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Title: BIODIVERSITY OF THE FOREST COMPONENT OF THE FOREST-ARGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE

Author
item YUKHNOVSKIY, V - NAUU UKRAINE
item SVIATETSKIY, V - NAUU UKRAINE
item Widrlechner, Mark
item SCHUTZKI, R - MICHIGAN STATE UNIV

Submitted to: Fenix
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2003
Publication Date: 9/8/2003
Citation: YUKHNOVSKIY, V.Y., SVIATETSKIY, V.V., WIDRLECHNER, M.P., SCHUTZKI, R.E. BIODIVERSITY OF THE FOREST COMPONENT OF THE FOREST-AGRICULTURAL LANDSCAPE. FENIX. 2003. V 4(1-2). PP. 70-75.

Interpretive Summary: Windbreaks, riparian buffer strips and tree plantings on erosive lands are important features in the forest-agricultural landscapes of Ukraine. This paper describes an ongoing collaborative project to collect native trees and shrubs from Ukraine and evaluate them for adaptation and use in both conservation and ornamental plantings. In 1999, the authors conducted field explorations of natural vegetation in the forest-grassland transition zone in Ukraine, as part of an international joint project supported by the US National Plant Germplasm System. Eighty-nine seed collections, including 45 different species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials, were made. Seed samples were shared between the National Agricultural University of Ukraine (NAUU) and the USDA-ARS's North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station in Ames, Iowa for long-term evaluation and to foster further germplasm exchange. Descriptions of seedlings grown in Iowa and at the botanical garden of NAUU and observations made at natural sites in Ukraine illustrate the rich assortment of tree and shrub species available for protective and ornamental forestry. Those collections that are especially valuable for their conserving and decorative properties are highlighted, with the goal of informing Ukrainian foresters and horticulturists about this collaborative project and its potential benefits.

Technical Abstract: Research on the collection and evaluation of ornamental species which can be used for windbreaks, riparian and protective forests in the forest-agricultural landscapes of Ukraine is described in this article. Field explorations of natural vegetation in the forest-steppe and steppe landscapes of Ukraine were undertaken by the authors as part of an international joint project supported by the National Plant Germplasm System of the United States. Eighty-nine seed collections, including 26 genera and 45 species of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous perennials were obtained. Seed samples were shared between NAUU and the North Central Regional Plant Introduction Station in Iowa for long-term evaluation and to foster further germplasm exchange. Descriptions of seedlings grown in the USA and the botanical garden of NAUU and observations made at natural sites in Ukraine demonstrate the rich assortment of tree and shrub species available for protective afforestation in Ukraine. Those taxa especially valuable for their ameliorative and decorative properties are highlighted.