69 road sections with amphibian mortality known from 2006 in Lviv Region (Western Ukraine) were repeatedly surveyed in 2017. 2078 dead individuals of nine amphibian species were detected and identified on the road surface (Triturus cristatus, Bombina bombina, Pelobates fuscus, Bufo bufo, Hyla orientalis, Rana temporaria, Rana arvalis, Pelophylax ridibundus and Pelophylax esculentus). The most numerous victims appeared to be B. bufo (72.8 %) and R. temporaria (22.6 %) which is almost the same as in 2006 (90.5 % together). However, the qualitative and quantitative composition has decreased in a decade (compare 3555 individuals of 13 amphibian species in 2006). As we suppose, the main reasons for amphibian population decline in the region are contamination, degradation and disappearance of the breeding ponds as well as the increased traffic intensity. According to the estimation of our research four B. bufo populations are under the excessive influence of roads and transportation, and need to be protected. One of these road sections was fenced up by temporary amphibian fences during the breeding migration (April 2018). Amphibian mortality on the fenced road section dropped down instantly: over thousand individuals of B. bufo and R. temporaria were caught alive into the bucket-traps and safely moved across the road.

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.

The results of phenotypic variability of water frogs (Pelophylax) analysis depending on internal and external influence factors are presented. 345 individuals of three species (Marsh Frog, Pool Frog and Edible Frog) were taken for the analysis from water bodies of different level of anthropogenic influence. The hydrochemical composition of water from the investigated aquatic ecosystems was analyzed, and the classification of water bodies after their water quality was done. The expression rates of nine phenotypes depending on the species of frog, its age stage and water quality class were established. It was found out that all the analyzed phenes show a significant dependence on the habitat conditions. The expression rates of middorsal stripe, as well as the coloration of femur and tibia depend mostly on water bodies' contamination level. The increasing level of chemical contamina tion changes the ratios of alternative variants of middorsal stripe, and coloration of femur and tibia. New variants in coloration of femur and tibia that have never been described were noticed. Pelophylax individuals from the most contaminated water bodies (Cholgyni, Perekalky and Zhovtantsi) showed the highest variability by the analyzed phenes.

Introduction. Due to a significant biomass and diverse ecological niches, ants (Formicidae, Hymenoptera) are crucial in establishing the structure and functioning of the co-adaptive species complexes, i.e. myrmecocomplexes, to which they belong. The majority of ant species, which build their nests with visible anthills, create humpy micro-relief changing the habitats of numerous plant and animal species. The number of active ant families and the number of their nests indicate the functional power of every species in an ant community. According to the dynamics of nest numbers, it is possible to analyze the changes in the ecosystem as a whole. Materials and methods. The research territory is located in the SE suburb of Lviv on the edge of Davydiv and Holohory ridges. It includes two former agricultural sites: fallow arable land and fallow grazing land. The material was collected by the method of ant exclusion with its following conservation, laboratory analysis and determination. Anthill mapping was conducted on 200 sq. m sites. Results and discussion. The results suggest that the more structured a habitat is, the higher ant species diversity is observed: seven species were found in the fallow grazing land (Formica pratensis – dominant, F. cunicularia – subdominant, Tetramorium caespitum, Lasius niger, L. flavus, Myrmica rubra, Solenopsis fugax – all are influents). It is typical of the three influent species (L. flavus, T. caespitum, M. rubra) to distribute within the territory of a dominant’s foraging area. However, the influent ant species avoid contacting each other. The less structured habitat (fallow arable land) is presented by only two of the most adaptive species, which are in high numbers (L. niger – 95 % of the site nests, and L. flavus – only 5 % of them). Conclusions. Thus, each ant community is a system of „dominant–subdominant–influent” species, which is under permanent transformation due to anthropogenic habitat changes; only well-adapted species can stay in the community under the influence of the mentioned changes. The research on the spatial distribution of ant nests testifies to the prospects and need for the mapping method used to establish the type and level of previous anthropogenic impact on the ecosystem (grazing, ploughing, grass burning, etc.).