Transformation of Chornobyl forest: a joint Ukrainian-Austrian project has been completed
The forest ecosystem in the exclusion zone has been drastically changing over the past 35 years. The examples of the changes are a 1.5-fold increase of forest area due to natural afforestation and the loss of tens of thousands of hectares due to fires, insect breeding and tree diseases.
The joint initiative of NUBiP of Ukraine research group (headed by Prof. A. Bilous) and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA, Austria, headed by Prof. D. Shchepashchenko) aiming to study the dynamics of forest ecosystems and their services in the post-accident period was supported by a joint intergovernmental Commission of Ukraine and Austria. In addition, the project was joined by a group of scientists from the Vienna University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU, Vienna, Austria).
During 2019-2020, the Ukrainian party was represented by the scientists from the Education and Research Institute of Forestry and Landscape-Park Management, the Ukrainian Education and Research Institute of Agricultural Radiology and the Faculty of Economics, who conducted a comprehensive analysis of forest dynamics and biophysical parameters of ecosystem services.
The project began with a scientific workshop at NUBiP of Ukraine and a field trip to the exclusion zone in July 2019. The delegation from Austria was represented by Prof. Anatoliy Shvydenko (IIASA) and Dr. Rupert Seidl (BOKU) - leading European scientists studying the dynamics and productivity of forest ecosystems.
The most important component of the project was the participation of graduate students and young scientists. The field trips to the exclusion zone were organized by the Ukrainian Education and Research Institute of Agricultural Radiology with the support of Dmytriy Golyaka. Graduate students, who participated in the trips, were Petro Dyachuk, Roman Zadorozhnyuk, Maksym Matsala and Maksym Buryanchuk.
The final summarizing of the project took place in October-November 2021 at IIASA, as the Austrian party continued the project in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Ukrainian delegation consisting of Professor Petro Lakyda, Professor Roman Vasylyshyn, Associate Professor Olexander Labenko and graduate student Maksym Matsala held final consultations with IIASA scientists and OeAD specialists (Österreichs Agentur für Bildung und Internationalisierung). Assessing the biophysical and economic performance of ecosystem services has become a key component of the forest policy of many of the world's leading countries. Forest ecosystem services are still poorly studied and considered to be of no benefit other than timber itself. This topic was key during the discussion.
Particular attention of NUBiP scientists was paid to the RESTORE project, which aims at monitoring the restoration of landscapes.
The highlight of the Ukrainian-Austrian project was the research work of graduate student Maksym Matsala, who made a significant contribution to the study of forest cover dynamics and developed cartographic materials presenting the forest cover of the area and disturbances in forest ecosystems. For general access and practical use, these materials are available at https://arcg.is/1nHDCX (Ukrainian) and https://arcg.is/1v8yO50 (English).
The project team is grateful to the scientists of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve Denys Vyshnevskyy and Olexander Borsuk, who professionally support scientific and educational processes in the exclusion zone and provided great assistance to the research group.
In addition, the project results were presented at the international webinar “Monitoring of forest systems in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone”. The recording of the webinar can be viewed on the YouTube channel of the Department of Forest Taxation and Forest Management (https://youtu.be/VDXxyGwlP0c).
Далеко не весь доробок проекту опубліковано, однак для детальнішого аналізу основних результатів і висновків можна ознайомитися зі статтями про депонування стронцію (90Sr) у біомасі лісів (https://doi.org/10.3390/f11030270), особливості природного лісовідновлення покинутих сільськогосподарських угідь (https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2021.1890816) та динаміку лісового покриву у зоні відчуження за впливу основних порушень (https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/8/1024).
Here are some links to the articles presenting the project results:
- on the deposition of strontium (90Sr) in forest biomass - https://doi.org/10.3390/f11030270;
- on the features of natural reforestation of abandoned agricultural land - https://doi.org/10.1080/02827581.2021.1890816;
- on the dynamics of forest cover in the exclusion zone under the influence of major violations - https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/12/8/1024.
In November-December 2021, two theses for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy related to the project are expected to be defended.
Andriy Bilous,
Head of the Department of Forest Taxation
and Forest Management
