Shatsk National Natural Park
Shatsk National Natural Park (Shatsk NNP) is located on the lakeside of the biggest natural Lake Svitiaz’ in Ukraine. It is one of the leading preserves in the structure of the State Forestry Committee (SFC) of Ukraine and its territory directly contiguous with the EU borders. The uniqueness of its landscape and their rich biological diversity was the basis for the formation of the National Park in 1983. In 1999 the area of the park was enlarged to 48997 hectares.
The main directions of activity of the SNNP, in a frame of activities of the Shatsk IREL, are: saving, restoration and rational use of natural complexes of the Shatsk region, strengthening of protection of water-bog lands of international value, assistance to development of international cooperation in industry of saving of biological and landscape diversity, development of recommendations for providing of sustainable development of the protected territory, taking into account the conduct of traditional economy by the local population, and expansion of recreational function of the Park.
A characteristic feature and advantage of the Shatsk NNP is predominance of lake, water-bog and forest ecosystems, presence of plenty of small rivers and soil-reclamation canals. Large watering of this territory contributes to forming of specific, sometimes unique, types of biological and landscape diversity. But already presently specific nature of this place begins to feel the СС influencing. In addition, there is the serious threat to the Park ecosystem in connection with the industrial mastering of the chalky deposit "Hotyslav", which is accompanied by building on the Byelorussian territory in the distance of 27 km from the center of the Shatsk NNP of very deep open pit by depth to 65 meters. It threatens by the considerable lowering of water-table on the Park territory and the proper negative transformation of Park ecosystem and its components.
In this connection PMI and Shatsk NNP conducts wide monitoring researches on the Park territory, above all things on the basis of ecological indicators, including different types of biological indicators, and data of remote sensing of the Earth (space pictures) and remote automatic measurement of soil humidity, temperature and salinity for estimation of the present state of local ecosystems, dynamics of their changes, and timely exposure negative processes and develop compensating measures.
In this sense PMI and Shatsk NNP was interested to take part in the HABIT-CHANGE Project, as the ideas of this project are very close to their own scientific and practical interests.
Contact:
Mr Volodymyr Nayda
ShPark[protector]sh.lt.ukrtel.net
http://www.unesco.org/mabdb/br/brdir/directory/biores.asp?mode=gen&code=UKR+04