Nature Conservation Value of the Central Svydovets Mountains (Ukrainian Carpathians)

Abstract

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.

A new find of Arabidopsis neglecta (Brassicaceae) in the Svydovets Massif (Ukrainian Carpathians)

“…Trojaska/polonyna Apshynets (Kobiv et al, 2009) are probably the most endangered ones. They are located c. 0.5 and 1 km aside, respectively, the projected roads and hotels of the planned gigantomaniac ski and spa resort "Svydovets" (Bedernichek, 2017; https:// freesvydovets.org) which might cause urbanization, pollution and even destruction of the high mountain habitats in the north-central part of the Svydovets Massif (Kagalo et al, 2018). All these facts support the categorization "endangered" (EN) for A. neglecta in the Ukrainian Carpathians, as used by Kricsfalusy and Budnikov (2007).…”