Ancient defensive earthworks as refuge of steppe flora in Ukraine
Citation
Shchepeleva O, Skobel N, Moysiyenko I (2025). Ancient defensive earthworks as refuge of steppe flora in Ukraine. Kherson State University. Occurrence dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/72vfyw accessed via GBIF.org on 2026-06-04.Description
Ancient defensive earthwork fortifications—ramparts—were selected as the research subject. The most renowned among them are the Zmiievi Valy, a multi-tiered system of defensive structures constructed during the period of Kyivan Rus. Their total length originally measured 969.5 km; however, according to the findings of archaeologist Mykhailo Kuchera in 1987, only 234 km (24.1%) remained preserved by that time (Kuchera 1987, 2005). Additionally, ramparts were often constructed around cities for defensive purposes. While these fortifications have been extensively studied from historical and archaeological perspectives, their biodiversity remains poorly explored. Only a limited number of studies have addressed this subject (Parnikoza et al. 2009; Vasyliuk et al. 2012; Perehrym et al. 2017). This dataset contains 891 occurrences of 359 vascular plant species recorded in 10 floristic lists during the project. The nomenclature of the dataset is as follows: “Ukrainian Plant Trait Database: UkrTrait v. 1.0” - (Vynokurov et al. 2024).
Sampling Description
Study Extent
In the autumn of 2023, we conducted research in the Forest-Steppe zone of Ukraine, within both the right-bank and left-bank areas of Kyiv Region. During this study, ten of the most well-preserved sections of earthwork ramparts were examined across five settlements and their surroundings—Mala Karatul, Khodosivka, Ivankovychi, Vasylkiv, and Bilohorodka, all located within Kyiv Region.Sampling
During the research, we employed two widely used methods for studying floristic composition: the standard route-field survey method and the transect method. The essence of the first approach, the route-field survey method, lies primarily in identifying species of higher vascular plants growing within the defensive structure and assessing their abundance using a five-point scale: I – rare, II – occasional, III – frequent, IV – common, V – abundant. Data collection from each point of the Zmiievi Valy was conducted using the specialised mobile application Vegapp and pre-printed plot recording sheets. Partial documentation of plant species was also carried out using the iNaturalist mobile application.Quality Control
Some specimens of the vascular plants were collected as herbarium for determination and verification after the fieldwork. After digitizing the data, we harmonised the taxonomic information according to the nomenclature sources "Ukrainian Plant Trait Database: UkrTrait v. 1.0" - (Vynokurov et al. 2024): for vascular plants, we used GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF species matching tool: https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup) for the taxonomic check and implemented minor corrections of species names regarding misprints and problematic taxa to avoid misinterpretation.Method steps
- Site selection, field research.
- Identification of herbarium specimens of vascular plants.
- Recording and identification of vascular plants with using road-field methods and VegApp.
- Digitization of field data forms.
- Data checking and cleaning.
- Taxonomic check, final quality control.
Taxonomic Coverages
The nomenclature of the dataset is as follows: “Ukrainian Plant Trait Database: UkrTrait v. 1.0” - (Vynokurov et al. 2024).
-
Plantaerank: kingdom
Geographic Coverages
Kyiv administrative Regions, North Ukraine.
Bibliographic Citations
- Didukh, Ya.P. (Ed.) (2009). Chervona knyha Ukrainy. Roslynnyi svit [Red Data Book of Ukraine. Plant Kingdom]. Globalkonsaltyng, Kyiv, 912 pp. [in Ukrainian] -
- Kuchera, M.(1987). Zmiievi valy Serednoho Podniprovia: monohrafiia. [The Zmiievi Valy of the Middle Dnipro: a monograph.] Київ: Naukova dumka: 208. [In Ukrainian] -
- Kuchera, M. (2005). Zmiievi Valy [The Zmiievi Valy] . Encyclopedia of the History of Ukraine: in 10 volumes, Kyiv. V. 3: 365. [In Ukrainian] -
- Parnikosa I., Vasyliuk O., Inozemtseva D., Kostiushyn V. … (2009). Stepy Kyivskoi oblasti. Suchasnyi stan ta problemy zberezhennia. [Steppes of Kyiv region. Current state and problems of conservation]. Series: Let's save Ukrainian steppes [Zberezhemo ukrainsky stepy]. Kyiv: NECU: 160. [In Ukrainian]. -
- Perehrym M., Bezsmertna O., Komarenko V. (2017). Introduktsiia ta zberezhennia roslynnoho riznomanittia [Introducing and preserving plant diversity]. Promising areas for conservation in the vicinity of Bilohorodka village, Kyiv region. Visnyk of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv. Kyiv. Issue 1(35): 29-32. [In Ukrainian] -
- Vasyliuk O., Kostiushyn V., Norenko K. (2012). Pryrodno-zapovidnyi fond Kyivskoi oblasti [National-provision fund of the Kyiv region]. Kyiv: NETsU: 338. [In Ukrainian] -
- Vynokurov D., Borovyk D., Chusova O., Davydova A., Davydov D., Danihelka J., Dembicz I., Iemelianova S., Kolomiiets G., Moysiyenko I., Shapoval V., Shynder O., Skobel N., Buzhdygan O., Kuzemko A. (2024). Ukrainian Plant Trait Database: UkrTrait v. 1.0. Biodiversity Data Journal 12: e118128. https://doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.12.e118128 -
Contacts
Olena Shchepelevaoriginator
position: Graduate Student
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: shchepelevaelena@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6583-2967
Nadiia Skobel
originator
position: PhD Student
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: skobel2015@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4354-2881
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: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0689-6392
Olena Shchepeleva
metadata author
position: Graduate Student
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: shchepelevaelena@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-6583-2967
Nadiia Skobel
metadata author
position: PhD Student
Kherson State University
27 Universytetska Str
Kherson
73000
UA
email: skobel2015@gmail.com
userId: https://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: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0689-6392
Nadiia Skobel
programmer
position: Programmer
Kherson State University
UA
email: skobel2015@gmail.com
userId: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4354-2881
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: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0689-6392