Dendroflora of the Nataliivskyi Park (Kharkiv region, Ukraine): taxonomic diversity and monitoring of plantations

Abstract

To develop measures for the restoration of historic plantations and landscapes of the Nataliivskyi Park (Kharkiv region, Ukraine), the investigations of taxonomic composition and distribution of woody plant taxa, as well as structure of different landscape areas, were carried out in 2018–2019. The recent studies were realized according to the same protocol applied in 1997 by Y. Klymenko, and taking into account previously published data.
In 1939, the dendroflora of the Nataliivskyi Park comprised about 100 taxa. Later, the number of taxa significantly decreased, and in 1950 the park’s dendroflora comprised only about 40 taxa. In 1997 there were 74 taxa reported. Since 1997, the taxonomic composition of the park’s dendroflora has been enriched by ten taxa and is currently represented by 84 taxa. Simultaneously, the number of valuable plants in the plantations decreased (only one or two plants represent some such taxa). Due to a bark beetle attack on drought-weakened trees of Picea abies and P. pungens, most of them withered. The area of allotments with Pinus sylvestris and Quercus robur remained almost the same, which indicates their stability. The area of allotments with the domination of such naturalized introducers as Acer negundo and Robinia pseudoacacia and the area of allotments with the domination of neither taxa have increased. In the landscapes, the redistribution of the types of areas appeared. The forest type of landscape became predominant, while the meadow type of landscape has almost disappeared.
Hence, to restore historical plantings and landscapes, it is necessary to re-cultivate taxa represented here during the park’s heyday and remove invasive tree species. Although cuttings in protected areas are currently prohibited, our investigations showed that they might help preserve such valuable territories as Nataliivskyi Park.