The variety of natural conditions in Ukraine determined the diversity of animal world represented by different groups (zoocenoses) of the vertebrata and the invertebrata. Within the limits of Ukraine (including the Black and Azov seas), by rough estimate, over 44 ths of species of animals are known. They are distributed by individual taxons as follows: protozoa–over 1 200 species, sponges – 33 (freshwater – 7, marine – 26), Coelenterata – 40 (hydrozoans – 33, Scyphomedusae – 3, coralline polyps – 4), comb jellies – 3, flatworms – 1 288 (Turbellaria – about 210, trematodes – 541, monogenes – 72, cestodes – 465), nemerteans – 33, Protomona – 1 457 (Gastrotricha – 49, eelworms: 306 free, 486 parasitic, 14 Kinorhyncha phylum, 2 horsehair worms, and about 600 rotifers), thorny-headed worms – 58, Annelida – over 400 (marine bristle-worms – 198, Oligochaeta – about 180, leeches – 27, Sipunculida – 1), arthropods – almost 40 ths (crustacean – 982, Arachnida – 3 300, Myriopoda – 138, insects – no less then 35 ths, sea spiders – 8, Gravigrada – about 50), mollusks – about 400 (Loricata – 3, Gastropods – 246, bivalves – about 120), palpiform – 33 (moss animals – about 30, Phoronida – 1, Entoprocta – 2), echinoderms – 14 (starfishes – 1, brittle stars – 4, sea-urchins – 1, holothurians – 8), arrow worms – 2, chordates (except vertebrates) – 10 (ascidians – 8, Appendicularia – 1, Acrania – 1). The vertebrates in Ukraine include 117 species of mammals, almost 400 species of birds, 21 species of reptiles, 17 species of amphibians, 182 species and subspecies of fish and 2 species of Cyclostomata live in the seas, estuaries, lakes, ponds, mountain rivers and lowland rivers of Ukraine.
Certain species of animals in Ukraine are endemics and subendemics. For example, the water fauna of Black and Azov seas and estuary and silted estuary biocenoses includes 32 endemic species of invertebrates of Ponto-Caspian complex. 12 species of vertebrates are endemic for Ukraine.
As far as zoogeographical zoning is concerned, more than a half of Ukrainian territory belongs to Boreal European-Siberian subareas of Palearctic area. The steppe regions, the Crimean Mountains and the Southern coast of the Crimea, as well as the plains of Zakarpattia (Transcarpathia) are parts of Mediterranean-Central-Asian subarea. The animal world of continental water bodies of Ukraine is a part of the Black Sea district of Mediterranean subarea according to the zoogeographical zoning of continental water bodies, while the fauna of the Black and Azov seas geographically belongs to the Black Sea district of Mediterranean subarea of Boreal (marine) area according to zoogeographical zoning of the World Ocean.
Territorial distribution of fauna testifies to the existence of several regional faunal centers in Ukraine: the Carpathian and the Mountainous Crimea regions, Volyn’-Podillia, Lower Dnipro arenas (Oleshky). Less significant as to the richness of fauna are Middle Dnipro and Slobozhanshchyna. The montane, spelaean and steppe groups are the most important complexes or natural nuclei of the corresponding kinds of fauna.
The formation of Ukrainian fauna and its zoogeography is mainly relevant to the natural-historical change of landscapes, climate, the evolution of soil and vegetation mantles. The peculiarity of modern fauna’s species composition and territorial distribution became apparent in the early Holocene only, when the climate, relief, the general outline of inland freshwater system and vegetation acquired the present-day character.
The historical background, existent natural and climate conditions, and recent economic activity determined the irregular distribution of animals across Ukrainian territory. Only the most plastic and undemanding species (eurybionts) can live in all zones of Ukraine. However, the majority of species can live in certain biotopes only, i.e. they are stenobionts, and outside these biotopes they are almost unknown. This group contains relict and endemic species, which are for most part the rarest today. Natural and historic conditions were the key factor for the formation of their limited habitat. Other species are becoming the rarest as a result of changed landscapes and biotopes due to economic activity or due to direct extermination by humans. Thus, specifically, onager disappeared in Ukraine in the 16th c., auroch was exterminated and wisent forced out of the country in the 17th c.; flying squirrel, tarpan, saiga, steppe pika, yellow ground squirrel, chamois, marmot, mountain hare, ptarmigan disappeared from Ukrainian Carpathians, wild boar – from the Crimean Mountains in the 19th c. Wolverines ceased to range here in the 20th c. Today the most endangered species include Urodela (in particular, tritons), snakes, birds of prey and cranes; endangered mammals include bats and carnivorous animals; endangered invertebrates include water-related species (certain groups of cancroids, shellfish, dragon-flies, ephemera, stoneflies, Nemato morpha) and species living in virgin steppe areas (orthopterous and scale-winged insects) etc. The fall in numbers and taxonomical variety of these animals is a result of the intensive land development.
The anthropogenic modification of the primeval biocenosis, formation of agrobiocenosis and human activity in general led not only to disappearance of many species of wild animals, but also to appearance of other species, in particular plant pests including phytophagous insects and Acarina, plant nematodes, and a number of such vertebrates as rodents and species inflicting losses in different branches of economy (hunting, fishing, domestic water supply etc.). For example, Rapana incidentally got to the Black Sea which resulted in considerable reduction of the population of a number of bivalves’, which constitute one species chain, including such commercially important species as mussel and oyster, while the spread of zebra mussel in the rivers of the Azov-Black-Sea Basin complicated the exploitation of hydrotechnical constructions and mechanisms, the surface of which became covered with these shellfish and reduced their hydraulic performance. The emerging species compete for vital resources with the representatives of the aboriginal fauna.
At the same time the fauna of Ukraine gained new species thanks to acclimatization and re-acclimatization of animals on its territory. The animal world of the country obtained such valuable species as musquash, moufflon, sika deer, silver carp, grass carp, mugil soiuy etc., the forage reserve of fish improved due to the introduction of certain invertebrates (freshwater shrimp, opossum shrimps, certain Cladocera etc.) to water reservoirs and other water bodies.
However, not all the acclimatization projects should be viewed as successful. For example, the introduced American mink is gradually supplanting European mink, which has become rare and is already registered in the Red Data Book of Ukraine. Similarly the introduced Far-Eastern raccoon dog causes damage to game preserves destroying numerous clutches of wild fowl.
The re-acclimatization programs have been implemented since 1950. The instances of successful re-acclimatization include European deer, beaver (Volyn’, Rivne, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Vinnytsia, Kherson and other oblast’s), marmot (steppe preserves), and auroch (Ukrainian Carpathians and Polissia). The re-acclimatization is very important because it helps to enrich biocenoses and to improve ecosystem productivity.
The accident at Chornobyl’ power station, which is the biggest disaster in the history of the world nuclear power engineering, puts the most serious scientific issues on the agenda, zoological problems including. The radiation effects were found in animals at cellular level, biont level and population level, although they do not affect the general state of the protective zone faunal complexes. Today, twenty years later most zoologists consider this state to be satisfactory. More than 340 species of surface and water fauna of vertebrates are found now in the protective zone ecosystems. It is highly plausible that in 30–50 years time the protective zone zoocenoses will be formed, the importance of which can hardly be overestimated, especially in the context of dealing with the aftermath of a large-scale radioactive contamination.
The current state, prospects and territorial differentiation of the faunal resource potential are to a considerable degree determined by the effects of human economical activity. The main faunal resources are as follows: melliferous (68%), fish (28.8%) and hunting (2.6%). According to geographers’ estimates faunal resources make 0.47% of the natural resource potential of Ukraine today (for reference, the potential forest resources make 4.2%). However, it is not a final estimate, as there is still no adequate method of determination of the enormous genetic selection potential of the wild life. There is also no economic evaluation of the powerful biogeocenotic role of animals, their role in the cycle of matter and the intensification of energy flows.
Thus, animals are one of the main factors of soil formation; they play an important role as agents of the environmental sanitation. Feeding on organic matter on all the levels of an ecosystem, they belong to the biocenotic group of destructors or decomposers of this matter. In terrestrial ecosystems the natural cleansing process starts with coprophagous organisms and burying beetles and proceeds up to the soil-forming processes on the level of most protozoa, earthworms, ticks, and pedogenic insects. One hectare of forest soil contains 2.5 mln earthworms, 6 mln insects, over 400 mln ticks and arthropoda, over 1 mln mollusks and many other invertebrates making up to 1 ths kg of biomass.
Protozoa also play an important role in self-clarification of water ecosystems; among Metazoa the invertebrate saprophages (from round worms to sipunculoids inclusive) carry out the same function. The filterers’ (sponges, bryophytes, bivalves, etc.) role is extremely important in the process.
In conditions of the growing anthropogenic ecological impact agriculture begins to feel the acute lack of insects pollinating plants in the field, vegetables, and forage crops, technical and horticultural crops which bring their yields down. Thence the paramount importance of bees; these Hymenoptera are main natural pollinators of wild and cultivated flowering plants. They bring the yield of red clover up by 400%, common flax by 49, sunflower by 40, buckwheat by 163, hothouse cucumbers by 17–20, and tomatoes by 30–40%.
However, from economic and medical points of view, Ukrainian fauna contains many harmful animals: predators, plant and animal pests, as well as parasites. Among mammals rodents are the most harmful for agriculture, forestry and municipal economy. The improvement of farming and agrotechnics brings them under control.
Over 100 species of insects and ticks harm field crops, berry fields, fruit trees, and forests. Therefore the main task is to control the reproduction of pests and reduce their population down to a safer level. Today the integrated methods of control are used with the priority given to biological methods. The animal world is a source of biological plant protection. Under conditions of chemical pollution, including pollution by insecticides, biological method is of utmost importance for combating agricultural and forestry pests.
The fauna of Ukraine includes various parasitic bloodsucking arthropods – ticks and insects: Ixodoidea super-family, fleas, mosquitoes, punkies, gadflies, etc. Besides the direct harm to the health of humans and cattle they often are the carriers and reservoirs of dangerous diseases. Helminths cause helminthiasis in people and animals.
In modern Ukrainian nature management the economic potential of wild fauna resources is determined by the total number of game birds and animals and commercial species of fish and mollusks; the exportable crustaceans (above all crayfish), frogs and slugs are of defined value. The animals living in water environment make over 95% of animal biomass in Ukraine.
The main species of game animals in Ukraine include wild hog, elk, red and axis deer, roe, grey hare, and fox. The main aim of hunting is procurement of meat, as far as furs have been downplayed recently. The impact of difficult environment, poaching and predators has reduced the quantity of game animals and birds in Ukrainian preserves. In the late 90s the biomass of game species shrinked 1.5 times, and the catch was cut from 11 to 7% of total population.
The fishery in the Azov-Black-Sea Basin is based on pelagic fishing (sprat, khamsa, sardelle) and benthic fishing (Mugil soiuy, pike-perch, sturgeon, flounder etc.). In the Danube and adjoining lakes the major part of the catch constitute silver carp, bream, herring, pike-perch and European carp; in the Dnister Basin – roach and herring; in the Dnipro water reservoirs – roach, silver bream, pike-perch, and European carp. In the lower Dnipro and the Dnipro-Buh Estuary sardelle prevails in the commercial take, while valuable fishes include bream, roach, vimba, pikeperch and European silver carp. In the water bodies of western, eastern and central regions of Ukraine the commercial catch includes roach, bream, European carp, and silver carp. The total potential annual catch in the Azov-Black-Sea Basin and Dnipro water reservoirs makes almost 400 ths tons. The scientists suggest that optimization of aquaculture can add from 50 to 60 ths tons to the annual catch. It will reduce the industrial load on the natural population of water bodies, especially aboriginal species.
The productivity of faunal resources of Ukraine can be substantially increased. However, it requires the improvement of nutritive base, intensification of selection, better use of ponds and inland water reservoirs, creation of favorable conditions for animals and feathery game.
