Changes in natural landscapes and economic activities lead to the loss of a large proportion of the steppes. Recent studies (2008–2017) have demonstrated the high importance of old cemeteries, that contribute to the preservation of steppe red-listed steppe species. The area of the old cemeteries of the Lower Dnieper varies from 0.43 ha to 6.79 ha. The list of vascular plants from 10 cemeteries of the Lower Dnieper region includes 388 species belonging to 226 genera, 62 families, 3 classes and 2 divisions. The total number of species within cemetery varied from 104 to 217 (on average 153 species). In old cemeteries of the studied region, rare steppe species have survived, although steppe vegetation is preserved where there are fragments of virgin and unploughed steppes around the cemeteries, near old villages or cities. 22 protected vascular plant species were found in the studied old cemeteries (5.65 % of the total species pool). Five of these are included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine: Astragalus henningii, Stipa capillata, Stipa lessingiana, Stipa ucrainica, Tulipa biebersteiniana. 17 species of vascular plants are included in the Red List of the Kherson region: Amygdalus nana, Bellevalia sarmatica, Centaurea trichocephalla, Convallaria majalis, Dianthus andrzejowskianus, Elytrigia pseudocaesia, Ephedra distachya, Fraxinus excelsior, Iris halophila, Limonium platyphyllum, Linaria macroura, Muscari neglectum, Peucedanum ruthenicum, Prangos odontalgica, Quercus robur, Veronica capsellicarpa, Vinca herbacea.

The data are presented on the structure, quantity and stock of phytomass of the autotrophic block in the biogeocenosis of Ulmarietum centaureosum. A conclusion is made that main characteristics of the community as a whole are determined by 8–10 populations composing its phytocenotic core. They are characterized by regular seed and vegetative renewal, full-member and temporarily nonfull-member age spectrum and are qualified as populations of the normal type. The existence of the invasive and regressive populations in the structure of the community is explained by an accidental drift of seeds from other cenoses and by periodic character of this phenomenon. Back to top in 1974, there were eight full-members (Centaurea marmarosiensis, Filipendula ulmaria, Hypericum prinatum, Myosotis sylvatica, Primula poloninensis, Soldanella hungarica, Stellaria nemorum, Symphytum cordatum) and ten temporarily nonfull-member (Canthrisla, Canthrisis, neglectros , Geranium alpestre, Dentaria glandulosa, Leucanthemum waldsteinii, Senecio nemorensis, Thalictrum aquilegifolium, Allium victorialis) populations of normal type. The rest of the populations were represented by invasive, invasive-regressive and regressive populations: Aconituin variegation, Carex sylvatica, Chaerophyllum aromaticum, Heracleum carpaticum, Doronicum carpaticum, Lilium martagon, Ranunculus carpaticus, Anemonoides nemorosa, Dactylis glomerata, Deschampsia cespitosa. In 2019–2020, the author repeated these studies in full after forty-six years. They showed that the demutational processes that are now taking place in subalpine meadows violated the isolation of the Ulmarietum centaureosum community and opened the way for the invasion of secondary species of herbaceous perennials. And this negatively affected the state of aboriginal populations. Due to the invasion of Vaccinium myrtillus, Pulmonaria rubra, Petasites kablikianus and Caltha palustris, the total number of species in the community has increased to 30. At the same time, populations of such aboriginal species as Chaerophyllum aromaticum і Carex sylvatica have disappeared from its composition. The author states that the consequences of demutational transformations pose a threat to the preservation of the unique species diversity of Ulmarietum centaureosum. And if the isolation of this plant community persists and in the future its species composition will not change. But violation of this condition will cause negative changes in the population structure in the components of the Ulmarietum centaureosum community. In this case, the ontogenetic structure of their population becomes regressive. This does not give them the opportunity to maintain an optimal balance of generational renewal. The author concludes that the species diversity of Ulmarietum centaureosum is highly susceptible to isolation disturbances. Studies have confirmed the hypothesis that, when invasive processes are activated, it destroys life prospects for native plant species. The author proposes to use the results of these studies when carrying out work on the conservation of biodiversity in the natural ecosystems of the Carpathians.

Ecology-coenotic features of the Epipactis helleborine population in spontaneous (transformed and regenerative) forest phytocenoses with predominance of Carpinus betulus, Acer platanoides and Quercus robur stands in «Lysa Hora» (Kyiv)tract were studied. Previously, several finds of this species were known in the regional landscape park «Lysa Hora», which allowed a comparative chorological analysis of Epipactis helleborine and the probability of dissemination (migration) in time and space due to natural (afforestation, change of shading, succession processes, species competition, soil erosion), anthropogenic (trampling along roads, formation of lighted areas, protected area) impacts. The aboriginal population of autochthonous origin is quite large in area (~ 1500×500 m) and formed about 1000 individuals of all ontogenetic stages, which are located mainly in the central part of the tract «Lysa Hora» and is probably one of the largest and most stable (homeostasis) populations in Ukraine. The current state of the population of Epipactis helleborine was shown, its syntaxonomic status was determined and the hypothesis of prospects for further development was substantiated. The regularities of the ontogenesis of Epipactis helleborine in urban growth conditions in an orographically disjunctive, fragmented area have been elucidated. Relatively high resistance (vitality) to recreational impact, trampling, shading, as well as satisfactory competitiveness in forest sinuses, resistance to disease and arid weather and climatic conditions was detected. Forest phytocenoses with Epipactis helleborine belong to the class Carpino-Fagetea sylvaticae, order Carpinetalia betuli, alliance Carpinion betuli, association Galeobdolo lutei-Carpinetum.

The territory of the projected local botanical reserve “Vovchi Vody” is situated in the eastern vicinity of Vovchansk town (Chuhuiv (formerly Vovchansk dist.) district, Kharkiv region, Ukraine) and occupies 47 ha. The area of the perspective nature reserve t includes chalk outcrops, steppe plots, floodplain meadows on the right bank of Vovcha river, spontaneous dumps, roads and trails, ruined buildings of brick factory. There are few finds of rare species, but have not detail floristic researches. The brick factory was working there from the end of XIX to the end of XX centuries. The landscapes are transformed and destroyed after it activity. During 2018–2020, we has thirteen expeditions. We created an annotated list of the vascular plant of the studied territory. The list includes the information about modern scientific name of the species; their relative occurrence; distribution pattern, hyhromorphes and ceonorphes;selection division to alien and rare flora fractions etc. The floristic list of the perspective botanical reserve “Vovchi Vody” includes 206 species from 47 families, 3 classes and 2 divisions of vascular plants. The largest families are Asteraceae (35 species; 16,9 %), Poaceae (20 species; 9,7 %), Fabaceae (20 species; 9,7 %), Lamiaceae (19 species; 9,2 %), Scrophulariaceae (13 species; 6,3 %), Rosaceae (9 species; 4,3 %) Ranunculaceae (7 species; 3,4 %), Apiaceae, Boraginaceae, Rubiaceae (each one contains 6 species; 2,9 %). The area of perspective nature reserve has great scientific and bioconservation importance. Twenty five species have a sozological value. Ten species are included to Red Data Book of Ukraine and fifteen species are included to Оfficial list of regional rare plant species of Kharkiv region.

On the base of 8382 phytosociological relevés and with the use of modern methods of statistical data processing the syntaxonomical diversity of ruderal vegetation of Ukraine has been determined. This type of plant communities is represented by 8 classes, 16 orders, 36 alliances and 205 associations, 29 of them are mentioned for the first time for Ukraine. The classes Stellarietea mediae, Artemisietea vulgaris and Galio-Urticetea have the biggest syntaxonomical richness. The leading factors of territorial differentiation of ruderal plant communities are revealed and peculiarities of their biogeographical distribution are analysed. The synchrological specificity of the classes Stellarietea mediae and Artemisietea vulgaris is manifested at the level of alliances. Coenoses of Scleranthion annui, Salsolion ruthenicae, Malvion neglectae, Arction lappae are more common in the Forest and Forest-Steppe zones; thermophylic and xerophytic phytocoenoses of Hordeion murini, Lactucion tataricae, Dauco-Melilotion and Onopordion acanthii are widespread in the Steppe zone. The regional specificity of the classes Robinietea, Polygono-Poetea annuae and Plantaginetea majoris, which are found in all botanical and geographical zones of Ukraine, is reflected at the level of associations. Nitrophilic mesic and wet plant communities of Galio-Urticetea and Bidentetea classes have been recorded mainly in anthropogenic habitats of the Forest and Forest-Steppe zones. The coenoses of Epilobietea angustifolii are characterized by geographical connection only with the Carpathian region, Ukrainian Polissia and the northern Forest-Steppe. Based on the analysis of changes in the syntaxonomic structure of ruderal vegetation of Ukraine over the past 30 years, it was found that the level of its coenotic diversity has increased significantly, primarily due to intensification and differentiation of anthropogenic pressures' types on natural ecosystems.

In this contribution, new data concerning lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi in Ukraine are presented. It includes new records, exclusions, and confirmations to the Ukrainian administrative regions of taxa in the genera of Absconditella, Alyxoria, Arthonia, Athelia, Briancoppinsia, Buellia, Buelliella, Caloplaca, Candelariella, Chaenotheca, Circinaria, Clypeococcum, Didymocyrtis, Diplotomma, Hypocenomyce, Lawalreea, Lecania, Lecidea, Lichenochora, Lichenoconium, Lichenostigma, Micarea, Monodictys, Mycomicrothelia, Muellerella, Naevia, Pachyphiale, Parmeliopsis, Pertusaria, Phaeophyscia, Phoma, Physcia, Physconia, Piccolia, Placynthiella, Polycoccum, Polyozosia, Porpidia, Pronectria, Protoparmeliopsis, Pseudoschismatomma, Punctelia, Ramalina, Rinodina, Sarcopyrenia, Sclerophora, Sphaerellothecium, Staurothele, Strangospora, Stigmidium, Taeniolella, Tephromela, Thelocarpon, Tuckermannopsis, Verrucaria, Xanthoparmelia, Xanthoria, Zeroviella. Among them 24 species of lichen-forming and lichenicolous fungi are new to the Kharkiv region, 13 species new to the Rivne region, 9 species new to the Mykolaiv region, 6 species new to the Kherson region, 3 species new to the Zaporizhzhia region, 3 species new to the Ivano-Frankivsk region, 3 species new to the Ternopil region, 2 species new to the Dnipropetrovsk and Zakarpattia, Chernivtsi and Volyn regions, one species new to the Chernihiv, Khmelnytskyi, Kyiv, Poltava, Sumy regions as well as 5 species new to Autonomous Republic of Crimea.