Biodiversity & Ecology

English

Abstract: The Ukrainian Grasslands Database (GIVD ID EU-UA-001) includes relevés of herbaceous vegetation of the Forest and Forest-Steppe zones of the plain part of Ukraine, carried out by 22 authors between 1932 and 2010. Most are relevés of Anna Kuzemko (998 entries), Lev Balashov (435), Olexander Kuzyarin (391), and Danylo Afanasiev (338). The relevés were established in the 18 administrative regions of Ukraine, the largest number of relevés are from Chernihiv (563 entries), Lviv (420), Kiev (413), Poltava (387) regions. The plot size ranged from 16 to 100 m2. The nomenclature is given in accordance to the “Russia” species list which is based on S. Cherepanov (1995) vascular plants checklist, M. Ignatov & O. Afonina checklist (1992) for mosses and the lichens identification guides of the USSR (1971–1978) and Russia (1996, 1998) for lichens. The database was used to develop the classification of grassland vegetation of the Forest and Forest-Steppe zones of the plain part of Ukraine using the JUICE program. It was identified that the relevés of the database include seven classes of vegetation: Molinio-Arrhenatheretea (2,122 relevés), Festuco-Brometea (390), Phragmito-Magno-Caricetea (318), Parvo-Caricetea (197), Koelerio-Corynephoretea (90), Festuco -Puccinellietea (33), Calluno-Ulicetea (31).