dry cycles, while EM exhibits linear decay. A regression fitting was employed to establish a prediction model for UCS, which exhibited a better capability in predicting the correlation between UCS, pH, and the number of wet-dry cycles. Microscopic comprehensive analysis reveals that the interaction between rock dissolution and desiccation is the primary factor leading to changes in the microstructure and mineral composition of red glutenite, culminating in the decay of its physical–mechanical properties. This study holds significant guidance implications for the preservation of cultural and natural heritage in Mount Wuyi.

“Sonata of Psalms” for two flutes, piano and human voice ad libitum by V. Kaminsky: artistic concept and its realization

The purpose of the article is to reveal the concept of V. Kaminsky’s“Sonata of Psalms” for two flutes, piano and human voice ad libitum, which vividly reflects the underlying image, idea, content, consonant with the voluminous and diverse poetic and spiritual genre palette of the composer’s work. Harmoniously combining the ideas and national spiritual heritage including the ancient traditions of church singing, the composer makes a breakthrough from the present to the past. The restoration of an ancient church tradition is based on the inplication of the 117th Psalm “Praise the Lord…”, the voice becomes the main criterion for the realization of the author’s idea. The work enriches our imagination about his achievements in the field of chamber-instrumental music, where increased attention is paid to the emotional, timbre, dynamic and technical aspects of performance.

The state and structure of beech primaeval forests in the “Zacharovanyi Krai” National Nature Park

The relevance of the study is determined by the need to preserve natural values, which are considered the heritage of all mankind, namely the primaeval forests and old-growth beech forests of the UNESCO World Natural Heritage. The aim of the research was to study the state and structure of the beech primaeval forest in the national nature park “Zacharovanyi Krai”. For the study, a permanent sample plot of 1 ha (100×100 m) was laid down in the prevailing forest type – moist pure beech forest. This plot is located in the optimal forest-growing conditions for European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) within the Vyhorlat-Hutyn volcanic ridge of the Ukrainian Carpathians. It was found that the beech forest stand on the plot is pure in composition and complex in form, characterised by different development phases (age groups by diameter): the first layer stand belongs to the mature age group (senile), the second layer – to the middle-aged group, and the third – to the pole (virginal). It was determined that 95% of the primaeval forest stock is the stock of the first layer, while the share of commercial trees of the first layer is 89% (66% of the total volume of stem wood of trees on the permanent sample plot). The main types of damage in the site are caused by abiotic factors. As a result of such damage, 43 m3‧ha-1 of deadwood was recorded, characterised by all 5 stages of decomposition. Under the canopy of the stand, 10,375 pcs‧ha-1 of undergrowth was recorded, of which the share of beech is 88%. Beech undergrowth is weakly differentiated by age groups: it was recorded only in the group of 7-year-olds and older and well-differentiated by height groups. By age group, undergrowth belongs to the juvenile-immature age state. The herbaceous cover is typical for nemoral forests. The presence of stationary research plots in the National Nature Park “Zakharovanyy Kray” makes it possible to constantly monitor the trends of natural development of the ecosystem – the beech primaeval forest