ACER NEGUNDO L. INVASIONS INTO DISTURBED ECOSYSTEMS OF MINING SITES IN THE TERRITORY OF UKRAINIAN POLISSYA

Abstract

The publication is devoted to the current topic – the transformation of natural aboriginal ecosystems by invasive plants. The work aims to study the distribution of Acer negundo in plant communities of Ukrainian Polissya and its role in their transformation in the territory of open mining operations.Following the aim, the following tasks were set: to establish the phytocenotic diversity of plant communities in the flora of which Acer negundo is present; to determine the syntaxons formed due to the transformation of aboriginal ecosystems by the invasion of Acer negundo; to analyze the phytocenotic diversity of communities with the participation of Acer negundo. As a result of the study, it was found that Acer negundo occurs in 33 associations of 15 classes of plant communities. This is 9,9% of all associations and 45,5% of all vegetation classes. The species is described in 119 descriptions, which is 3,8% of their total number. The total number of descriptions in 33 associations, in the flora of which Acer negundo occurs, is 787 units. Therefore, the share of descriptions affected by the invasion for these associations is 15%. Acer negundo penetrates into disturbed ecosystems of mining facilities at the early stages of the self-renewal of natural vegetation. Single juvenile individuals of the species are found in the associations Agropyretum repentis, Arctio-Artemisietum vulgaris, Berteroёtum incanae Hyoscyamo nigri-Conietum maculati, and Echio-Verbascetum of the Artemisietea vulgaris class. Complete transformation of the ecosystem by Acer negundo invasion leads to the formation of the Chelidonio- Aceretum negundi association, which belongs to the Robinietea class of the Chelidonio-Robinietalia pseudoacaciae order of the Chelidonio-Acerion negundi alliance. The situation with the lack of control over invasive species by transformers that are not included in the quarantine lists requires an immediate solution at the legislative level. Changes in legislation are especially relevant and necessary against the backdrop of full-scale military operations, which contribute to the intensification of the spread of invasive species.