Carpathian Biosphere Reserve

The hyperdiverse wood-inhabiting fungi play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle, but often are threatened by deadwood removal, particularly in temperate forests dominated by European beech (Fagus sylvatica) and Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis). To study the impact of abiotic drivers, deadwood factors, forest management and biogeographical patterns in forests of both beech species on fungal composition and diversity, we collected 215 deadwood-drilling samples in 18 forests from France to Armenia and identified fungi by meta-barcoding. In our analyses, we distinguished the patterns driven by rare, common, and dominant species using Hill numbers. Despite a broad overlap in species, the fungal composition with focus on rare species was determined by Fagus species, deadwood type, deadwood diameter, precipitation, temperature, and management status in decreasing order. Shifting the focus on common and dominant species, only Fagus species, both climate variables and deadwood type remained. The richness of species within the deadwood objects increased significantly only with decay stage. Gamma diversity in European beech forests was higher than in Oriental beech forests. We revealed the highest gamma diversity for old-growth forests of European beech when focusing on dominant species. Our results implicate that deadwood retention efforts, focusing on dominant fungi species, critical for the decay process, should be distributed across precipitation and temperature gradients and both Fagus species. Strategies focusing on rare species should additionally focus on different diameters and on the conservation of old-growth forests.

The composition of secondary metabolites undergoes significant changes in plants depending on the growth phase and the influence of environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to determine the harvesting time of plant material for the optimum secondary metabolite profile and therapeutic activity of the primary material. The shoots of Epilobium angustifolium are used as a healing tea due to the presence of polyphenolic compounds. The aim of this study was to assess the composition of phenolic compounds and triterpenoid saponins in E. angustifolium leaves and flowers and to estimate the dynamics of their content depending on the flowering phase. Qualitative and quantitative characterisation of polyphenols and triterpenoids in E. angustifolium samples from Ukraine of three flowering phases were performed using the high-performance liquid chromatography photo diode array (HPLC-PDA) method. During the present study, 13 polyphenolic compounds and seven triterpenoids were identified in the plant material. It was noted that the largest content and the best polyphenol profile was in late flowering. The most important polyphenolic compounds in the plant material were chlorogenic acid, hyperoside, isoquercitin, and oenothein B. The triterpenoid profile was at its maximum during mass flowering, with corosolic and ursolic acids being the dominant metabolites. The results of the analysis revealed that the quantity of many of the tested metabolites in the raw material of E. angustifolium is dependent on the plant organ and flowering phase. The largest content of most metabolites in the leaves was in late flowering. In the flowers, the quantity of the metabolites studied was more variable, but decreased during mass flowering and increased significantly again in late flowering. The results show that E. angustifolium raw material is a potential source of oenothein B and triterpenoids.

Abstract The characteristics of shaded chasmophytic habitats on calcareous rocks in forest conditions are described, where the forest canopy primarily acts as a shading factor that determines microclimate, humidity and light levels. These communities can be found in deciduous forests of the Carpinion betuli, Fagion sylvaticae and Tilio-Acerion alliances, where they are confined to steep calcareous rock faces and cliffs. Syntaxonomically, these communities belong to the Polypodietea class (Ctenidio-Polypodietalia vulgaris order, Ctenidio-Polypodion vulgaris alliance) and to four informal communities: Isothecium alopecuroides-Polystichum braunii, Porella platyphylla-Asplenium ruta-muraria, Pseudanomodon attenuatus-Chrysosplenium alternifolium and Pedinophyllum interruptum-Polystichum aculeatum. We evaluated indices of environmental parameters according to the synphytoindication method using Didukh’s scales. An assessment of the threat impacts and indicators of sociological significance shows that the habitat belongs to a rare type (II class), and therefore requires specific conservation measures.

Findings of threatened, rare, endemic, relict and phytogeographically important species of high-mountain plants, obtained during a research of the surroundings of glacial lakes Velykyy Apshynets, Brespo and Brebeneskul in the Ukrainian Carpathians in 2021, are presented. The species occurrence data contribute to the knowledge of the precise geographical distribution or chronological representation of sozologically important species Allium schoenoprasum, Carex capillaris, C. limosa, C. pauciflora, Heracleum carpaticum, Juncus castaneus, J. triglumis, Salix phylicifolia, Scheuchzeria palustris and Swertia punctata in Svydovets and Chornogora Mts. The importance of collecting new chorological data but also updating the previous ones is emphasized by a need to create the plant Red List for the Ukrainian Carpathians based on the newest IUCN criteria that were not yet taken into account.

The microelement composition (Pb, V, Cr, Zn, Mn, Cu) of the mountain-podzolic brown earth soils of the Chornohir and Marmarо reserve massifs of the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve was determined: background, under wet and dry moss (Sphagnum palustre L.). The increased content of trace elements (Cu, V, Zn, Mn) in the upper soil layer of the Chornohir massif was determined, which is explained by the presence of a clay component, and the lower content in the Marmaros massif — the presence of carbonates. Ranked series were constructed by the dispersion coefficient of microelements in soils covered with wet and dry moss Sphagnum palustre L. It was established that the soil under dry moss is practically not depleted of microelements, but in the presence of rains it becomes wet again and the sorption process resumes. It was found that the soils under the wet moss of the Chornohir massif are most depleted in Mn, Cu, and Zn; and the Marmaros massif — Mn, Pb, and V. The geochemical behavior of the studied microelements in soils under wet moss was analyzed. It was concluded that wet moss has a selective ion exchange, is a geochemical barrier, and that is why lithochemical search and monitoring works should be carried out in the areas covered with wet moss, taking into account the established features.

Quantitative estimates of change of primeval European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forests at the landscape scale over time are scarce due to both the few remnants of such forests and the absence of repeated sample plot inventories. This forest ecosystem is thought to be relatively stable over time, but it remains unclear what drivers contribute to this stability. Here, we studied temporal change in one of the largest primeval beech forests. Our analysis is based on two consecutive inventories on 238 permanent sample plots in the Uholka-Shyrokyi Luh forest in Transcarpathia, Ukraine, covering 102.8 km2. The inventories were carried out in 2010 and 2019.This data allowed us to derive quantitative estimates for the main structural characteristics tree density, basal area and volume on a landscape scale and to characterize the demographic processes that shape this forest ecosystem. The structural characteristics tree density (2010: 441 N ha1, 2019: 458 N ha−1), basal area (2010: 35.9 m2 ha−1, 2019: 35.4 m2 ha−1), and standing volume (2010: 578 m3 ha−1, 2019: 584 m3 ha−1) of the living trees remained stable between the two inventories. The species composition, characterized by a pronounced dominance of beech, remained virtually unchanged as well, with 97.9% of the stems being beech trees in the first and 97.1% in the second inventory. In contrast, we observed a relatively high dynamic when looking at the demographic processes more closely. About 11% of the trees found alive in 2010 died until 2019, resulting in an annual mortality rate of 1.3%. Ingrowing trees compensated for trees that died or decayed regarding tree density, but only to a small extent regarding volume. The volume lost was largely compensated by the growth (8.0 m3 ha−1 year−1) of the surviving trees.This work characterizes the change of forest attributes in a primeval beech forest at the landscape scale over a time of period of nine years and provides baseline indicators on the development and dynamics of primeval beech forests. It broadens our understanding about the contribution of the main demographic processes to the pronounced structural and compositional continuity of primeval beech forests.

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<em>Dactylorhiza maculatа, Epipactis helleborine, Gymnadenia conopsea, Platanthera bifolia, Traunsteinera globosa</em> (<em>Оrchidaceae</em>) — are rare species of Ukrainian flora grown in the conditions of Carpathian mountains from the lowlands to the alpine zone. The study reveals the data about new localities of these species in the Vovchyi locality (Zakarpatsky region). Geographical distribution of species habitat and modern state of populations in new location are described. The main demographical parameters of species in populations are researched. It is found that populations of <em>D. maculata</em> and <em>E. helleborine</em> are normal, homeostatic, complete since they are parts of favorable phytocoenosis and ecotopes, populations of <em>P. bifolia</em> and <em>T. globosa</em> are incomplete and regressive. This is due to the fact that <em>P. bifolia </em>grows in poor phytocoenotic conditions and <em>T. globosа</em> — in poor environmental conditions. In addition, the status of their populations is negatively affected by the regular mowing during the mass flowering period. In spite of incompleteness, the population of <em>G. conopsea</em> is homeostatic and occupies its environmental and phytocoenotic niche.