bibliography: Ulyura, E., V. Tytar. 2018. Terrestrial vertebrates of post-coalmining sites in the Donets Basin (Ukraine). Geo&Bio. Vol. 16: 99-109.

doi: https://doi.org/10.15407/gb.2018.16.099

author(s): Ulyura, E. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2439-4134,
V. Tytar https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0864-2548

affiliation: National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine); Schmalhau-sen Institute of Zoology, NAS of Ukraine (Kyiv, Ukraine) address E. Ulyura; National Museum of Natural History, NAS of Ukraine, Bohdan Khmelnytsky St. 15, Kyiv, 01601 Ukraine; e-mail: ulyura@ukr.net

title: Terrestrial vertebrates of post-coalmining sites in the Donets Basin (Ukraine)

pdf:   pdf

summary: An inventory of terrestrial vertebrates in 17 post-coalmining sites in the Donbas region of Ukraine revealed 90 species (2 amphibian, 3 reptile, 69 bird and 16 mammal species). The poten-tial of these sites was confirmed for sustaining and conservation of protected terrestrial vertebrate species. Some relationships were considered between environmental heterogeneity and species richness. These links in terms of GIS-derived variables have not been widely examined across such gradients of human impact on the landscape as post-coalmining sites. We have explored simple measures of geodiversity, which provided a timesaving and financially practical way of measuring abiotic environmental heterogeneity of the study units. In our case, we have found a positive rela-tionship between the topographic wetness index and bird species richness, and a negative relation-ship between the brightness temperature (minimum) and bird/mammal species richness. A sponta-neous succession of post-coalmining sites seems to have enhanced biodiversity and promoted the settlement of specialized and/or endangered species.

keywords: terrestrial vertebrates, coal mining, waste, biodiversity, conservation.

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