Rationale for the creation and planning organization of the national nature park within the boundaries of the Borzhava mountain range

Abstract

To date, Transcarpathian region is where the conservation indicator in Ukraine is the highest (15.52%). However, the network of natural geosystems includes areas that – due to absence of well-established mechanisms of nature protection – are being harmed by by excessive economic development and use of outmoded environmental management approaches. One such important natural complex requiring protection of its biotic and landscape diversity is the Borzhava range. In this paper, the authors provide a rationale for the creation of the National Nature Park (NNP) within the boundaries of the Borzhava mountain range, taking into account the landscape and bioecological approaches, as well as accounting for the limiting factors of the existing manage- ment of natural resources. We determined the optimal location for the park, delineated its configuration, boundaries, and total area, and proposed a cartographic model of its functional zoning. We identified the NPP’s role in the regional econetwork and the main negative anthropogenic factors that must be regulated. In order to solve the aforesaid tasks, the authors clarified the boundaries of the Borzhava mountain range and high-landscape areas. We charted a schematic map and a supporting table «Existing environmental preservation territories within the Borzhava physical-geographical sub-district in the landscape areas» to the scale scale of 1: 500,000. To identify the functional and regime zones of the proposed park, we have compiled the «Species and age structure of forests, vegetation groups of meadows and other non-forest lands within the projected Borzhava NNP» map. In particular, it identifies species and age charac- teristics of forests, groups of shrubs and herbal phytocenoses in the meadows within the previously outlined NNP territory. To analyze the anthropogenic factors, economic and other functional zones influencing the park’s ecosystems, the authors charted the additional schematic maps of «Functional purposes and forms of ownership of land proposed to be included in the boundaries of the Borzhava NNP» and «Categories of land and forests suggested for inclusion in the Borzhava NNP». The authors believe that the research presented in this article gives ample reason for designing a Park’s project with further submission of necessary materials to be reviewed by the Department of ecology and natural resources of Transcarpathian region.