To Establish a Protected Zones around the Raptors Nests - The Way to Preserve both Key Raptors Populations and Biodiversity Generally

10 Feb 2017 Kharkov, Ukraine, Europe Biodiversity | Birds

Stanislav G. Viter


Other projects

1 Sep 2011

The International Year of Forests in the North-Eastern Ukraine: Establishing of Long-Term Program on Forest Biodiversity Conservation

The Raptors nests identification and their territorial protection (according to new national forestry legislation).

Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) – is one of the 5 true Eagles species in Ukraine. Kyiv region, National nature park “Golosiivs`ky”.

Lesser Spotted Eagle (Aquila pomarina) – is one of the 5 true Eagles species in Ukraine. Kyiv region, National nature park “Golosiivs`ky”.

We plan to conduct research in several national parks. The main purpose - to identify nests of rare raptors. Then we allocate (on maps and on the ground) protection zones around such nests – taking into account the specificity of the protective properties of habitat, nest location with respect to settlements, roads, etc. Dedicated protective zone will be included in the state cadaster of fauna of Ukraine. They will also be highlighted as a special lands category in "The project of organization of the territory" of each particular national park / nature reserve. In turn, this will create a legal framework for the planning of all economic activity in the nature reserve / national park with the priorities to protect a raptors breeding populations. This will lead to the fact that the conduct of logging and routing tourist routes will be carried out taking into account the emergence of new special areas - protected zones around raptors nests. With the innovations in the legislation of Ukraine, we will ensure the protection of nests raptors in the economic zones of nature reserves and national parks. And not only raptors. These birds are nest in the richest habitats where the most significant biodiversity is available. The organization of protected zones around raptors nests - is the most simple and effective way to the conservation of biodiversity in the forests of Ukraine.

The first stage of our works is an analysis of satellite images and maps of forest management. This analysis allows you to immediately turn on the territory where a prior large Raptors species can`t nest. Areas that are suitable for nesting (old forests, areas of middle-aged forests near large wetlands near the steppe areas, colonies of herons and rooks) will be tested on Raptors nests presence in March - early April. At this time, the birds do not even begin to incubating clutches, on trees no leaves, so nests are clearly visible. Found nests are entered into the GIS database, and mark on maps of forest management (scale 1: 25000) and maps (scale 1: 100,000, 1: 50,000 and 1: 10,000. The next stage - visits to nest-sites / nests with a view to find out is the nest inhabited or not, is there any chicks / fledglings there. June – July. Next, we determine the necessary borders of protection zone around the nest.

The results (in the form of mapping, nests register with descriptions of protection zones - for forest stands and quarters) we will give to the administrations of national parks. Administration of the National Park will make changes to its "Project of the organization the territory." These changes take into account the presence of protected zones around raptors nests, in particular - during forestry activities and the laying of tourist routes.

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