Abstract The present study aimed to assess the early functional responses of plant communities to extreme anthropogenic disturbances caused by war. To this end, the case of the Kakhovka Dam destruction in June 2023 was examined. The functional structure of plant communities in the first year following the event on Khortytsia Island in the lower Dnipro floodplain (southern Ukraine) was analysed. The research identified 146 species of vascular plants and employed multivariate analysis, utilising functional diversity indices and principal component analysis. Hemeroby and naturalness indices were incorporated to distinguish between anthropogenic and natural influences. The study’s results revealed the presence of five distinct axes of variation in functional community structure. Disturbed areas exhibited increased functional redundancy and evenness, driven by ruderal species dominance and loss of ecological dominants. The phenomenon of functional richness and specialisation exhibited a response to variations in moisture levels, while alterations in functional identity reflected shifts in pollination strategies. The findings indicated a close association between hemeroby and functional redundancy and evenness alterations. The spatial patterns observed across the island reflect a complex interaction between human impacts and natural moisture gradients. This study is among the first to document rapid, trait-based vegetation responses to wartime ecosystem disruption. The study emphasises the efficacy of functional diversity and hemeroby as mechanisms for assessing ecological stability in conflict-affected regions.
Kunakh et al. (2026) studied this question.