The study aims to assess the scale of forest loss (mostly caused by logging) on breeding sites of the local Black Stork breeding population in the Rivne region of Ukraine. The logging is one of the major threats for the local black stork population.
Аннотация к работе
УДК 591.5:598.244] :911.5(477.41/.42) Detection of forest loss on black stork (Ciconia nigra L.) breeding sites in the Rivne region (Polissia) by a GIS аnalysis Strus Iu., Bokotey A., Dzubenko N. The study aims to assess the scale of forest loss (mostly caused by logging) on breeding sites of the local Black Stork breeding population in the Rivne region of Ukraine, within the Polissia nature zone. The study is based on a GIS analysis of the Global Forest Watch data in intersection of circular buffers of different sizes around 141 Black Stork nests. Forest logging was detected on 38,3% of breeding sites in the region, in 100 m buffers around nests. On more than 14% of breeding territories (in 100 m buffers) forest loss exceeded 20% of the total forest area. Black Stork) but the control of the law compliance is not effective. We know quite many cases when Black Stork nests were cut down by forestry workers. Sometimes, these were even inhabited nests during a breeding season. Even when logging activities are conducted at some distance from a nest it creates additional stress for nesting of Black Storks as species very sensitive to disturbance. Our study aims to estimate the scale of forest loss (logging) on breeding sites of the local Black Stork population in the region with the highest in Ukraine breeding density [4] of the species and to test the possibility of a distant detection of forest loss on Black Stork breeding sites. Materials and methods In this study we use the information about exact locations of 141 Black Stork nests recorded by GPS navigators (Garmin eTrex). All the nests are located within the Rivne region of Ukraine in the Polissia nature zone (forest zone).