Parks perform a wide range of ecosystem services in urban environments. The functional importance of parks depends on the composition and structure of the tree stand and the specific influence on soil and microclimatic conditions. The article reveals the dependence of soil and microclimatic properties on the structure of the crown space of a park stand. Spectral indices were also shown to be applicable for predicting the spatial variability of soil and climatic properties and indicators of crown space. Soil properties (temperature, moisture, and electrical conductivity in the 5–7 cm layer) and microclimatic parameters (light exposure, air temperature, and atmospheric humidity) were measured in the park plantation using a quasi-regular grid. The canopy structure and gap light transmission indices were extracted from the true-colour fisheye photographs. Thirty species of trees and shrubs were detected in the stand and understory. Robinia pseudoacacia L. was found most frequently (24.5% of all tree records). Acer negundo L. and A. platanoides L. were also frequent (12.4% and 15.5%, respectively). The first four principal components, whose eigenvalues exceeded unity, were extracted by the principal components analysis of the variability of ecological properties and vegetation indices. The principal component 1 explained 50.5% of the variation of the traits and positively correlated with the spectral vegetation indices. The principal component 1 reflected the variability of tree cover densities due to the edaphic trophicity. The principal component 2 described 13% of the variation in the feature space. This component correlated positively with the spectral indices. The principal component 2 was interpreted as a trend of vegetation cover variability induced by moisture variation. The principal component 3 described 8.6% of trait variation. It was most strongly correlated with the atmospheric humidity. An increase in atmospheric humidity was associated with an increase in the soil moisture and electrical conductivity and a decrease in the soil and atmospheric temperature. The principal component 4 described 7.5 % of the variation of traits. An increase in the values of principal component 4 was associated with an increase in the soil moisture and electrical conductivity and atmospheric moisture and was associated with a decrease in the soil and atmospheric temperature. The combinations of the trophotope and hygrotope create the optimal conditions for specific tree species, which is a condition for achieving the maximization of ecosystem services. The mineral nutrition conditions of plants and soil moisture exhibit spatial patterns that allow them to be considered in the design and management of park plantations. The ecological indices measured in the field were shown to be predicted using the vegetation indices. Multiple regression models were able to explain 11–61% of indicator variation. The regression relationships between markers of soil and microclimatic conditions and vegetation predictors are important for monitoring the condition of park plantations and evaluating the performance of park plantation management tools.

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.

Coastal tree and shrub vegetation is an important component of river catchment ecosystems, it performs a wide range of ecological functions and ecosystem services; their effectiveness largely depends on species richness and diversity. Coastal habitats are among the main centers of biodiversity, but they often perform a function of centers of active anthropogenic activity and undergo significant transformation. The creation of a cascade of the Dnipro reservoirs (Kamenske, Zaporizhia (Dniprovske), Kakhovske reservoirs) has already caused the transformations of the Dnipro river flow regime and all biological components of the aquatic and wetland ecosystems in the Northern steppe subzone of Ukraine. In the current period, on the background of global climate change, dendroflora transformation on this territory is enhanced by the anthropogenic impact of industrial cities (Kamenske, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia). Assessment of dendroflora diversity in coastal zones was carried out within the protective strip of the Dnipro river (100 m): in native phytocenoses; semi-native vegetation associations; water protection plantings; public green spaces (excluding private plots and collections). It was determined that the dendroflora in the coastal protective strips of the Dnipro river within the Northern steppe subzone of Ukraine is characterized by significant taxonomic diversity and includes 184 plant species (excluding their decorative forms) belonging to 37 families. The highest species saturation was typical for the following families: Rosaceae (40 species), Salicaceae (23 species), Fabaceae (11 species), and Oleaceae (9 species). The dendroflora consists of 61 tree species, 78 shrubby species (including lianas) and 45 species that can be represented by both tree and shrubby forms. The highest species richness was recorded in public recreational green spaces: 181 species (98% of the total species number). The coastal tree and shrubby associations included 8 species that belong to rarity ones (the Red List of the Dnipropetrovsk region). The coenomorphic spectrum of dendroflora in coastal protective strips is dominated by culturants (70.7%), autochthonous silvants (19%), stepants (3.2%), silvomargoants (species of forest margins, 4.3%), pratants (1.6%), and paludants (1.1%). There is the dominance of mesophytes (55%) and species with a wide range of adaptations to the humidification conditions of hygrotopes in hygrospectrum (22.8%); mesotrophic species among trophomorphs (53.8%), and sciogeliophytes in heliospectrum (57%). In the dendroflora of the coastal zones of the Dnipro river, alien species completely predominated (71% of the species composition). Among them, 6.9% were invasive, mainly belonging to neophytes. In the current period, an increase in invasive activity is recorded in another 5.3% of adventive (potentially invasive) species. The significant taxonomic and ecomorphic diversity of dendroflora in the coastal zones of the Northern steppe subzone of Ukraine is associated with ecotone effects, active processes of the territory urbanization, and the use of a wide range of alien ornamental species in public green spaces of cities. It is advisable to increase the share of autochthonic and rare species participation in the composition of coastal protective and recreational plantings, which will contribute to the preservation of their gene pool and increase the native dendrological diversity in the Dnipro river basin. To reduce the threats of phytoinvasions, it is necessary to: i) prohibit the use of invasive species in the restoration of native floodplain forests; ii) conduct a preliminary assessment of environmental risks from the use of alien species; iii) monitor existing plantings with their participation.

Nowadays, introduced alien tree and shrubby species have become integral components of the green infrastructure in cities and suburban artificial forest plantations around the world, and their participation in regional dendroflora is steadily increasing. Along with autochthonous species, tree and shrubby introducents perform a wide range of ecological functions and ecosystem services, but, with successful naturalization and increased invasive activity, they can cause negative biological, environmental, social, and economic consequences. The potential for the evolution of adventive species in secondary habitats in the direction of increasing allelopathic activity and competitiveness compared with native species determines the need for assessment of allelopathic potential as a possible predictor of their successful invasive activity. The allelopathic activity of the species was determined by the bioassay method based on the effect of water extracts of different concentrations obtained from dry biomass of leaves on the germination of testing culture seeds of Raphanus raphanistrum subsp. sativus (L.) Domin and biometric indicators of seedlings of Lepidium sativum L. It was determined that in the conditions of the northern steppe Dnieper region, naturalized tree and shrubby introducents Celtis occidentalis L., Morus alba L., Lonicera tatarica L., Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt., Prunus virginiana L., Prunus serotina Ehrh., Rhus typhina L. have significant allelopathic potential, which can be a predictor of increasing their competitiveness compared with native species and increasing invasive activity within the region. Water extracts from dry leaves of the studied tree and shrubby species had an inhibitory effect on seed germination and biometric indicators of testing cultures seedlings; the intensity of this effect varied depending on the plant species and extract concentration. Assessment of the allelopathic potential of the alien tree and shrubby species used in urban and suburban green planting is a necessary measure for preliminary identification of potentially invasive species, which will contribute to the increase of efficiency of green infrastructure management.