2024 - Evaluation of restored agricultural land by indicator species in the context of war

The survey of old arable fallows of the exclusion zone within the boundaries of the Chornobyl radiation-ecological biosphere reserve, formerly agricultural fields and gardens, is the subject of the project. The fallows under survey were not used after the accident at the nuclear power plant in 1986.

Uitgeschreven tekst

field trip to Chornobyl radiation-ecological biosphere reserve

First field trip

The first field trip of the project experts took please in early June. Despite the "attacks" of midges and mosquitoes, the trial landfills were selected on abandoned agricultural landscapes and natural areas nearby.

The assessment of the vegetation and the biodiversity of some groups of insects in these areas was done on the fallows.

With the help of the staff members of Chornobyl reserve, invasive plant species were mapped.

One of the focus area for the research is the drained (in 2016-2017) bottom of the cooling reservoir of the Chernobyl NPP

The recovering of the territories in areas of fallows and forests after the fires is impressive.

The meeting with the local residents of Chornobyl natural reserve -  Przewalski's horses was a bonus for the expedition. Przewalski's Horses have been introduced to Chernobyl natural reserve 25 years ago and despite the severe fires, hostilities and occupation of the area in 2022 their population is doing fine.

A red deer was spotted while tasting the flowers of an invasive acacia near the drained reservoir-cooler

Second field trip

Second expedition to the Chornobyl radiation-ecological biosphere reserve took place in June together with the members of the public organization "Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group" (Home - Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (uncg.org.ua) Anna Kuzemko and Ihor Kuzemko

At the test plots selected during previous visit the research was conducted using the method of  "biodiversity plot".

It is expected that selected method for the inventory of biodiversity will help to understand the changes observed in the fallows and bring the research team closer to solving the question: what will happen to the fallows of the exclusion zone in 35-50 years? Will meadows or psammophytic grasslands be formed here, or will it be overgrown with forest.

Some rare animals were seen in the meadows : Banded demoiselle dragonfly

a nest of a European pond turtle

On the fallows there were many orthowinged insects: meadow grasshopper,

a great green bush-cricket,

a bee fly Villa cingulata.

Iris sibirica was found on one of the meadows - a plant listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

Initial observations during two expeditions, based on the recording of insects with Moericke traps and mowing with an entomological net show  very few bees and wasps, plant pollinators on the test plots.

It was interesting to know that a male Przewalski's horse, seen by a research group during previous expedition, forund a "girlfriend" and they are already grazing together on one of the text plots of the project.