35 years of the Green Data Book of Ukraine: history, problems, and solutions

The article is dedicated to the 35th anniversary of publication of the first edition of the Green Data Book of Ukraine. This publication was a notable event in the 100-year history of research activity in the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, where the scientific and methodological principles of the Green Data Books originated. The outcomes of the history and preconditions for development of a concept of the phytocenodiversity conservation are summarized. Problematic and disputable issues of the Green Data Book are discussed and some future tasks are outlined. Methodological approaches to conservation of natural units and areas are analyzed. It is emphasized that modern methods of biodiversity conservation are based on populational and ecosystemic approaches, while the main mode of conservation of plants is based on conservation of plant communities, which form a phytocenotic matrix for plant cenopopulations. Implementation of scientific principles of the Green Data Book of Ukraine in legislation and regulatory documents of Ukraine. A critical analysis of syntaxonomy of the protected plant communities in Ukraine is provided; 983 associations of 104 formations will form the basis for a new edition of the Green Data Book of Ukraine. The importance of wide public awareness among the general public, public organizations, and international bodies regarding the Green Data Book of Ukraine is emphasized.