North-central part of the Svydovets Mts with adjacent upper Chorna Tisa river basin belongs to the most preserved and less disturbed mountain ecosystems in the Ukrainian Carpathians characterized by high biotic and landscape diversity. This area has been highly threatened lately because of the construction of a large recreation ski and spa resort “Svydovets” is being planned here. An unprecedentedly massive disturbance and transformation of natural complexes in the area about 15-20.000 ha is expected to happen on the territory, which is almost unpopulated and hardly accessible. This area is characterized by unique low-disturbed high-mountain glacial landscapes, valuable hydrological objects, old-grown and virgin forests of high conservation value, habitats and populations of dozens of threatened plant and animal species. At least 43 rare and threatened species of vascular plants, 14 – invertebrates, 4 – amphibians, 19 – birds, 14 – mammals included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (2009) occur here. The high-mountain zone of the Svydovets Mts is exceptionally significant for biodiversity conservation in the Ukrainian Carpathians as one of the most important refuges of the relic boreal-alpine and endemic Carpathian biota. Implementation of the mentioned ambitious business project will lead to destructive consequences for natural ecosystems and landscapes of the whole Svydovets mountain range as well as deterioration of hydrological regime and contamination of the upper Chorna Tisa river basin. It will pose the threat of devastation to ecosystems of the unique glacial mountain lakes, mires and rocks, riverine and subalpine forests, habitats and populations of many rare plants and animals protected in Ukraine and in the European Union. In these circumstances, the need emerges to establish the “Central Svydovets Mts” Nature Protected Area of national importance which could protect the natural environment and biodiversity within the territory threatened by the unacceptable business project.

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Specimens of the rust fungus Uromyces erythronii were recorded on Erythronium dens-canis, a rare species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine, in April 2016 near Chemeryntsi village (Lviv Region, Ukraine) and in May 2016 near Zaluzhne village (Zhytomyr Region, Ukraine). An investigation of the Erythronium specimens deposited in the herbaria of vascular plants of Lviv Natural History Museum (LWS) and M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany (KW) revealed four more samples of this fungus. A list of all localities in which U. erythronii was recorded in Ukraine is provided. The article is illustrated by micrographs obtained by scanning electron microscopy.

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Conservation of relict and endemic species is among the most important tasks of biodiversity conservation, since, apart from their individual biotic uniqueness, such species perform important ecological functions as centres of unique consortia which are the basis of the existence of a number of other associated organisms (insects, fungi, etc.) (Stoiko, 1992; Stoiko et al., 1997, 2004; Holubets, 2003). Concurrently, the contribution of novel habitats to supporting overall biodiversity in modern ecosystems may threat the populations of relict species. This is often manifested in the so-called phenomenon of "displacement of relicts" (Didukh, 1982, 1988). Due to this ecological effect, cenopopulations of relict species are mostly restricted to habitat types of cenotically open communities, where, in turn, ecotope conditions do not always adequately meet their ecological requirements. Under such conditions, even species that are not directly threatened by human-induced factors or activities may become subject to various other factors and impacts resulting in inhibition of basic biological functions in populations; or species distribution is hampered by extreme factors to borders of species' ecological niche. The genus Schivereckia Andrz. ex Besser (Alekseenko, 1946; Kolodiy, 2012; Mosyakin, 2016) could be considered as an example of endangered relict species in Ukraine. Two species are usually recognized in Ukraine: S. podoliса (Besser) Andrz. ex DC. (Draba podolica (Besser) Regel) and S. mutabilis (M. Alexeenko) M. Alexeenko (Alekseenko, 1946); the second one is