Flora of kurgans in the "Wild Fields" (Ukraine)

Ivan Moysiyenko; Barbara Sudnik-Wójcikowska; Iwona Dembicz; Maria Zachwatowicz; Nadiia Skobel

doi:10.15468/x4drnu

Flora of kurgans in the "Wild Fields" (Ukraine)

Citation

Moysiyenko I, Sudnik-Wójcikowska B, Dembicz I, Zachwatowicz M, Skobel N (2023). Flora of kurgans in the "Wild Fields" (Ukraine). Version 1.3. Kherson State University. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/x4drnu accessed via GBIF.org on 2024-12-14.

Description

A kurgan (barrow, mound, tumulus, or tomb) is defined as a mound of earth (and/or pile of stones), often conical or hemispherical in shape, constructed over a burial chamber containing a single or multiple graves. Kurgans are not associated with specific climatic-vegetation zones, but most of them are located in the steppes (or their American equivalent, the prairies). Barrows in Europe (Eurasia) were built from the Eneolithic through the Bronze and Iron Ages up to the early Middle Ages. Most of them were attributed to nomadic peoples, as: Cimmerians, Scythians, Sarmatians (Iron Age), and later: Huns, Bulgarians, Magyars, Polovtsians, Nogays and others. Kurgans provide evidence of migrations and wars conducted by nomadic or semi-sedentary peoples. The earliest information about the barrows on the north shore of the Black Sea was provided by Herodotus in "The Histories". Some sporadic information also comes from the late Middle Ages. Kurgans are some of the most characteristic features of the Ukrainian landscape. It is hard to imagine the history and landscape of Ukraine without barrows. Ukraine is referred to as "the land of kurgans" not without reason. The original number of kurgans in Ukraine is estimated at half a million, of which probably about 100 000 (according to other authors, 50 000 or 150 000) survive to this day. The barrows were destroyed because they disturbed the large-scale agriculture. On the other hand, those that survived (usually larger) became difficult to access among the great fields. Their flora persisted, but there was a problem of its isolation. Contemporary research (2004-2012) has shown the great importance of kurgans in preserving biodiversity. The examined barrows were spread over an area of approximately 32,000 km2 in Kherson, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kirovograd regions. Of the approximately 500 visited kurgans we chosen 106 with the most interesting flora. The kurgan flora database includes 719 vascular flora taxa (Some species were identifed only to genus 3, species 711, subspecies 5) collected on 106 examined barrows. The total number occurrences is 28,456. Among the recorded species are numerous protected species and taxa listed in the Red Data Book of Plants of Ukraine (2009). The burial mounds should therefore be particularly protected, not only as a monument of archeology, but also because of their natural values.

Purpose

Barrows as the objects of value of material culture were recognized quite early, while almost no attention was paid to their importance as natural sites. A surprisingly small number of publications exists on the subject of their plant cover (one of the few: Paczoski 1914). At present, there has been a growing interest in kurgans. Naturalists are looking for arguments for the need to protect them. Our long-term floristic survey serves this purpose. The floristic data, collected on the kurgans were compiled into a database. We used the database to achieve the following goals: 1) to characterize the total flora of the barrows; 2) to compare the flora of microhabitats within the kurgans; 3) to present the similarity of flora of the kurgans and the flora of the climatic-vegetation zones in which the barrows are located; 4) to highlighte the most valuable species (legally protected or listed in the Red Data Book of Plants of Ukraine 2009); 5) to emphasize the role of kurgans in the process of restitution of the steppes - the most damaged biome in the world.

Sampling Description

Study Extent

The study area is located within 4 zones: 3 zones of steppe and forest steppe. Administratively, the area is located in the following regions of Ukraine: Kherson, Mykolaiv, Poltava, Cherkasy, Kropyvnytskyi (former Kirovograd). The examined barrows were spread over an area of approximately 32000 km2. The research of kurgan’s flora was carried out for 6 years, over 6-8 weeks (2-3 times) in the growing seasons 2004-2009, successively in each of the steppe and forest-steppe zones: a) the west and central Pontic (= desert steppe) zone: 2004- 2006; b) the west Pontic grass steppe (= proper steppe): 2004-2006; c) the west and central Pontic herb-rich grass steppe: 2006-2009; d) the forest steppe: 2006-2009. From among 450 kurgans, 106 the most floristically valuable were selected. The selected mounds had to meet certain criteria (height over 3 m, in a relatively good state of preservation, and with the presence of steppe vegetation and flora, especially tufted grasses from the genera Stipa, Festuca, Koeleria, and Bothriochloa (further north). A complete inventory of the flora of vascular plants was carried out on the selected mounds.

Sampling

We assumed that the flora of 25-29 well-preserved barrows would be representative of each of the distinguished zones. They were more or less evenly distributed in the zones of steppe and forest steppe. For each kurgans was provided identification number depending on the location. a) the west and central Pontic desert steppe zone: D1-D26 b) the west Pontic grass steppe (= proper steppe): P1-P26 c) the west and central Pontic herb-rich grass steppe: R1-R29 d) the forest steppe: F1-F25 We examined each kurgans at least 3 times during the growing season (spring, summer and autumn). Each of the 106 examined kurgans was divided into 5 microhabitats (T – the top of the barrow, Ss – the southern slope, Sn – the northern slope, Bs – the southern foot, Bn – the northern foot). We determined the abundance of individual species in each of the microhabitats according to a simple 3-point scale (rare, fairly frequent, common species). A separate floristic list was prepared for each microhabitat. Finally, we had 721 species lists (Moysiyenko, Sudnik-Wójcikowska 2006, 2009, Sudnik-Wójcikowska, Moysiyenko 2006, 2010). The lists were subject to further analysis (Moysiyenko, Sudnik-Wójcikowska 2006a, 2008a, 2008b, 2010, Sudnik-Wójcikowska, Moysiyenko 2008a, 2008b, 2011a, 2011b, 2012). We filled out special forms for the flora inventory. Species of plants that could not be identified in nature were collected in the herbarium. The identification of vascular plant species was held with morphological methods at the field and in the Kherson State University Laboratory of Plant Ecology and Environmental Protection.

Quality Control

The collected materials were verified in Herbarium of Kherson State University (KHER), Herbarium of the Faculty of Biology of the University of Warsaw (WA) and herbarium in Paczoski Museum in Kherson. Consultation in verification: M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Documentation in the form of herbarium specimens has been deposited in above-mentioned university herbaria (more than 400 herbarium sheets in KHER, about 200 - in WA). For quality control of data set we were used OpenRefine.

Method steps

The study of vascular plant flora of kurgans in Southern Ukraine was carried out for 6 years. A total of 106 burial mounds were investigated, which are located in 4 zones: a) the west and central Pontic (= desert steppe) zone: 2004- 2006; b) the west Pontic grass steppe (= proper steppe): 2004-2006; c) the west and central Pontic herb-rich grass steppe: 2006-2009; d) the forest steppe: 2006-2009.
We examined each kurgans at least 3 times during the growing season (spring, summer and autumn). Each of the 106 examined kurgans was divided into 5 microhabitats (T – the top of the barrow, Ss – the southern slope, Sn – the northern slope, Bs – the southern foot, Bn – the northern foot).
We determined the abundance of individual species in each of the microhabitats according to a simple 3-point scale (1 - rare, 2 - fairly frequent, 3- common species).

Additional info

Our research was supported projects about data capture occurrences from nature („Kurgans as a refuge of steppe flora in the agricultural landscape of southern Ukraine” 2 PO4G 046 27 (2004-2007) and „Kurgans as centers of floristic diversity requiring special protection in the anthropogenic landscape in the zone of steppes and forest steppe of southern Ukraine” N N 304 081835 (2008-2011) and data publishing (“Impact of war on cultural heritage sites as refugia of biological diversity D596”) Dataset was prepared in collaboration with University of Warsaw (Contract of employment BSP-NN-10757/22) We also grateful "Finnish Biodiversity Information Facility (FinBIF)" for call for authors in project “Northern Eurasia 2022”

Taxonomic Coverages

The kurgan flora database includes 719 vascular flora taxa (Some species were identifed only to genus 3, species 711, subspecies 5)

Plantae
rank: kingdom

Geographic Coverages

The study covered a large area of southern and central Ukraine (about 32 000 km2), within the Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kirovograd, Cherkasy and Poltava regions. This area contains more kurgans than anywhere else in Europe, although they vary in their history, origin, degree of isolation and the intensity of anthropogenic factors. The area is diverse in terms of climate, soil and history of use. It is located in the Black Sea Lowland and Dnieper Upland, within the Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kirovograd, Cherkasy and Poltava regions in four climatic-vegetation zones The amount of rainfall gradually increases from south to north and the annual temperatures decrease. Hence, the characteristics of the steppes change in the following zones (Bohn et al. 2000): the west and central Pontic desert steppe zone (desert steppe). The steppe occupies a narrow strip along the coast of the Black and Azov seas. The average rainfall here does not exceed 300 mm per year. Chestnut soils predominate in the complex with solonchaks. Most of the vegetation is dominated by clump grasses (Stipa, Festuca, Agropyron), numerous species of the genus Artemisia and halophytes (mainly Amaranthaceae: Camphorosma, Salicornia, Bassia, Suaeda, Salsola). Due to its salinity, the area is partly closed for use or used mainly as pastures. the west Pontic grass steppe (= proper steppe) - located to the north of the desert steppe. Together with the next zone, it covers a strip 50 to 300 km wide. The ground is fertile here - dark chestnut soils predominate, passing northwards in southern chernozems with a thick layer of humus. Average annual rainfall ranges from 300 mm in the south to 400 mm in the north. Clump grasses of the genera Stipa, Festuca and Koeleria dominate. the west and central Pontic herb-rich grass steppe - with increasing rainfall (up to 450 mm per year) and soil fertility, in plant communities the share of dicotyledonous perennials and creeping grasses is growing. This type of steppe (as well as proper steppe) is mostly plowed, even in 95%, and has survived only on small areas, the least useful for agriculture, e.g. in the balkas, in river valleys, in places of granite or limestone outcrops. the forest steppe – reaches the farthest north, where the average annual rainfall is 450–750 mm. The humidity is close to the optimum. On fertile soils (black earths, rendzinas, gray forest soils) has developed, a macromosaic of forests, mainly thermophilic deciduous and very rich in species flowering (meadow) steppe. Forest steppe, like the two above-mentioned ones, is very intensively used for agriculture.

Bibliographic Citations

Moysiyenko I.I., Sudnik-Wójcikowska B. 2006. The flora of kurgans in the desert steppe zone of southern Ukraine. Chornomor. Bot. Journ. 2.1: 5-35 - http://cbj.kspu.edu/images/PDF/2012tom8/2.pdf
Moysiyenko I.I., Sudnik-Wójcikowska B. 2006a. The flora of kurgans in the steppe zone of southern Ukraine - phytogeographical and ecological aspects. Polish Bot. Studies 22: 387-398 - http://ekhsuir.kspu.edu/bitstream/handle/123456789/2855/mojs_PBS_2006.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y
Moysiyenko I.I., Sudnik-Wójcikowska B. 2008a. Sozofity u flori kurganiv - refugiumiv stepovoi flori na pivdni Ukrainii. [Sozophytes in flora of kurgans - refugia of steppe flora in southern Ukraine]. Zapovidna Sprava v Ukraini [Nature Reserves in Ukraine] 14.1: 16-24. - http://aetos.kiev.ua/zsu/zsu14-1/zsu14-1-6.pdf
Moysiyenko I.I., Sudnik-Wójcikowska B. 2008b. Kurgani - refugium stepovogo raslinnogo pokrivu b agrolanschafti pivdnia Ukrainy. Ekol. Zhurnal Zhiva Ukraina 1-2: 16-20. -
Moysiyenko I.I., Sudnik-Wójcikowska B. 2009. Flora of kurgans in the Pontic herb(-rich) grass steppe zone in Ukraine. Chornomor. Bot. Journ. 5.3: 333-369. - http://cbj.kspu.edu/images/PDF/2012tom8/10.pdf
Moysiyenko I.I., Sudnik-Wójcikowska B. 2010. Kurgans in Ukraine as a refuge of steppe flora. Bull. Eur. Dry Grassl., Group IAVS 6: 6-10. - https://edgg.org/publ/bulletin/Bulletin_EDGG_06.pdf
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Moysiyenko I.I. 2006. The flora of kurgans in the west Pontic grass steppe zone of southern Ukraine. Chornomor. Bot. Journ. 2.2: 14-44. - http://cbj.kspu.edu/images/PDF/2012tom8/3.pdf
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Moysiyenko I.I. 2008a. The synanthropic flora of kurgans within three steppe zones in southern Ukraine. Biodiv. Res. Conserv. 11-12: 41-48. - http://brc.amu.edu.pl/The-synanthropic-flora-of-kurgans-within-three-steppe-zones-in-southern-Ukraine,121643,0,2.html
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Moysiyenko I.I. 2008b. The floristic differentiation of microhabitats within kurgans in the desert steppe zone of southern Ukraine. Acta Soc. Bot. Pol. 77.2: 139-147. - https://doi.org/10.5586/asbp.2008.018
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Moysiyenko I.I. 2010. Flora of kurgans in the forest steppe zone in Ukraine. Chornomor. Bot. Journ. 6.2: 162-199 - http://cbj.kspu.edu/images/PDF/2012tom8/14.pdf
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Moysiyenko I.I. 2011a. Zonal character of the flora of kurgans in central and southern Ukraine. Biodiv. Res. Conserv. 17: 47-52. - https://doi.org/10.2478/v10119-010-0002-6
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Moysiyenko I.I. Zachwatowicz M. 2011b. The value and need for protection of kurgan flora in the anthropogenic landscape of steppe zone in Ukraine. Plant Biosystems 145.3: 638-653. - https://doi.org/10.1080/11263504.2011.601335.
Sudnik-Wójcikowska B., Moysiyenko I.I. (with I. Dembicz, H. Galera, A. Rowińska, M. Zachwatowicz). 2012. Kurhany na „Dzikich Polach” – dziedzictwo kultury i ostoja ukraińskiego stepu. [Kurgans in the ‘Wild Field’ – a cultural heritage and refugium of the Ukrainian steppe] [Kurgani “Dikogo polia” – kulturna spadshchina i prikhistok ukrainskogo stepu]. Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego, Warszawa, pp. 194 + CD. - https://wuw.pl/data/include/cms/Kurhany_na_Dzikich_Polach_Sudnik-Wojcikowska_Barbara_Moysiyenko_Ivan_2012.pdf

Contacts

Ivan Moysiyenko
originator
position: Dr. Sc., Prof., Head of Department of Botany
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: ivan.moysiyenko@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0689-6392

Barbara Sudnik-Wójcikowska
originator
position: Dr. Sc., Prof.
University of Warsaw
Żwirki i Wigury 101
Warsaw
02-089
PL
email: barbara.sudnik@uw.edu.pl
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6022-9235

Iwona Dembicz
originator
position: PhD, Professor (Assistant)
University of Warsaw
Żwirki i Wigury 101
Warsaw
02-089
PL
email: i.dembicz@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6162-1519

Maria Zachwatowicz
originator
position: PhD, Professor (Assistant)
University of Warsaw
ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 30
Warsaw
00-927
PL
email: m.zachwatowicz@uw.edu.pl
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7651-2211

Nadiia Skobel
originator
position: PhD student, Programmer
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: skobel2015@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4354-2881

Ivan Moysiyenko
metadata author
position: Dr. Sc., Prof., Head of Department of Botany
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: ivan.moysiyenko@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0689-6392

Barbara Sudnik-Wójcikowska
metadata author
position: Dr. Sc., Prof.
University of Warsaw
Żwirki i Wigury 101
Warsaw
02-089
PL
email: barbara.sudnik@uw.edu.pl
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6022-9235

Iwona Dembicz
metadata author
position: PhD, Professor (Assistant)
University of Warsaw
Żwirki i Wigury 101
Warsaw
02-089
PL
email: i.dembicz@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6162-1519

Maria Zachwatowicz
metadata author
position: PhD, Professor (Assistant)
University of Warsaw
ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 30
Warsaw
00-927
PL
email: m.zachwatowicz@uw.edu.pl
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7651-2211

Nadiia Skobel
metadata author
position: PhD student, Programmer
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: skobel2015@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4354-2881

Mykhailo Boiko
editor
position: prof.
Department of botany of Kherson State University
UA

Oleksandr Khodosovtsev
editor
position: prof.
Department of botany of Kherson State University
UA

Natalia Zagorodniuk
editor
position: dr
Department of botany of Kherson State University
UA

Rusłana Melnyk
editor
position: dr
Department of botany of Kherson State University
UA

Denys Vynokurov
editor
position: dr
Department of botany of Kherson State University
UA

Oleg Kriuchkov
editor
position: Researcher
Department of botany of Kherson State University
UA

Stanisław Kłosowski
editor
position: prof. dr hab.
University of Warsaw
PL

Ireneusz Moraczewski
editor
position: dr
University of Warsaw
PL

Ewa Jabłońska
editor
position: dr
University of Warsaw
PL

Halyna Galera
editor
position: dr
University of Warsaw
PL

Aleksandra Rowińska
editor
position: dr
University of Warsaw
PL

Mykhailo Podgainyi
editor
Kherson Regional Museum of Local History
UA

Sergii Diachenko
editor
Kherson Regional Museum of Local History
UA

Alla Deriuzhyna
editor
Kherson Regional Museum of Local History
UA

Svitlana Emelianova
editor
Kherson Regional Museum of Local History
UA

Valeriia Bylkova
editor
Research Archaeological Laboratory of Kherson State University
UA

Sergii Nemtsev
editor
Research Archaeological Laboratory of Kherson State University
UA

Ilona Samoilenko
editor
Research Archaeological Laboratory of Kherson State University
UA

Oleksandr Voloshyn
editor
Kherson Regional Inspectorate for Protection of Archaeological and Historical Monuments
UA

Denys Sikoza
editor
Kherson Regional Inspectorate for Protection of Archaeological and Historical Monuments
UA

Vira Protopopova
editor
position: prof.
M.G. Kholodny Instytute of Botany
UA

Myroslav Shevera
editor
position: dr
M.G. Kholodny Instytute of Botany
UA

Lubov Gubar
editor
position: dr
M.G. Kholodny Instytute of Botany
UA

Viktor Gavrylenko
editor
position: dr
Falz-Fein Biosphere Reserve “Askania Nova”
UA

Viktor Shapoval
editor
position: dr
Falz-Fein Biosphere Reserve “Askania Nova”
UA

Nelia Drogobych
editor
position: dr
Falz-Fein Biosphere Reserve “Askania Nova”
UA

Mykhailo Syvolap
editor
position: dr
Cherkasy National University
UA

Maksym Gavryliuk
editor
position: dr
Cherkasy National University
UA

Oleksandr Spriagailo
editor
position: dr
Cherkasy National University
UA

Dmytro Cherniakov
editor
position: dr
Black Sea Biosphere Reserve
UA

Olga Umaniets
editor
position: dr
Black Sea Biosphere Reserve
UA

Zoia Seliunina
editor
position: dr
Black Sea Biosphere Reserve
PL

Vasyl Derevianko
editor
position: dr
Experimental Farm "Novokahovske" of the Nikitskyi Botanical Garden
UA

Pieter Slim
editor
position: dr
Researcher at Wageningen University & Research
NL

Oleh Prylutskyi
custodian steward
V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University
UA

Ivan Moysiyenko
administrative point of contact
position: Dr. Sc., Prof., Head of Department of Botany
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: ivan.moysiyenko@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0689-6392

Nadiia Skobel
administrative point of contact
position: PhD Student, Programmer
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: skobel2015@gmail.com
userId: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4354-2881