<p>Plant invasion in the Northern Steppe Dnieper has a long history complicated by excessive anthropogenic transformation of territory. Alien species status, origin areas, life history, and invasive tendency of alien species in Dnipropetrovsk region were investigated. The presence of 286 alien species of 61 families was registered. Some 7 families had the greatest species diversity (156 alien species that was 55% of total species number); 30 families were represented by 2–9 alien species, and 24 families contained only 1 alien species. So, the current proportion of the alien species was almost 17% in the regional flora. Archaeophytes consist of 40% of the total alien species, while neophytes had more than 60%. The proportion of naturalized species amounted 58% from alien species, whereas the share of casual species was 42%. The greatest abundance of alien species was typical for <em>Brassicaceae</em>, <em>Asterasea</em>, and <em>Poaceae </em>(14, 13, and 9% of the total species number). We proved invasive status of 28 species and positive trend regard alien species ratio for last years. </p>

There are several ecological scales developed both for phytoindication of ecological factors and plant ecomorphs. Among them, the scales of Ellenberg and Tsyganov are the most commonly used. L. G. Ramensky and P. S. Pogrebnyak had developed a phytoindication method; they also were founders of first ecological scale of plant species in relation to various environmental factors. One of first ecomorph systems was developed by Alexander Lyutsianovich Belgard. In 1947, Belgard presented a tabular ecomorph system in his doctoral dissertation, and later in monograph “Forest vegetation of the South-East of Ukraine”. In the system he used abbreviated Latin names applying terminology proposed in the late 19th century by Dekandol, Warmin and other authors. He considered ecomorphs as adaptations of plants to environmental conditions in forests of the steppe zone of Ukraine where forest cenoses are exposed to processes of steppization, prairification, swamping, salinization, and thus clarification of relationships between forest, meadow, steppe, marsh and weed plant species was essential. Therefore, development and introduction of cenomorph terms as “adaptation of plant species to phytocenosis as a whole” were an absolutely new contribution to the concept of ecomorph system. In environmental factor scales of Ellenberg and other authors, environment characteristics based on phytoindication were underlined; in the Belgard Plant Ecomorph System, ecomorphs reflect ability of plant species to grow within certain ranges of a given factor. These approaches are quite comparable, and ecomorphs of the Belgard system correspond to certain grades of the Ellenberg and Tsyganov scales. The Belgard ecomorph system has been applied in a number of fundamental and applied works on plant ecology and phytocenology. It is convenient for characterizing ecological features of plant species growing in the steppe zone with a wide range of environment factors such as lighting, humidity, and soil richness. Other authors have expanded and supplemented the Belgard Plant Ecomorph System based on its strategy. A number of ecomorphs was introduced; they reflect intermediate or extreme gradations of factors. A new cenomorph – silvomargoant – has been proposed by the authors of this paper.

Floodplain ecosystems take on the role of active areas of biodiversity and provide many “ecosystem services”, as evidenced by a number of European scientific references. A biodiversity analysis of river floodplains in six European countries within the temperate zone has shown that the floodplains are habitats with a high-level of structural and functional dynamics. The level of their conservation reflects the floristic diversity of forest territories, which is especially important for subarid areas. Recently, a comparison of bioecological characteristics of flora in floodplain forest areas and treeless territories was conducted on the floodplain landscapes of a subarid region of Europe. The valley-terraced landscape of the Samara River, a tributary of the Dnieper can serve as a reference site of native plant complexes of subarid territory in Eastern Europe. Despite long-term anthropogenic transformation, the landscape has retained a significant phytodiversity level. The flora of the Samara River area includes 887 plant species. Of these, 177 species belonging to the rare and endangered categories. The floodplain landscape is the richest in species and most diverse part of this complex. The flora of the Samara floodplain includes 728 species (including 132 rare ones), of which 631 grow in forest communities, and 487 – in anthropogenically transformed, treeless floodplain areas. As part of the forest flora, the number of tree and shrubby species, scyophytes, hygrophytes, and megatrophs significantly increases compared to treeless sites, and the number of ruderal plant species decreases. The floristic composition of the floodplain forests of the subarid region is much richer and more diverse than the flora of the treeless floodplain areas, and this should encourage measures for their protection and restoration. Afforestation of floodplain territories within the steppe zone of Ukraine should be a priority in comparison with other landscapes. For the protection of the flora studied, a scientific justification for creating the National Park "Samara Bor" was prepared. Under the conditions of anthropogenic and climatic impact, this article is of great global importance for attracting the attention of specialists, authorities and society to the protection and restoration of biodiversity in the most valuable landscapes.

The creation of reservoirs in river valleys for the accumulation of fresh water has been and remains an important issue around the world. This process has both positive and negative consequences for people and nature. Significant changes in the regime of rivers and their valleys, flooding of meadows and forests, flooding of soils and changes in the composition of flora and fauna of adjacent territories are taking place. In this article, we consider the restoration of the biodiversity of a site of disturbed lands after the creation of one of the first large reservoirs in Europe – the Dnieper (Zaporozhe) on the River Dnieper, which has existed since 1933. The territory of the Samara floodplains was formed on the floodplain of the mouth of the Samara River, as a result of which the territories of various forest, meadow and bog biotopes were flooded. For almost 90 years, new biotopes have been developing, and populations of plant and animal species, especially waterfowl, have been renewed and enriched. In the conditions of climate change and anthropogenic pressure, the existence of this territory has fallen into question. To control the conservation of biodiversity, it is necessary to apply various management methods, one of which is creation of nature reserves. The article presents the results of a complex of scientific studies that were carried out during the zoning of the regional park Samara Plavni to improve the management of the protection of water areas and river banks. We have investigated: hydrological features, species diversity of the flora and coenotic diversity of the vegetation, fauna of aquatic invertebrates, and terrestrial vertebrates. Zoning of the Regional Landscape Park was based on the composition of stable components of ecosystems. When applying the protected regime in different zones, conditions will be created for the preservation of habitats of species, including those protected in Europe: higher plants (Senecio borysthenicus (DC.) Andrz. ex Czern., Tragopogon borystenicus Artemcz.), reptiles (Emys orbicularis (Linnaeus, 1758), Vipera renardi (Christoph, 1861)), birds (Aythya ferina (Linnaeus, 1758), Vanellus vanellus (Linnaeus, 1758), Haematopus ostralegus Linnaeus, 1758, Numenius arquata (Linnaeus, 1758), Alcedo atthis (Linnaeus, 1758), Lanius excubitor (Linnaeus, 1758)), mammals (Lutra lutra (Linnaeus, 1758)). Such changes would increase the implementation of the reproductive potential of all species without exception in the studied ecosystems.

Рresented the results of floroecological, hydrobotanical and geobotanical researches of the Regional Landscape Park "Samara Plavni". Regional Landscape Park (RLP) "Samara Plavni" is located in the waters of the Samara Bay, which was formed as a result of flooding of the floodplain of the Samara River during the creation of the Zaporozhye (Dnieper) Reservoir and the surrounding area. Conducted a systematic and bioecological analysis of the flora of vascular plants. Studied the composition of the rare fraction of flora and associated flora element. The research was carried out according to the generally accepted methods of floristic, geobotanical and hydrobotanical research. Bioecomorphic characteristics of species (selection of ecomorphs) are compiled according by A. L. Belgard ecomorph system using the following ecomorphs: biomorphs (one-, two-, perennials); heliomorphs (relation to light); hygromorphs (relation to the aquatic environment); tropomorphs (relation to nutrition); cenomorphs (growth in certain phytocenoses). Ecological characteristics of species were given from literature sources and according to the results of many years of own research. The analysis of the adventitious fraction was carried out at the time of drift – archaeophytes, neophytes. Advent status was determined on the basis of literature data. Vegetation of the regional landscape park "Samara Plavni" is represented by natural and semi-natural groups. The main area of shallow water is occupied by massifs of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud and groups of submerged vegetation. The tree and shrub vegetation of the park is represented by natural forest complexes, semi-natural groups and artificial plantations. Meadow and meadow-swamp vegetation of the landscape park is represented by complexes of associations of mesophytes and hygrophytes. The floristic list of vascular plant flora is 617 species. Hemicryptophytes, perennials, sciogeliophytes and heliophytes, mesotrophs, mesophytes, hygrophytes predominate here. Among cenomorphs, most species are represented by meadow (139) and forest (108) species. The rare fraction of flora is 73 species. There are 128 species of ruderal flora and 140 species of adventive flora, including 6 invasive species. At the time of entry into the study area allochthonous element of flora is divided into two groups: archaeophytes – 63 species (45%) and neophytes – 77 species (55%).