ECOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL FEATURES OF HEDGES IN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT OF LVIV

Abstract

The results of a comprehensive study of hedges growing in the urban environment of Lviv are presented. A total of 152 objects in six districts of the city were studied. The total length of hedges according to the inventory data is 7.621 m. It was found that the species diversity of the hedgerow flora is represented by 41 taxa representing 26 genera and 17 families, among which the Rosaceae family dominates (11 species). The composition of hedges is dominated by the grasses – 82.4%, the share of naked seeds is 17.6%. The analysis of the data shows the predominance of introduced species, with a share of 78.1%, while the share of native species is only 21.9%. In terms of life forms, the hedges are dominated by ‘shrubs’ and ‘tree-shrubs’, 51.2% and 26.9% respectively. Trees are in third place in terms of distribution – 9 taxa or 21.9%. In the structure of trophomorphs and hygromorphs, the majority of representatives are mesotrophs – 68.3% or 28 taxa, and mesophytes – 90.2% or 37, respectively. Eutrophs, species requiring rich soil conditions, include 10 taxa (24.4%). The group of oligotrophs includes 3 taxa (7.3%). In terms of the relation to light, the dendroflora is dominated by facultative heliophytes, 46.4% or 19 taxa, and heliophytes, 39.0% or 16 taxa, respectively. Shade-tolerant heliosciophytes and sciophytes account for 3 taxa or 14.6%, respectively. The predominance of facultative heliophytes is associated with the high-rise development of most open and semiopen urban spaces. Analysing the hedges by height, we concluded that more than half of the recorded plots, namely 57.8%, are represented by medium-height plant groups. As for the age structure, the most common are middle-aged plantations (10-20 years old), 88 of them or 57.8%. Less common, with a small difference between them, are high and low hedges, 26 (17.2%) and 23 (15.2%) respectively. There are 42 hedges over 20 years old, or 27.7 per cent. In terms of sanitary and qualitative condition, most hedges are in satisfactory condition, 102 units or 67.2%, the share of plantations characterised by good and unsatisfactory condition reaches 18.4% and 14.4% respectively.