INTRODUCTION

The Upper Dnipro Basin is generally reach in water resources. Annual water supply of 1 square kilometer of the area varies from 125 thousand to 200 thousand cubic meters. Human impacts on the streams and lakes of the upper basin include hydro-construction, irrigation, industrial and domestic water use, thermal and acid pollution, ill-considered fishing, violations of the size of water protection areas and regimes of economic activities, increase in the volumes of uncontrolled surface pollutant runoff, etc. As a result, the ecosystems of the majority of small rivers, forming the Dnipro source, have transformed.

The environmental state and water quality of small rivers of the Dnipro basin are affected by the following factors: the increasing runoff of biogenic substances and pollutants from the catchment areas, significant technogenic loads (including numerous quarries of non-metallic building materials and other minerals), irreversible losses of water (land-reclamation, wetland drainage, cultivation of drainage areas and forest reduction), silting of the rivers and inflow of lithogenous material into watercourses as a result of erosion. This eventually results into the diminishing of the quality of water, which forms natural habitat of hydrobionts and is essential resource for human life and economic activities. All of the above upsets the structure and conditions of normal functioning of hydrobiocenosis of the Dnipro River and its tributaries and inevitably causes deterioration of water quality, reduction of biodiversity and stability of streams and lakes.

To protect natural heritage, preserve biological diversity and stabilize environmental conditions within the Russian section of the Dnipro basin, a system of protected areas has been set up. These areas are a national patrimony, which includes the natural objects and systems of environmental, scientific, cultural, aesthetic, or recreational value. Protected areas are set up by governmental decisions. They are completely or partially withdrawn from the economic use; a special protection regime is established there. Current legislation provides for the responsibility for the violation of the special regime of nature resource management within the protected areas.

The priority goal of this project is to justify the establishment of biodiversity and environment monitoring stations on specific protected areas of the Dnipro Basin. The ultimate goal of the project is to establish stations of long-term monitoring to control environmental changes in the natural reserves of the Dnipro Basin on the area extending from the Dnipro headwaters and its major tributaries (the Desna, Sozh, Ostyer, etc.) in Smolensk Oblast to other riparian regions of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus.

SUMMARY

The major goal of this project is to justify the establishment of biodiversity and environment monitoring stations in the natural reserves located in the Dnipro Basin. The ultimate objective of the project is to establish stations of long-term monitoring of the biota and its natural habitat. Working towards the project goal and objectives, we have chosen three reserve areas within the Dnipro Basin located in Smolensk, Briansk and Belogorod Oblasts. These are “The Dnipro Source” landscape sanctuary of oblast importance, which was just set up this year, “The Briansky Forest” reserve set up in 1987 and located in the center of the “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie” biosphere reservation, the “Khotmyzhsky” national park set up in 2002, and the “Belogorie” reserve on the Vorskla River.

The description of these protected areas is based on retrospective data of the environmental state and biological diversity collected during the implementation of this project.

Alongside with the collection of retrospective data, expeditions were held to research the state of flora and fauna as well as of their habitat. In particular, the samples of surface waters and bottom sediments of the rivers Dnipro, Nerussa and Vorskla, as well as of the soil, air and biota were analyzed to determine the contents of chemical elements and radio nuclides according to the monitoring program. Expeditions conducted monitoring by species and by numbers of macrobenthos, macrophytes, vegetation assemblages, ichthyofauna, birds and animals.

The environmental and biodiversity data obtained during the expeditions served the basis for the assessment of natural condition of the reserves as of 2003. Owning to their wide range, the obtained environmental data were stored as initial data bases for further monitoring of environmental changes in these reserves.

The results of the sample analysis are reliable and objective since the analysis was carried out by highly qualified professionals in the accredited laboratories. The researchers of the reserves and of Smolensk Teacher Training University took part in the monitoring of biological diversity in the natural reserves.

In the final assessment of the fulfilled work, the environmental situation in the natural reserves is specified and solutions for specific problems related to further development of the environmental monitoring system in the reserves are recommended.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS

GLOSSARY

1. JUSTIFICATION OF THE CHOICE OF CITES FOR MONITORING OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE NATURAL RESERVES OF THE DNIPRO BASIN BASED ON RETROSPECTIVE DATA; MAPS AND DESCRIPTIONS OF THE CITES

1.1. State landscape sanctuary “The Dnipro Source”

1.1.1. Brief description and location of the sanctuary within the system of physical and geographic zoning

1.1.2. Landscape, geological structure and specifics of topography of the area

1.1.3. Climate

1.1.4. Hydrographic network

1.1.5. Regime and resources of the surface waters

1.1.6. Soil forming strata, types of soil and structure of the top-soil

1.1.7. Biological diversity composition and its place within the system of environmental monitoring

1.1.8. The existing system of environmental monitoring, and degree of pollution of surface waters, air and soil

1.1.9. The environmental state of the sanctuary

1.2. The “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie” biosphere reservation, the “Briansky Forest” and “Pridesniansky” natural reserves

1.2.1. Brief description and location of the reserves within the system of physical and geographic zoning

1.2.2. Landscape, geological structure and specifics of topography of these areas

1.2.3. Climate

1.2.4. Hydrographic network

1.2.5. Regime and resources of surface waters

1.2.6. Soil and top-soil

1.2.7. Biological diversity composition and its place in the system of environmental monitoring

1.2.8. The existing system of environmental monitoring, degree of pollution of surface waters, air and soil

1.2.9. The environmental state of the “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie” reservation

1.3. The “Belogorie” natural reserve with the “Forest upon the Vorskla” (Vorsklitsa) section and the “Khotmyzhsky” national part upon the Vorskla River

1.3.1. Brief description and location of the reserve within the system of physical and geographic zoning

1.3.2. Landscape, geological structure and specifics of topography of the area

1.3.3. Climate

1.3.4. Hydrographic network

1.3.5. Regime and resources of surface waters

1.3.6. Flora and vegetation

1.3.7. Fauna

1.3.8. The existing system of environmental monitoring, degree of pollution of surface waters, air and soil

1.3.9. Assessment of the environmental state

1.4. Maps

2. THE DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING STANDARDS AND PROCEDURES, AND OF THE METHODOLOGICAL FRAMEWORK

2.1. Environmental monitoring

2.2. Evaluation of the environmental state

2.2.1. Macrophytes

2.2.2. Benthos (macrobenthos)

2.2.3. Biodiversity of birds

2.2.4. Biodiversity of mammals

2.2.5. Assessment of the vegetation assemblages: spices, age, etc.

2.2.6. Assessment of the state of soil according to biological indicators

2.3. Monitoring work plan to control the environmental changes in the natural reserves of the Dnipro Basin

2.3.1. Monitoring program

2.3.2. Monitoring sites

2.3.3. Parameters, characterizing state of environment

2.3.4. Frequency, data, and terms of monitoring and expeditions

2.3.5. Organization of the expeditions

2.3.6. Methodological guidelines and standard-setting documents

3. ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATE OF NATURAL RESERVES BASED ON FINDINGS OF THE EXPEDITIONS

3.1. “The Dnipro Source” landscape sanctuary

3.1.1. Water quality and quality of bottom sediments of the Dnipro River

3.1.2. The degree of air pollution

3.1.3. Quality of soils

3.1.4. Biological diversity as an indicator of current environmental state of the sanctuary

3.2. The “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie” biosphere reservation, the “Briansky Forest” and “Pridesniansky” reserves

3.2.1. Water quality and quality of bottom sediments

3.2.2. The degree of air pollution

3.2.3. Quality of soils

3.2.4. Biological diversity as an indicator of current environmental state of the reserve

3.3. The “Belogorie” natural reserve and the “Forest upon the Vorskla” (Vorsklitsa) section and the “Khotmyzhsky” national park upon the Vorskla River

3.3.1. Water quality and quality of bottom sediments

3.3.2. The degree of air pollution

3.3.3. Quality of soils

3.3.4. Biological diversity as an indicator of current environmental state of the reserves

4. FINAL ASSESSMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL STATE OF THE NATURAL RESERVES LOCATED IN THE DNIPRO BASIN

“The Dnipro Source”, “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie” and the “Khotmyzhsky” national park are the three protected areas selected to implement the project on the establishment of the environmental monitoring stations to control the environmental state of natural reserves located in the Dnipro basin.

The first section of this report justifies the choice of the areas and provides retrospective data of their environmental state.

The third section carries the assessment of the environmental state of these reserves based on the expedition findings. The following several kinds of analysis have been carried out in the first and the third sections of this report:

comparative analysis of factual pollutant concentrations in the natural environment according to the established pollution norms (MAC);

estimation of pollution indexes for the air and water pollutions and classification of water quality by hydro-chemical and hydro-biological indicators to define the quality of natural environment;

analysis of the factual concentrations of radio nuclides in all components of natural environment as compared to their maximum allowable concentrations;

classification of biodiversity by habitat and by spices.

The comparison of all research indicators and samples taken during the expeditions with corresponding retrospective data of environmental monitoring in these regions is of special interest. For the most part, the findings of the expeditions confirm the retrospective environmental data. The indices of water and air pollution as wall as water characteristics are identical. Biodiversity assessments are also fully identical although for a short expedition period it was impossible to document the entire variety of animal and plant spices of the reserves and to complete a large-scale evaluative description of biota. At the same time, the research findings obtained during the expeditions are sufficient for the objective judgment of biodiversity composition and its interdependence with the habitat in these reserves.

Due to a short term of the expeditions it is difficult to follow all the trends of change in the environment of natural reserves. We can only speak of a few tendencies of change in habitat and of their impact on biodiversity.

The quality of natural environment is low but has a tendency towards the improvement. This is testified by the indices of surface water pollution, by the reduction of radio nuclide concentrations in natural environment and by process of bioaccumulation of heavy metals and radio nuclides. The number of animal and plant species is stable. The ecosystems of the natural reserves are in balance; they have retained the power for self-recovery. The power for self-purification was determined in the rivers Dnipro, Desna, Nerussa and Vorokla up to the borders with Belarus and Ukraine. There is a seasonal trend in the quality of biodiversity and natural environment due to specifics of climate and regimes of the rivers flowing through the territory of these reserves.

Changes in the environmental state of protected areas are induced by a number of factors. Natural factor plays an important role. Its influence is especially obvious in “The Dnipro Source” landscape sanctuary. The Dnipro source is located on the area which has no anthropogenic load of industrial enterprises and agriculture. At the same time chemical analysis of the water near the Dnipro source revealed that MAC of BOD₅ is exceeded by several times, which testifies to a large number of organic compounds coming from the marshes surrounding the river source. This is aggravated by little water outflow, river (runoff) at this site. It is significant that eight kilometers downstream of the rivers source with the increase of water outflow BOD₅ significantly decreases.

Factual concentrations of such heavy metals as iron, manganese and copper also exceed MACs in the Dnipro source. Naturally, arises a conclusion of the impact of a natural factor on water quality. These metals were present in the samples of bottom sediments and soil and are accumulated by biota in “The Dnipro Source” landscape sanctuary.

On other protected areas, such as “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie” and the “Khotmyzhsky” national park, surface waters also contain excessive concentrations of the following metals: iron, manganese and copper. In close proximity to the “Khotmyzhsky” national park there is an iron ore natural deposit, which obviously contributes to the pollution of the Vorskla River.

On the basis of these facts of the pollution of surface waters with metals, one can question the relevance of the established maximum allowable concentrations to the natural background concentrations of metals. This is, however, the subject of a special research.

Second important factor is the influence of human economic activities. Of all natural reserves under analysis, only in the “Briansk Forest” reserve any economic activity a ban was put on any economic activity. In the other reserves there are only some restrictions of economic activities.

“The Dnipro Source” landscape sanctuary and the “Khotmyzhsky” national park are newly established protected areas, which naturally have preserved the heritage of human activities in the past years. Due to this, it is necessary to continue monitoring these protected areas in order to identify the impacts of natural and anthropogenic factors inducing changes in the natural environment. The nearby territories, where no restrictions are put on the economic activities, can be the source of anthropogenic impact on natural reserves. That is why it is advisable to expand the area of the reserves and to reduce anthropogenic load on the areas adjacent to them.

It is still early to speak of the effect of the reserves on the environmental state, considering the fact that “The Dnipro Source” landscape sanctuary and the “Khotmyzhsky” national park have just began their operation. There are positive trends in the environmental revival of the “Briansky Forest” reserve and a small part of the Belarusian reservation “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie”.

At the moment these protected areas do not serve as models in the field of environmental protection in the Dnipro Basin. Despite the fact that some indicators of environmental quality in the reserves are slightly better than on the other areas it is still too early to compare them with those of other areas of the Dnipro Basin that do not have the status of protected areas.

5. PROPOSALS FOR THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE SYSTEM OF LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING IN THE NATURAL RESERVES LOCATED IN THE DNIPRO BASIN

Judging by the experience gained as a result of project implementation and of monitoring assessment, it is possible to make the following proposal: it is necessary to create a system of long-term monitoring to control environmental changes of the natural reserves located in the Dnipro basin on a regular basis.

The program and parameters of monitoring can be significantly cut down at the expense of reduction of chemical research of the biota and environment components. To determine water quality it is only sufficient to measure several parameters, such as pH, BOD₅, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and content of oxygen, for times a year, by season. It is sufficient to carry a more profound chemical analysis can be carried out only once in five years for comparison with the available data.

It is necessary to discover the nature of higher concentrations of metals (iron, cooper, and manganese) in water samples according to a special research program.

To define the air quality in the administrative centers of the reserves, it is essential to take samples and analyze them by their basic ingredients (suspended substances, carbon oxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide) on a daily basis.

It is sufficient to carry the analysis of bottom sediments and soils for heavy metals and radio nuclides once in five years.

Biodiversity assessment, registration of species and their numbers must be made on a daily basis.

We assume that the services of the reserves will make the basis for monitoring, especially in the part that concerns biodiversity.

Judging by the fact that monitoring of the environmental changes is poorly developed in the natural reserves under analysis, it is possible to infer that it is also underdeveloped in other Dnipro basin natural reserves. That is why it is necessary to expand the network of monitoring stations to other natural reserves located in the Dnipro basin. We propose to include the following projects in the Strategic Action Program:

- Setting up of the stations for long-term monitoring of the environmental changes in the Dnipro basin reserves on the basis of biological indicators;

- Setting up of joint Russian-Ukrainian protected areas (adjacent to “Nerusso-Desniansky Polesie” and the “Khotmyzhsky” national park) and organization of a long-term environmental monitoring there;

- Creation of “The Dnipro Source” natural reserve of international importance;

     - Rehabilitation of the Upper Dnipro’s ecosystem based on data of environmental monitoring of  the reserve as an essential stage of solving the problem of transboundary pollution in the river.