Zhytomyr Oblast Research Articles

The ecological traits of birds in the context of future changes of their ranges under the impact of global climate change

Over the next 70 years, the average annual temperature in Europe is projected to increase by 4.1 °C. In Zhytomyr Oblast, this figure is likely to increase by 4.4 °C. The amount of precipitation in Europe is expected to increase by an average of 60.3 mm per year, with Zhytomyr Oblast experiencing an 87.2 mm per year increase in precipitation compared to the current state. As a consequence of the global climate change, the habitat-preference index will decline for 159 species (60.1%), remain virtually unchanged for 20 species (7.6%), and improve for 83 species (31.7%). The primary factors influencing the differentiation of avian ecological niches by climate regimes are thermal gradient, precipitation gradient, and temporal variability of precipitation throughout the year. With regard to the landscape aspect, bird species can be differentiated according to their campophi­lous/dendrophilous characteristics, their water-intensive/rural or urban/rural tendencies. Soil conditions are a determining factor in the landscape aspect of ecological niches. As a consequence of the global climate change, the habitat preference index will increase for species that are more thermophilic and prefer conditions with higher precipitation. According to predictions, over the coming 70 years, the number of campophilous birds will increase as compared to dendrophilous birds as a result of the global warming. Moisture-loving campophiles will be outcompeted by rural species, and rural species will be outcompeted by urban species. In response to the climate change, populations of bird species are shifting their geographical ranges to regions with suitable climatic conditions. The knowledge of the characteristics of ecological niches is the foundation for anticipating alterations in species distributions in response to global climate change in the future. The estimation of niche parameters is contingent upon the model employed to fit the observed data. The beta model is a flexible and versatile tool that enables comparisons to be made between species complexes. The thermal projection of ecological niche was employed to categorise bird species into ecological groups based on the position of the optimum zone and the width of tolerance amplitude. Ecological groups differ in their prospects in the context of global climate change. It can be predicted that the trends of stenotopic megatherms will improve, whereas those of all other bird species will deteriorate. The most pessimistic scenario is expected for stenotopic microtherms. The analysis of the ecological properties of birds in the region identified 10 functional axes, three of which correlate with the sensitivity of bird species to the global climate change. The prediction of impact of landscape factors on species distribution is challenging. However, the structure of the functional axes allows us to identify which ecological niche parameters, determined by landscape conditions, are more sensitive to birds. Functional axes 1 and 6 indicate a positive trend in urban bird life in the context of global climate change. It is anticipated that positive prospects will emerge in connection with the global climate change for birds belonging to the families Anseriformes, Podicipediformes, Gruiformes, Charadriiformes, Gaviiformes, and Pelecaniformes. Conversely, negative prospects are expected for forest birds (Columbiformes, Strigiformes, Piciformes) and birds of forest and open spaces (Falconiformes). The functional axis 1 correlated with bird weight. A positive correlation between bird weight and the predicted change in the habitat-preference index over the next 70 years was identified exclusively for species belonging to Charadriiformes. The positive effect of weight on the probability of habitat improvement within Charadriiformes can be attributed to the fact that rurally occurring species within this order are usually heavier than those in natural ecosystems, and those in urban habitats are heavier than those in rural habitats. Functional Axis 4 identifies the group of urban birds whose habitat conditions are likely to deteriorate in the near future due to global warming. This group includes woodpeckers, which can be considered an indicator of the biodiversity of bird communities that are sensitive to the global climate change.

CLIMATIC RISKS AND FOREST ECOSYSTEMS: THE INTERACTION BETWEEN DEFORESTATION AND CLIMATE CHANGE

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of the interaction between deforestation and climate change, with particular emphasis on the impact of military actions on the reduction of forest ecosystems. The research utilized general scientific methods (data analysis and synthesis), retrospective and comparative analysis, analytical-synthetic methods (study of scientific and statistical data, archival materials, etc.), and remote sensing techniques. The aim of the study was to identify the main causes of the reduction in forested areas in Ukraine and their role in the context of global climate change, as well as their significance for the socio-economic development of the country during wartime and the post-war period. The role of forest ecosystems as a source of a wide range of ecosystem services and as a significant component of the socio-economic status of the Ukrainian Polissya region is analyzed. Special attention is given to the interaction between the reduction of forest-covered areas and the intensification of climate change. The main factors contributing to the reduction of Ukraine’s forest ecosystems are presented, with a particular focus on forest fires, including those caused by military actions. It was established that from April 2023 to April 2024, the highest number of forest fires occurred in the eastern and southern parts of the country, where active military actions are ongoing. An automated methodology for decoding satellite images to detect areas of Scots pine dieback due to infestation by the pine shoot beetle was developed, resulting in a map of the study area showing the boundaries of forestry districts, the grid of forest compartments, the contours of damaged forest areas, and new dieback hotspots. The study demonstrates that forest ecosystems are essential for mitigating climate change and ensuring sustainable regional development. This is particularly true for the Ukrainian Polissya region, especially Zhytomyr Oblast, which has the highest forest cover in the country but also leads in the loss of forest-covered areas.

Perinatal mortality after Chornobyl in contaminated regions of Ukraine.

Belarus and Ukraine were the countries most affected by the consequences of the Chornobyl nuclear power plant in 1986. A study of perinatal mortality in Belarus found a highly statistically significant increase in the 1990s in the most contaminated oblast Gomel but no increase during this period in the rest of Belarus. As a possible mechanism to interpret this increase as a late Chornobyl effect, it has been suggested that strontium-90 contained in Chornobyl fallout, incorporated during menarche, impairs the immune system of pregnant women which in turn increases perinatal mortality. In the present study, this hypothesis is tested using data from Ukraine. Annual data on perinatal mortality, in the period 1981-2006 were provided by the Ministry of Public Health of Ukraine. Trends in perinatal mortality rates in the most contaminated regions of Ukraine (Kyiv and Zhytomyr oblasts and the city of Kyiv; study region) were compared with rates in the rest of Ukraine (control region). To identify any differences in perinatal mortality trends between the study and control regions, the ratios of perinatal mortality rates in the study region to the rates in the control region were analyzed using the calculated strontium concentration as a predictor. A trend analysis of perinatal mortality rates in Ukraine revealed two bell-shaped deviations from a long-term exponential trend with maxima at the beginning and end of the 1990s. The same pattern was found in the data from the study and control regions, but the deviations were almost three times higher in the study region than in the control region. An analysis of the ratios of perinatal mortality rates in the study region to the rates in the control region (odds ratios) showed an increase and decrease during the 1990s which was approximated by a lognormal density distribution. The calculated strontium concentration, when used as a predictor, also fitted the data well. Thus, the data from Ukraine confirms the results from Belarus. The analysis of the odds ratios revealed about 1000 excess perinatal deaths in the study region in the period 1990-2004. The corresponding figure for Ukraine as a whole was estimated at 3500 perinatal deaths. It is hypothesized that the observed increase in perinatal mortality in the 1990s may be a late effect of incorporated strontium-90 on the immune system of pregnant women. The analysis is based on a theoretical model, as no data on strontium concentrations were available; the results should therefore be interpreted with caution. An updated study for Belarus would be desirable to corroborate the results.

Assessment of heavy metal contentin water bodies of Zhytomyr Oblast

Assessment of heavy metal contentin water bodies of Zhytomyr Oblast

ПРОСТОРОВО ЧАСОВЕ РОЗПОВСЮДЖЕННЯ МАСОВИХ ВІДКЛАДІВ МОКРОГО СНІГУ НА ТЕРИТОРІЇ УКРАЇНИ ПРОТЯГОМ 1991-2020 рр. ПО ОКРЕМИХ ДЕСЯТИРІЧЧЯХ

The presented article is dedicated to the study of the spatio-temporal distribution of mass deposits of wet snow on the territory of Ukraine during certain decades of the period 1991-2020. The case of mass distribution of wet snow deposits is considered to be the case when such deposits were observed in 1 day at at least 10 stations located on territories of at least 2 regions. Each of the three ten-year periods was analyzed, taking into account all the studied months regarding the features of the distribution of mass deposits of wet snow separately, and the features of the distribution of such cases on the territory of Ukraine were clarified. For the first decade of 1991-2000, it was established that for the winter months and at the end of autumn, such deposits, in cases of their mass distribution, are mostly observed in the territory of the northern and northeastern regions (Kyiv, Chernihiv, Sumy, Kharkiv), as well as in the central regions ( Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Poltava, Dnipropetrovsk). In the south, at this time, they are mostly observed in Odesa, Kherson and Autonomous Republic of Crimea. In March, they are mostly found in the northeast (Kharkiv region), the center (Poltav region, Cherkasy region) and the south (Zaporizhia, Kherson region, Autonomous Republic of Crimea). In April, such deposits with their massive distribution are mostly observed in Volyn and Zhytomyr Oblast. In 2001-2010, with an increase in the number of cases of mass spreading of wet snow deposits, their territorial distribution underwent changes. In winter and at the end of autumn, Kyiv region joins the regions of the northeast where increased recurrence is observed. Among the central regions, Cherkasy and Kirovohrad regions also had the highest recurrence rate. In March and April, such deposits are mostly observed in the north, northeast (Kyiv Oblast, Chernihiv Oblast, Sumy Oblast, Kharkiv Oblast), the center (mostly Cherkasy Oblast), as well as in the south (Zaporizhia, Autonomous Republic of Crimea). In April, the frequency of such cases increases in Odesa and Crimea. In 2011-2020, during the cold period of the year, the situation is similar to the previous decade. In March, the frequency of such deposits increased in Khmelnytskyi and Poltava regions.

Issues of Archaeological Cultures Study in the Territory of Uman Region (on materials by H.Yu. Khraban)

The purpose of the research paper is to focus attention on the role of the ‘second plan’ historians in scientific research of the history of Ukraine; to evaluate and study comprehensively the contribution of H.Yu. Khraban to the archaeological study of Uman region territory; to carry out a detailed analysis of the archaeological part of the scholar’s scientific heritage; to find out the results of his archaeological studies, and to show the importance of the archaeological study of the regions for the reconstruction of the genuine history of Ukraine.
 Scientific novelty: The contribution of H. Khraban to the study of various archaeological cultures sites in the western part of Cherkasy and neighboring oblasts is analyzed based on the fundamental source base, and after finding as well as introduction into scientific circulation of a significant array of new archival sources. The paper significantly augments a list of scholar’s works, many of which are unpublished and remain relevant to this day.
 Conclusions. The activity of H. Khraban devoted to the archaeological study of the territory of Uman region, Eastern Podillia, and the popularization of the ancient history of Ukraine is analyzed. The contribution of the historian to the addition of previously unknown pages from the history of the expansion of different archaeological cultures tribes into Uman region territory, his assistance in the organization of Uman Museum of Local Lore research activities, and the involvement of the public in the archaeological study of the region are shown. H.Yu. Khraban himself participated in archaeological field research in Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, Vinnytsia, and Zhytomyr oblasts. Hryhorii Khraban maintained systematic ties with the Institute of Archeology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR and spoke at meetings of the Department of Archeology Early Slavs with important reports on the results of his studies. Scientific notes and collected material objects were systematically given by the scholar to the scientific funds of the Institute of Archaeology.
 According to the time of their dating, H. Khraban attributed the archaeological sites discovered in the territory of Uman region to the Paleolithic period, Trypillia culture, Bronze Age, Bilohrudivska culture, Scythian period, Zarubyntsi and Cherniakhiv cultures, and the sites of the early Slavs. H. Khraban’s merit as an archaeologist lies in the fact that he helped to study the continuity in the settling of Uman region territory since ancient times.

LAND COVER ANALYSIS OF TERRITORIAL COMMUNITIES OF ZHYTOMYR REGION USING GIS TECHNOLOGIES

Today, the deep and wide implementation of geoinformation technologies in the many fields of human activity is due to the powerful development of three scientific and technical components: statistical, software, technical and space technologies. In this article, based on GIS technologies, an analysis of the state of land use and its changes in the territory of Zhytomyr oblast was carried out, also how russian aggression against Ukraine affected these processes. The structure and the dynamics of the main classes of the land cover of the oblast for past 7 years were analyzed, the main causes and consequences of such trends were determined, and the analysis of changes in the land cover was carried out. According to the results of this study, in 2022, 52% of the territory of the Zhytomyr oblast was under forested areas, which consist of two categories: forests and other forested areas. The first category remained unchanged during the studied period since the government system of protection and reproduction of forest resources functions effectively. While the second category significantly decreased due to the fact that firewood is the most available of the fuel resources for heating building, so the population began to harvest wood in the form of felling and clearing old gardens, forested bushes and rivers (irrigation canals), forest strip. Agriculture of the Zhytomyr oblast is developing due to extensification. According to Google Dynamic World data, in 2022, 34% of the territory of the Zhytomyr oblast is systematically used for growing agricultural crops. Over the past seven years, there has been a significant increase cultivated land by 27%. In the structure of the land cover of the Zhytomyr oblast, the grass cover is 4.9%, but it is gradually decreasing. A decrease was observed for all types of territorial communities until 2021 (10% annually on average), while in 2022 the decline slowed down significantly in rural and village territorial communities and stopped in urban ones. This dynamic is connected with two factors: 1) part of the gardens of rural households were sown with grass due to the fact that men were mobilized to the Armed Forces of Ukraine as a result of russian aggression, and growing grass requires the least human costs; 2) russian aggression caused a shortage of certain food products and their significant increase in price, while keeping cattle provides food for the rural household, so in 2022 most of the offspring from cattle were not sold and left for further maintenance, in turn, the increase in cattle requires more feed, an important component of which is grass.

Повернутися з небуття: загадкова історія колекції кам’яних артефактів стоянки Іскорость із розкопок В. Хвойки

In the modern realities of the aggressive war started by the russian federation against Ukraine, the problem of preserving museum collections is more relevant than ever. Our essay highlights the history of the collection of stone artefacts from the Iskorost site, which was discovered by V. Khvoika more than 110 years ago and which managed to “survive” a number of extreme events, retaining its scientific and exhibition potential. The Iskorost site (now Korosten, Zhytomyr Oblast) was discovered in 1911 during V. Khvoika’s research of the mounds near the city of Ovruch and in the Iskorost village. V. Khvoika recorded traces of three hearths surrounded by flint artefacts on the site. He selected approximately 500 stone objects and distributed them between the Imperial russian Archaeological Society (today, these artefacts in the amount of 253 items are stored in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of the russian Academy of Sciences) and the Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museum (now the National Museum of the History of Ukraine). The total number of artefacts in the Ukrainian part of the collection is 265: 246 come from the excavations of V. Khvoika in 1911, the other 19 possibly from the reconnaissance works of I. Levytskyi, F. Kozubovskyi, and K. Korshak in 1920–1940s. Until 1936, the materials left in Ukraine were stored in the Archaeological Museum of the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, where they were transported from the All-Ukrainian Historical Museum (the name of the Kyiv Art, Industry and Science Museums since 1924). Then this collection became part of the Central Historical Museum. At that time, K. Korshak and T. Teslia worked with this (Ukrainian) part of the collection. 79 artefacts from Iskorost were presented in a new exposition of the “Pre-class Society” department of the Central History Museum (1938–1941).During World War II, the Iskorost collection was moved from the Kyiv-Caves (“Kyiv-Pechersk”) Lavra (where the Central Historical Museum was located) to the building of the former Lenin Museum (now the Kyiv City Teacher’s House). The archaeological collection became the basis for creating an exposition of the Museum of Prehistory and Protohistory. In the autumn of 1943, the materials from the Iskorost were taken to Kraków, and from there were transported to Höchstädt. In 1947, the cultural values moved from Höchstädt to Munich were delivered to the Soviet occupation zone of Berlin and from there to Kyiv. At the beginning of 1948, the experts of the special commission began to inspect collections returned from Germany. This process spanned decades. Because of the difficulties during the identification of museum objects, artefacts of the Iskorost were attributed to collective collections: 29 items to “a3 Volyn”, the majority to “a252 Zhytomyr Polissia”. For some time, it was believed that the only finds from the excavation of V. Khvoika at the site, which have “survived” to this day, are contained in the collection of “a3 Volyn”. Another part of the artefacts from the Iskorost site was identified during the last inventory of the collections. Key words: Iskorost, Ukrainian Polissia, Vikentii Khvoika, museum collection, history of research.

Preconditions for the emergence of emergency situations of a natural and technological nature in Zhytomyr oblast

Preconditions for the emergence of emergency situations of a natural and technological nature in Zhytomyr oblast

ON THE METHODOLOGY OF PASSPORT DOSES CALCULATION FOR UKRAINIAN SETTLEMENTS RADIOACTIVELY CONTAMINATED DUE TO THE CHORNOBYL NPP ACCIDENT.

scientific substantiation of the new methodology for estimation of passport doses of the settlementswhich belong to Zone of Unconditional (obligatory) Resettlement, or 2nd zone and Zone of Granted VoluntaryResettlement, or 3rd zone in the framework of dosimetric passportization in accordance with the legislation ofUkraine. 37 years after the accident, radioactive contamination of the environment has significantly decreased. However, it is still necessary to carry out ecological and dosimetric monitoring and apply countermeasures in certain territories of Ukraine affected by the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant: restriction of the consumption of locally produced milk, forest products, etc. The methodology, which was since 1996 used to estimate the passport doses of Ukrainian settlements, no longer corresponds to the current level of scientific knowledge about radioactive contamination of environment. The new methods of passport doses calculating presented in the work involves the use of a model whose parameters are determined by the types, quality and completeness of radio-ecological and dosimetric monitoring carried out on the radioactively contaminated territories in 1986-2013. The methodology takes into account the specific of radioactive contamination of each settlement. The passport dose of external exposure is reconstructed only from 137Cs radionuclide, because the contributions of other Chornobyl radionuclides influence the radiation dose only in the first years after the accident. The passport dose of internal exposure is formed as a result of the consumption of 137Cs contaminated food products. It is calculated depending on the availability in the settlement in the current year of the results of measurements of the 137Cs radionuclide activity incorporated in the human body using a whole body counter (WBC) and the activity of 137Cs in the private milk. At the same time, priority is given precisely to the results of WBC measurements of 137Cs. A new methodology (Methodology-2023) for passport doses calculation of Ukrainian settlements was substantiated. A comparison of passport doses based on the results of radioecological and dosimetric monitoring in 2011 calculated by Methodology-2023 and passport doses calculated by Methodology-96 was made.Passport doses calculated by Methodology-2023 increased by 40 % on average compared to doses calculated by Methodology-96. At the same time, passport doses of internal radiation calculated by the new methodologyincreased by 1.5 times, and passport doses of external radiation increased by 1.7 times. The passport dose of 2011, calculated by Methodology-2023, exceeds the legally established limit of 1 mSv in 71 settlements, most of which are located in Korostenkyi raion of Zhytomyr Oblast.

Sanitary condition of pine plantations of the Polyssia of Zhytomyr region

The sanitary condition of pine plantations in the conditions of Polissia of Ukraine was assessed. Derevostan grows in different types of forest vegetation conditions B2GDS, B3GDS, C2GDS, C3GDS. According to the data of 27 circular trial plots, which were established during 2018–2020 in the territory of the State Enterprise Zhytomyr LH Berezivske Forestry, the State Enterprise Korostyshivsk LH Ivnitske Forestry, the State Enterprise Korostensky LH APC Melenivske Forestry, which covered the typical growing conditions of pine plantations of Zhytomyr Oblast. The index of sanitary condition showed that the pine forest belonged to strongly weakened stands. Analyzing the sanitary condition during the research period, it is worth noting that in 2018, the tree stand of the plantations in the Ivnytsia Forestry was weakened, and the average index was 2.42. In Berezivsk and Melenivsk forests, the sanitary condition index was 2.58 and 2.67, which indicates that the degree of damage is average, and the plantations are strongly weakened. Based on the results of the research, it was established that in 2019 the sanitary condition in the Bereziv forestry improved and amounted to 2.12. By state category, the largest number of I category is 2019 – 40.0 %, 2019 II – 27.6 %. In the Ivnytsia forestry, the sanitary condition index was 2.52, the plantations were greatly weakened. In the Meleniv Forestry, the average sanitary condition index of 2.44 indicates that the tree stand is weakened. It is proven that in 2020 the sanitary condition improved compared to other years of research and amounted to 2.11. In Ivnytsia Forestry, the sa-nitary condition remains very weak. In the Meleniv Forestry, the average sanitary condition index was 2.29, which indicates that the tree stand is weakened. It has been established that pests, diseases and forest fires are the biggest deterioration of the sanitary condition in the territory of Zhytomyr Oblast. To prevent the development of these negative factors, it is necessary to create mixed pine plantations, to carry out timely felling of forest care. Key words: condition categories, sanitary condition index, type of fo-rest vegetation conditions, completeness, Scots pine.

Spread and Harmfulness of Infectious Diseases of the Main Forest-Forming Species in Zhytomyr Polissia of Ukraine

Given the multifunctional role of forests, there is an urgent need in forming biologically stable and productive tree stands to obtain the maximum ecological and economic effect for Ukraine in present-day conditions. Therefore, studies of the species composition, spread, pathogenic action, and harmful effects of pathogens of infectious diseases of the main forestforming species in Zhytomyr Polissia of Ukraine allow designing a real phytosanitary situation that will take place in the forests in the coming years and developing timely measures to limit the spread of pathological phenomena, which is the relevant research vector. The purpose of this study is to assess the current phytosanitary state of the forests of the surveyed region and identify abiotic and biotic factors that most contribute to weakening and degradation of forest tree species. This paper uses classical forest inventory and phytopathological methods to establish the general phytosanitary condition of the surveyed forests. Special mycological and microbiological methods were also involved to investigate the aetiology and pathogenesis of infectious diseases pathogens. Currently, the comprehensive sanitary condition of the forests of Zhytomyr Oblast can be described as satisfactory. However, every year there is a slow but steady increase in the dieback of forest areas, specifically the main forest-forming species – pine, oak, ash, and birch. During the examinations, the authors noted typical symptoms of bacteriosis (bacterial dropsy), necrosis (dieback), vascular (graphiosis, tracheomycosis) and other diseases of contradictory aetiology (transverse cancer, dieback), as well as fruit bodies of aphilophoroid macromycetes, which are the causes of stem (pine polypore, birch polypore, false oak polypore, etc.) and root (heterobasidion perennial, honey mushroom) rot were noted. Monitoring of the phytosanitary condition with the allocation of predictors of degradation of forest stands will further allow forming a “global map of plant resilience and sensitivity” for analysis of phytosanitary risk and rapid and rational decision-making on forest protection measures

Exposure to the Thyroid from Intake of Radioiodine Isotopes after the Chornobyl Accident. Report I: Revised Doses and Associated Uncertainties for the Ukrainian-American Cohort.

Thyroid doses from intake of radioiodine isotopes (131I, 132Te+132I, and 133I) and associated uncertainties were revised for the 13,204 Ukrainian-American cohort members exposed in childhood and adolescence to fallout from the Chornobyl nuclear power plant accident. The main changes related to the revision of the 131I thyroid activity measured in cohort members, the use of thyroid-mass values specific to the Ukrainian population, and the revision of the 131I ground deposition densities in Ukraine. Uncertainties in doses were assessed considering shared and unshared errors in the parameters of the dosimetry model. Using a Monte-Carlo simulation procedure, 1,000 individual stochastic thyroid doses were calculated for each cohort member. The arithmetic mean of thyroid doses from intake of 131I, 132Te+132I, and 133I for the entire cohort was 0.60 Gy (median = 0.22 Gy). For 9,474 subjects (71.6% of the total), the thyroid doses were less than 0.5 Gy. Thyroid doses for 42 cohort members (0.3% of the total) exceeded 10 Gy while the highest dose was 35 Gy. Intake of 131I contributed around 95% to internal thyroid exposure from radioiodine isotopes. The geometric standard deviation of individual stochastic thyroid doses varied among cohort members from 1.4 to 4.3 with an arithmetic mean of 1.6 and a median of 1.4. It was shown that the contribution of shared errors to the dose uncertainty was small. The revised thyroid doses resulted, in average, in around 40% decrease for cohort members from Zhytomyr Oblast and an increase of around 24% and 35% for the cohort members from Kyiv and Chernihiv Oblast, respectively. Arithmetic mean of TD20 doses for the cohort was around 8% less than that estimated in TD10, 0.60 Gy vs. 0.65 Gy, respectively; however, global median of TD20 doses somewhat increased compared to TD10: 0.22 Gy vs. 0.19 Gy, respectively. The difference between TD10 and TD20 was mainly due to a revision of the individual 131I thyroid activity measured in the cohort members.

Women’s Practices of Everyday Life in the Conditions of the Ukrainian Village in the First Years of Post-War Reconstruction (1944-1947)

The purpose of article is to use the example of Zhytomyr Oblast and describe the daily survival practices of women collective farmers in the conditions of the reconstruction of the collective farm system and the famine of 1946-1947 and the peculiarities of their perception of those transformational processes, which they were witnesses and participants of.
 Scientific novelty. The topic of everyday life in the Ukrainian village in the period of late Stalinism is considered from the aspect of experience of Ukrainian collective farmers women for the first time in Ukrainian historiography.
 Conclusion. The core of the post-war reconstruction of the Ukrainian village was the restoration of the collective farm system. Given the changes in the demographic situation caused by the war and the German occupation of Ukrainian territories, women were the main mobilization resource for replenishing the ranks of collective farm workers. The memories of peasant women/peasants of Zhytomyr region provide grounds for the conclusion that in the period under study, the collective farm system had a distinctly discriminatory nature for women. Labor relations in the structure of the collective farm, which during the famine of 1946-1947 had a repressive character, had a dominant influence on the everyday lifestyle of the rural family.
 According to the stories of our respondents, in the period we studied, the responsibility for the survival of the family mostly rested on the woman-mother. In historiography, this status of hers is usually called ‘double burden’. There have been certain changes in the spatial and temporal dimensions of women’s everyday life. The woman had to combine hard work in the collective farm with work in the household and care and upbringing of children. During the famine of 1946-1947, women’s survival practices to some extent depended on her status: either she was a ‘widow’ (the breadwinner of the family) or ‘had a husband’ (responsibility for providing for the family was shared between spouses). In general, it can be confidently asserted that the strategies of everyday behavior of the peasants in the first years of post-war reconstruction had a clear imprint of gender-colored labeling.

The Iskorost Site and its Place in the Stine Age of Ukraine: Historiographical, Typological and Technological Aspects

The Palaeolithic legacy of V. Khvoika consists of three discovered and researched sites: Kyiv-Kyrylivska, Protasiv Yar (Kyiv), and Iskorost (Korosten, Zhytomyr Oblast). The Kyiv-Kyrylivska site gained the most publicity due to the large excavation area, clear and more understandable stratigraphy, and the representativeness of the collection of stone and bone inventory. The site of Iskorost was discovered in 1911 during the excavations of medieval barrows. The site has not been considered comprehensively, despite numerous attempts to clarify the cultural and chronological context through the study of stratigraphy. In this paper, the authors try to fill the gap by considering a range of issues related to the history of the research of the site and its general context, the study of the typological, technical, and technological parameters of the stone inventory, as well as determining the place of Iskorost in the Stone Age of Ukrainian Polissia. All artefacts of the site are made of local flint. There are 265 items in the collection. Blades and flakes constitute 95% (252 pieces) of the inventory. There is no doubt that all flaked and detached products are associated with one technology aimed at knapping blades. V. Khvoika purposefully selected artefacts from the cultural layer. Despite this, the inventory contains products of all main stages of the technological process: from the selection of raw materials and the preparation of precores to the formation and correction of prismatic relief, as well as the knapping of blades from the flaking surfaces of the cores. The use of soft active elements prevails at all stages of the reduction sequence. However, traces of the use of hard hammerstones are recorded on flaked and detached products as well (especially in the first phases of precores formation). In conformity with the available data, Iskorost could be a workshop site with a small content of retouched tools. At the same time, V. Khvoika excavated only an insignificant area, which could only be the place of primary processing of flint at the site. According to the geomorphological position of the site, the type of used raw materials, and the features of the technology, it can be assumed that Iskorost belongs to the Final Palaeolithic sites of Ukrainian Polissia. The high blade index and intensity of utilization of the working surfaces of the cores, which mainly have two beveled opposed platforms and a bidirectional type of knapping, the technical, morphological, and metric parameters of the flaked and detached products (including a high percentage of willow-leaf blades among the blades from the working surfaces of the cores), the features of the preparation of the fracture zone make it possible to refer Iskorost to the Swiderian industries.

Accumulation of 137Cs by Thallus of Epiphytic Lichen Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl on Different Trunk Height in Pine Stands

Lichens are considered by researchers as bioindicators of environmental pollution by artificial radionuclides, including 137Cs. One of these bioindicator species is epiphytic lichen Hypogymnia physodes (L.) Nyl, the use of which for radioecological monitoring can be modified by several factors: tree species, placement on the tree (branches – trunk), height of sampling, etc. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific activity of 137Cs in thalli of hypogymnia in pine stands: on trunks of Pinus sylvestris L. and Betula pendula Roth at different heights of sampling in 3 height ranges: 0–65, 65–130, and 130–195 cm, and to analyse the intensity of radionuclide accumulation in the “lichen thallus – tree bark” link for both tree species in all height ranges. The study was conducted in August 2021 in the Korosten district of the Zhytomyr Oblast, Zhytomyr Polissia, on 4 test plots, in the Drevlianskyi nature reserve, mainly in middle-aged pine stands with an admixture of birch, where 130 samples of soil, tree bark, and lichen were taken. Specific activity of 137Cs in the samples was measured using a SEG-001 “AKP-s”-150 gamma-ray spectrometer with a BDEG-20R2 scintillation detector (NaI(Tl). It was demonstrated that the content of 137Сs in the thalli of Hypogymnia physodes at different altitude ranges did not differ statistically significantly at the 95% confidence level in all test plots on pine. A preliminary conclusion was made on the possibility of sampling Hypogymnia physodes thalli on pine trunks in the height range of 0–195 cm; however, for the convenience of sampling, it is recommended to perform sampling within 130–195 cm. It has been proven that both the specific activity of 137Сs in Hypogymnia physodes thalli and the intensity of 137Сs accumulation in the chain “Hypogymnia physodes - tree bark” are approximately 2 times higher on pine compared to birch. It was found that on a birch, the content of 137Сs in lichen between the height ranges of 0–65 and 65–130 cm, and 0–65 and 130–195 cm differs significantly at the 95% confidence level; therefore, it is recommended to sample Hypogymnia physodes on a birch in the range of 65–130 cm.

Influence of Weather Conditions on the Spread of Fires in the Forest Fund of Zhytomyr Polesia

Fires are one of the critical factors in the weakening of forests. Given the high share of pine forests in the Zhytomyr Oblast, the conditions for fires are very favourable. Especially intense fires occurred in 2020, when rapid warming occurred in the spring, which in the absence of snow cover and the presence of intense winds in the February-March 2020 increased the fire danger in forests. The purpose of this study is to identify the features of the dynamics of the spread of fires in the forest stands of the Zhytomyr Oblast Department of Forestry and Hunting and assess the meteorological indicators that may affect their spread. Research methods: statistical – when analysing data on meteorological indicators and materials for accounting for forest fires. The study identified the specific features of the dynamics of fire spread in forest stands of Zhytomyr Oblast in 2014-2021. According to the analysis, there was a considerable increase in the number and area of fires in 2020 compared to the average figures for 2014-2019 and 2021 combined. During 2014-2021, 951 fires occurred on a forested area of 43,807.65 hectares. It was revealed that only 448 fires occurred in 2014-2019 and 2021, and 503 fires were recorded in 2020 on an area of 43,229 hectares. Among others, crown fires were recorded on an area of 6,389 hectares in the same 2020 year and on an area of 35.7 hectares in 2019 alone. The largest areas of crown fires were recorded on the territory of the State Enterprise “Ovrutske SF”, State Enterprise “Luhynske forestry”, State Enterprise “Ovrutske forestry” and State Enterprise “Slovechanske forestry”. The indicators of temperature, precipitation, and hydrothermal coefficient for 2014-2021 are analysed. The values of air temperature and precipitation were determined during the growing season, and the hydrothermal coefficient was calculated according to G.T. Selyaninov. The study established that the sum of air temperatures during the growing season was 3,127.6°C on average for 2014-2021. The highest temperature values were recorded during the growing season of 2018. According to the analysis of the amount of precipitation for the growing season 2014-2021, the indicators were set at 323.8 mm. The lowest precipitation rates were recorded in 2015. According to the ratio of temperature and precipitation indicators, the value of G.T. Selyaninov’s hydrothermal coefficient for the growing seasons of 2014-2021 was obtained, the average value of which was 1.04 units

‘Hot’ and ‘white’ spots of lichen diversity of the Ukrainian plains (after geobotanical subprovinces and administrative oblasts)

Podolian-Middle-Dnieper geobotanical subprovince of Forest-Steppe zone and the belts of Artemisia-Gramineae Steppes and grass-Stipeta-Festuca Steppes of Priazov Black Sea Steppe subprovince of Steppe zone are the most well studied among twelve geobotanical subprovinces of the Ukrainian plains, while the lack of information on lichen species diversity found to be in Middle Russian subprovince of Forest zone and belt of grass-Stipeta-Festuca Steppes of Middle-Don Steppe subprovince of Steppe zone of this territory. Among twenty three administrative oblasts of the Ukrainian plains situated in twelve geobotanic subprovinces of three zones the highest lichen species diversity is found in Kherson oblast of the belt of Artemisia-Gramineae Steppes (464 species), Mykolaiv oblasts of the belt of grass-Stipeta-Festuca Steppes of Priazov Black Sea Steppe subprovince (389 species) of Steppe zone, as well as in Kharkiv oblast of Middle Russian subprovince (332 species) of Forest-Steppe zone of the Ukrainian plains on the basis of the Fourth checklist of lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi including 2,106 of the total Ukrainian lichens. The lower lichen diversity is hitherto recorded from Rightbank Polessian subprovince (the highest species diversity 296 species in Zhytomyr oblast) and Baltic Forest subprovince (281 species in Lviv oblast) in Forest zone of the Ukrainian plains as well as Podolian-Middle-Dnieper subprovince (287 species in Khmelnytsk oblast) of the Forest-Steppe zone of territory mentioned. Insufficient level of data on lichen diversity is recorded for Middle Russian and Podolian-Bessarabian Forest subprovinces of the Forest zone, as well as the belt of grass-Stipeta-Festuca Steppes of Middle-Don Steppe subprovince and the belt of Stipeta-Festuca Steppes of Priazov Black Sea Steppe subprovince of Steppe zone. The same rather lower level of data on lichen diversity is found in Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Chernihiv, Vinnytsia and Sumy of Forest and Forest-Steppe zones; in Poltava and Kharkiv, as well as Cherkasy, Kirovograd, Mykolaiv and Donetsk oblasts in Forest-Steppe and Steppe zones; in Odessa, Kherson and Dnipropetrovsk oblasts of Steppe zone, as well as Zhytomyr oblasts in Podolian-Middle-Dnieper subprovince of Forest-Steppe zone. List of the rarest taxa of the regionally unique group (hitherto known from single or a few localities) proposed as candidates for including to Red Regional lists of 22 oblasts of the Ukrainian plains as far the whole nature protection activity in Ukraine is provided.

COMPLEX RADIATION AND HYGIENIC MONITORING OF POPULATION ON RADIOLOGICALLY CONTAMINATED TERRITORIES OF ZHYTOMYR OBLAST IN 2021.

the key factors identification in radiation dose formation in population of radiologically contaminatedareas of Zhytomyr oblast in the current period of accident through complex radiation and hygienic monitoring in reference settlements in 2021. For complex radiationhygienic monitoring in Zhytomyr oblast, 10 settlements were chosen - Narodychi, Selets, Bazar, Rudnya Bazarska, Khrystynivka - zone 2, Motiyki, Zalissya, Davydky, Radcha, Nova Radcha - zone 3 of Narodychi district, in which the highest radiation doses were recorded after the accident at the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The research was carried out in June 2021. In order to determine the doses of internal radiation, 645 measurements were performed on whole body counters (WBC) (478 adults and 167 children). The 44 samples of milk, 45 samples of potatoes and vegetables, and 38 samples of wild products were collected in local farms and measured for the 137Cs and 90Sr content. Residents of the studied settlements (n = 220, 175 adults, and 45 children) were interviewed about the levels of consumption of staple foodstuffs. External radiation doses were evaluated in all the studied settlements. Mathematical, dosimetry, and radiochemical methods were applied. Annual effective radiation doses of Zhytomyr oblast population in 2021 were formedmainly due to internal radiation ones that not exceeded 1.8 mSv * year-1 in adults and 0.5 mSv * year-1 in children against the radiologically contaminated territories (RCT) criterion of 1 mSv * year-1. Intake of 137Cs with milk and wild mushrooms, which traditionally occupy a significant part of diet in Zhytomyr oblast area and have consistently high levels of radioactive cesium contamination, remains a key factor of internal radiation dose forming in residents of the surveyed settlements of Zhytomyr oblast.

Sickness Rate of Service Dogs in Cynological Centers of Ukraine

Service dogs are an important asset of law enforcement agencies. Therefore, understanding their medical problems, knowing general characteristics such as numbers, age, breed, gender, and purpose is crucial to maintaining their health and readiness to perform complex tasks. Analysis and dissemination of such information is an urgent task for specialists and scientists dealing with the problems of keeping, providing, and veterinary care for service dogs. The purpose of this study was to analyse the results of statistical reports on the incidence of service dogs from 24 regional canine centres of law enforcement agencies of Ukraine. In total, data on 822 service dogs and records of 839 cases of diseases were considered. Data on the number, age, gender, and direction of use of service dogs were also analysed. It was found that internal non-contagious ailments were identified among the diseases. Most of the problems were with the gastrointestinal tract: dyspepsia, alimentary enteritis, and gastritis. It was found that among the diseases of the visual and hearing organs, otitis media and cataracts were most often detected. Traumatic injuries accounted for 16.7% of all records, most of which were classified as wounds. It was found that every seventh disease was related to the skin. Among them, two diseases had a considerable predominance: dermatitis and eczema. Another group was detected with a frequency of more than 5% – parasitic diseases, of which babesiosis was the most common. The study also found that one in twenty animals had diseases of the musculoskeletal system, of which arthritis and hip dysplasia were mainly found. Statistical calculations have shown heterogeneity in the distribution density of dogs, both in relation to the population and the area of the region. Chernivtsi Oblast had the best density indicators, and Zhytomyr Oblast had the lowest. Among service dogs, females have an advantage – sexual differentiation was 1/1.15. An even distribution of the number of service dogs by age was found, ranging from 2 to 7 years, with a weighted average age of 4.9 years. The most common breeds were: German and Belgian shepherds, as well as Labrador. Special and search dogs prevailed for their intended purpose. The practical value of this study lies in the fact that certain patterns of morbidity of service dogs provide an opportunity to change the strategy of their selection, training, and treatment to use this valuable resource more effectively.