Reservoirs of the upper cascade as transformed sections of the Dnipro River perform not only a number of important economic roles, but also play a role in the preservation and reproduction of rare animal species. Due to the heterogeneity of biotope conditions formed as a result of the flooding of the floodplains of the Dnipro valley, biotopes of various structure and area were formed, which are important for spawning, reproduction and grazing and feeding of many species of vertebrate animals. In the work, special emphasis is placed on the distribution of fish as purely aquatic animals and wetland birds as an additional component characterizing the state of aquatic and wetland biocenoses. According to the results of the research conducted for the period from 2020 to 2024, 20 species of fish and 100 wetland birds with protective status were registered in the Dnipro reservoirs. Among the fish in the reservoirs, 7 species are registered from the Red Book of Ukraine, 5 from the Habitats Directive, 12 from the Appendices of the Berne Convention. Among the studied bird species: 10 are included in the IUCN category (rare and vulnerable), 19 in the Red Book of Ukraine, 35 in the Habitats Directive and 98 in the Annexes of the Berne Convention. The avifauna structure was dominated by migratory and nesting species, where there were 49 and 36 species, respectively. In the ichthyofauna, the majority of rare species were registered in the Kaniv Reservoir, which testified to a better state of preservation of river biocenoses. The most valuable were the finds of typical river species: Сhondrostoma nasus, Leuciscus leuciscus, Idus idus, whose populations were affected by the transformation of biotopes on the Dnipro and its tributaries. The greatest richness of bird species, 95 species with protected status, was registered at the Kyiv Reservoir. Most of the species are migratory birds that use coastal shallow reservoirs as feeding grounds during transit movements from north to south. To find out the importance of these reservoirs in the conditions of the war with the Russian Federation, an important aspect is the assessment of the state of biotopes that form habitats for rare species, as well as potential losses from their possible destruction in the event of a new offensive on these territories. In addition, the study of rarities and species of the Berne Convention allows the formation of new protected areas, as well as the expansion of the ecological network along the upper cascade of the Dnipro reservoirs. Taking into account the favorable feed conditions of the reservoirs, it is possible to observe qualitative and quantitative changes of the species that constantly visit the studied territories during seasonal migrations every year.
Prychepa et al. (Sat,) studied this question.