Ustymenko V. Ecological Assessment of the Biodiversity of the Forest Cover of Pine Barrens in the “Drevlianskyi” Nature Reserve under Conditions of Radioactive Contamination

Object of study – change in the species biodiversity of the flora in the conditions of radioactively contaminated territories of the nature reserve "Drevlyanskyi". The aim of the study – The aim of the dissertation work is to study the current state of plant associations and to determine the patterns of change in the main indicators of their species diversity in the radioactively contaminated territories of the nature reserve «Drevlyanskyi». Research methods – field, analytical, radiological, atomic absorption, statistical. Theoretical and practical results – The dissertation study presents the results of the study of the physical and chemical properties of soils, the content of mobile forms of heavy metals and radionuclides 137Cs and 90Sr in the soil. As a result of the study of the migration of radionuclides in the "soil-plant" link, the coefficients of accumulation and transfer of radionuclides to plants were established depending on the type of forest vegetation conditions. Monitoring of the state of plant associations of pines was carried out, dominant species and indices of species diversity were determined. Based on the analysis of the physical and chemical parameters of the soil and the level of pollution of the territories, as well as the indices of species diversity, a number of models were developed to determine the degree of influence of factors on species diversity. Novelty – The key indices of the species diversity of the plant associations of pines barrens of the nature reserve "Drevlyanskyi" were determined, and separate models of the influence of the physical and chemical parameters of the soil, the level of its contamination with heavy metals and radionuclides on the key indicators of the species diversity of plants were constructed. The degree of implementation – The results of the research are implemented in the practice of ecological monitoring of the nature reserve "Drevlyanskyi" and are used by the department of ecology and natural resources of the Zhytomyr regional state administration in the development and creation of new objects of the nature reserve fund. Scope (area) of use – educational process of Polissia National University; when teaching disciplines: "Environmental monitoring", "Environmental modeling and forecasting", "Balanced nature management", "Environmental impact assessment", "Environmental safety".