Materials and methods: herbarium collections, literature data, field observations.

Nomenclature: POWO 2023.

Results: The order Primulales includes two families represented in Ukraine, Ebenaceae and Primulaceae. In the flora of Ukraine, the family Ebenaceae is represented by one genus, Diospiros. The family Primulaceae is represented by 13 genera (including those now included in Lysimachia s.l.: Anagallis, Centunculus, Glaux, Naumburgia), and 34 species and subspecies, one of which is known only from culture and sometimes escapes – Cyclamen purpurascens [C. purpurascens subsp. purpurascens], and one (Primula farinosa) is listed as extinct in the territory of Ukraine. The genus Primula includes Cortusa, which, according to molecular data, is phylogenetically rooted in Primula s.l. In Ukraine (the Carpathians), Primula matthioli (Cortusa matthioli) is represented by the typical subspecies Primula matthioli subsp. matthioli. A synonym of Primula elatior is Primula poloninensis. Primula sibthorpii, reported for the Mountain Crimea, turned out to be a synonym of the subspecies Primula vulgaris subsp. rubra, and Primula acaulis, which is considered widespread in Ukraine, is in fact a synonym of the typical subspecies Primula vulgaris subsp. vulgaris. The genus Soldanella includes four species, two of them have not been reported for Ukraine yet (Soldanella angusta, Soldanella major). In the order Ericales, there are two families in Ukraine: Actinidiaceae and Ericaceae. The family Actinidiaceae is represented by one genus Actinidia (three cultivated species). The Ericaceae family, accepted in a wide circumscription, includes 16 genera and 27 species, which previously were included in four families: Ericaceae, Empetraceae, Monotropaceae and Pyrolaceae. Monotropa hypophegea (≡ Hipopithys hypophegea) is treated as a synonym of Monotropa hypopitys. According to current data, Bruckenthalia is included in the genus Erica, Loiseleuria – in Kalmia, Ledum – in Rhododendron, Oxycoccus – in Vaccinium; accordingly, there were changes in the nomenclature of flora species of Ukraine: Erica spiculifolia (≡ Bruckenthalia spiculifolia); Kalmia procumbens (≡ Loiseleuria procumbens (L.) Desv.); Vaccinium microcarpum (≡ Oxycoccus microcarpus); Vaccinium oxycoccos L. (= Oxycoccus palustris Pers.). Vaccinium gaultherioides is recognized as a synonym of Vaccinium uliginosum, and Vaccinium vitis-idaea subsp. minus, as a synonym of Vaccinium vitis-idaea s. str.

Keywords

biodiversity, annotated list, distribution, flora, Ukraine, Anagallis, Andromeda, Androsace, Calluna, Centunculus, Chimaphila, Cyclamen, Empetrum, Erica, Glaux, Kalmia, Loiseleuria, Lysimachia, Moneses, Monotropa, Orthilia, Oxycoccus,Primula, Pyrola, Rhododendron, Soldanella, Trientalis, Vaccinium

Questions: What are the main morphological features of the newfound specimen of Resinoporia piceata? What is the conservation significance of the record and how does it contribute to understanding the fungal bio­diversity in the region?

Location: Gorgany Nature Reserve.

Methods: field surveys, microscopical identification, analysis of sources.

Nomenclature: Index Fungorum (www.indexfungorum.org).

Results: Gorgany Nature Reserve is the only protected area in the Ukrainian Carpathians where any forestry or recreational activities are strictly prohibited. Its territory is one of the most prominent fungal biodi­versity hotspots of Ukraine, which harbours some of the rarest wood-inhabiting fungal species of Europe, known in Ukraine from only a few, mostly historical records. In this paper we report a new record of Resinoporia piceata, a rare polypore confined to old-growth spruce-dominated forest, which was not recorded in Ukraine for more than 80 years. Detailed description and illustrations of the collected specimen are provided. Ecology, global distribution, conservational significance and taxonomical history of the species is summarized. To safeguard the di­versity of rare lignicolous species in the region, it is crucial to secure legal protection for all remaining natural forests in the Ukrainian Carpa­thians. Equally important is the creation of continuous biodiversity corridors between the Gorgany Nature Reserve and other fungal diversity hotspots.

Conclusion: The record ofResinoporia piceata,a rare polypore known in Ukraine from only historical records, is evidence of the outstanding value of the Gorgany Nature Reserve as one of the most prominent fungal diversity hotspots in Ukraine.

Keywords

Gorgany Nature Reserve, mycobiota, Picea abies, primeval forests, Ukrainian Carpathians, wood-decaying fungi

Questions: Is it possible to integrate the protective shelterbelts of Kirovohrad Region in the structural elements of the regional eco-network?

Locations: Kirovohrad region.

Methods: analysis of literature data, field research, GIS mapping.

Nomenclature: vascular plants follow POWO (2023).

Results: The publication considers the important role of protective shel­terbelts in the Kirovohrad region in the development of a regional eco-network. 26 new eco-corridors are proposed, shown on the cartographic scheme, with the inclusion of protective shelterbelts, their structure and species richness are presented. The density of the eco-network and the peculiarities of the eco-corridors were determined. In the western part, the eco-network is poorly developed, therefore it is proposed to connect the Dolynivsky ecological center of biological diversity with Kamiano­bridskyi and Vilkhivskyi, Lebedynskyi with the eco-corridor connecting Klinivskyi and Kamianobridskyi in two places, Lypovenkivskyi with Kamianobridskyi and Kalmazivskyi, Zhuravlynskyi with Osychkivskyi, Kalmazivskyi and Osychkivskyi with Novolutkivskyi; in the east – the most developed eco-network, therefore it was proposed to connect Kutsevolivskyi, Proletarskyi and Hannivskyi with the border of Dnipropetrovsk region; in the northern and central part of the region there are dense buildings and a large number of highways. Therefore, in the north, they connected Podorozhnivskyi with the border of Cherkasy region, Yukhymivskyi with Ivankivskyi, Tyasmynskyi with the eco-corridor connecting Pleshkivskyi and Dykivskyi; in the center – Didovo-Balkivskyi with Velikoseverynskyi, Oleksiivskyi with Ivanivskyi, Ivanivskyi with Vyshnyakivskyi and Trudolyubivskyi with Pishchanskyi. In the southern part, it is proposed to connect Donchenskyi, Piddub­nivskyi, Ustinivskyi and Stavrakovskyi with the border of Mykolaiv region, Velikodryukivskyi with Donchenskyi, Oleksandrivskyi with Gurivskyi, Zhovtnevyi with the eco-corridor connecting Pishchanskyi and Hanno-Leontovytskyi. Newly created eco-corridors are centers of preservation of steppe vegetation. In addition, 7 regionally rare plant species for the Kirovohrad region were found in the studied protective shelterbelts, and 1 was included in the European Red List and the Red Book of Ukraine, 1 – in the Red Book of Ukraine, the European Red List, and the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Conclusions: The preservation of biodiversity and species richness is the basis for the inclusion of protective shelterbelts in the regional eco-network.

Keywords: biodiversity,eco-corridors, eco-network, Kirovohrad region, protective shelterbelts

Question: What is the current state of research on the flora of the Striltsivskyi Steppe (Luhansk Nature Reserve)?

Methods: literature sources and electronic resources analysis.

Nomenclature: IPNI 2023, Mosyakin & Fedoronchuk 1999.

Locality: Luhansk Nature Reserve, Luhansk Region, Ukraine.

Results: Floristic researches in the region of the Striltsivskyi Steppe (branch of the Luhansk Nature Reserve) were launched at the end of the 19^th century. After the reserve establishment in 1948, the first flora inven­tory was conducted in 1952‒1954 and then the complete inventory was performed in the 1970’s and early 1980’s. Considerable additions to the reserve's flora were published in the early 2000’s. In 2004, the reserve area was doubled and data of the floristic survey of new territories were published in 2008‒2009. Systematization of flora data and conducting a new general inventory are urgent task, because over a long period of time the reserve`s territory and its ecological conditions have undergone a significant transformation. Changes in the land use system and establish­ment of a conservation regime resulted in wide distribution of shrubs and mesic grasslands and appearance of wetland areas. And instead, the areas of steppes reduced. The article presents an overview of the history of floristic research, a systematized list of additions to the reserve flora pub­lished in the 2000’s, and data of recent floristic findings. A list of 144 species added to the reserve’s flora during 2000‒2018 is provided. Currently, the flora of Stryltsivskyi Steppe includes 700 vascular plant species. Twelve arboreal species present only in artificial forest plantations are listed separately. Species of mesic and wet grasslands, wetland floristic complexes as well as shrub and forest complexes prevail among the new records. Together with ruderal species, they comprise 81,3% of new findings. The number of arboreal species increased significantly in the reserve’s flora (from 28 to 54); an increase of tree species number was the most pronounced (from 3 to 15 species). There are 39 newly recorded alien species, which in total account now for 107 species, or 15.2% of the reserve flora. Of these, 14 alien tree species expanded into natural com­munities from the artificial forest plantations.

Conclusion: the floristic research in the Striltsivskyi Steppe is to compile a new actual species list that will correspond to the current development stage of the reserve ecosystems.

Keywords

biodiversity, flora inventory, floristic complexes, alien species, Luhansk Region, Ukraine

Questions: Is the condition of rare species on the territory of the protected object satisfactory?

Locations: Regional landscape park «Tyligulsky» (Mykolayiv region, Ukraine).

Methods: field studies of habitats of rare species.

Nomenclature: POWO (2023), Mosyakin & Fedoronchuk (1999), Dubyna et al. (2019).

Results: The Tyligulsky Regional Landscape Park (Mykolayiv region) is located on the eastern coast of the Tyligulsky estuary and its waters. It occu­pies the area of 8195,4 hectares. During the spring expeditions in 2023, we studied the populations of four species of rare ephemerals protected at the state and international levels: Crocus reticulatus, Galanthus elwesii, Gymnospermium odessanum, Adonis vernalis. The species studied occur mainly on the slopes of the gulleys and in their hollows. In the places with the highest density of C. reticulatus individuals, were found 5 juvenile, 6 immature, 4 virgin and 10 reproductive individuals per 1 m². Crocus reticulatus occurs in well-preserved steppe communities between tussocks of Stipa capillata, Festuca valesiaca and Agropyron cristatum. Galanthus elwesii was found on the slopes of the Atamanka gully and its branches, in places where the slopes were overgrown with shrubs (Prunus spinosa, Crataegus monogyna, Rosa canina and R. corymbifera). The most numerous population loci are located in the hollows of the gulley spurs and increase towards the southern exposure of the slope. In the areas with the highest density, 121 individuals were recorded per 1 m²: 35 juveniles, 10 immature, 14 virginal and 62 generative. Another ephemeroid, Gymnospermi­um odessanum, grows higher along these shrubby slopes (Atamanka gully). The density of individuals is very low, growing mostly on the north-faced slope in the dry leaves of the shrubs. We counted up to 10 individuals per 1 m² in different ontogenetic states: 2 juvenile, 2 virgin and 6 generative. Adonis vernalis grows on the steppe slopes of the studied gulleys. The density of individuals is not high. On average, there are one or two individuals in the generative stage per 1 m². It grows together with C. reticulatus between last year's stems of Stipa capillata.

Conclusions: The state of the populations of four rare ephemeroids in the area of the Tyligulsky Regional Landscape Park was studied. It was revealed that the basis of the vegetation cover of the habitats of rare ephemeroids, forming steppes of Festuco-Brometea class (alliances Festucion valesiacae, Stipo lessingianae-Salvion nutantis). The hollows of these gulleys are covered with class Rhamno-Prunetea.

Keywords

biodiversity, plants, steppe, communities

Abstract

The article is dedicated to the memory of the Hungarian botanist Dániel Pifkó (1976, december 4, Esztergom, Hungary – 2023, oktober 25, Čemerno Mountain, Serbia), his life and scientific path is described and analized. He studied at the Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. Dániel Pifkó worked in the Hungarian Natural History Museum Herbarium, in recent years – in the National Educational Library and Museum. His research interests included taxonomy, floristics, and the history of botany. He is best known as a monographer of the genus Chamaecytisus Link. His scientific contribution to the study of the taxonomy of this complex genus is significant: it includes both the study of historical collections, designation the type specimens, new floristic finds, as well as the description of new species (Ch. pseudojankae Pifkó et Barina and Ch. korabensis Pifkó et Barina), and taxonomic revisions and reviews of critical taxa. Another object of his research was the flora of Hungary and Albania. He is the author and co-author of original systematic and floristic papers, such as New Hungarian Herbal: The Vascu­lar Plants of Hungary, Red List of the Vascular flora of Hungary, Checklist of Albanian Flora and Distribution Atlas of Vascular Plants in Albania, etc.

Keywords

bibliography, systematics, floristics, history of botany, Chamaecytisus, Hungary, Albania