Phytodiversity of Herbaceous Wild Vegetation Strips as a Determinant of Wild Pollinator Conservation
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: This research was conducted within the framework of the HORIZON Europe international grant "RestPoll: Restoring Pollinator habitats across European agricultural landscapes based on multi-actor participatory approaches" and dedicated to studying the phytodiversity of herbaceous wild vegetation border strips as determinant for the conservation of wild pollinators.The taxonomic and systematic structures of species were described, a bioecological analysis of flowering species at the time of observation was performed, and their pollination types and the presence of invasive species were studied.Field research was conducted at the biological field station "Zhuchka" of Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, located in the city of Chernivtsi in southwestern Ukraine, near the Romanian border (approximately 40 km away).The area belongs to the Ciscarpathian region, which refers to the lands on the eastern side of the Carpathian Mountains and includes parts of Bukovina -namely, the modern-day Chernivtsi region.The floristic diversity of the wild herbaceous strips examined comprises 98 species, predominantly belonging to Magnoliophyta (99.0%), with Magnoliopsida accounting for 84.5%.Three leading families collectively represent 45.9% of all species: Asteraceae (17.3%),Poaceae (14.3%), and Fabaceae (14.3%).It was shown that a high proportion of flowering species (86.7%) were present, with a peak flowering period in July.Insect-pollinated species dominated (72.9%), of which 31% were facultative and 69% were obligate.This indicates a significant potential of the wild-growing strips as a food source for pollinators.Among the flowering plants in the wild herbaceous flora, 14 invasive species (16.5%) were identified, the majority of which (86%) are entomophilous.The summer flowering of these invasive species poses a potential threat to aboriginal flora and the stability of the pollination network.
DOI: 10.31407/ijees15.420
Institution: Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University
Language: English
Topic: Plant and animal studies
Domain: Life Sciences
SDG: Life on land
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W4413377192