Fauna of war: trench fauna, polemochors, stray and alien animals (theriological aspects)

The analysis concerns the situation in Ukraine in the context of the Russian military intervention in the east and south of Ukraine, since 2014. We are talking about processes that have become key factors in the existence of the biota of large areas. Moreover, due to significant changes in natural resource use, the movement of the combat fronts and the formation of the lines of defence, such changes become immanent parts of wildlife environments and the formation of unnatural faunal communities, spontaneous biota, which is significantly different from its original state. The concept and phenomenon of ‘trench faunas’ as one of the key states of biota in areas of protracted hostilities, as well as related problems associated with the expansion of polemochors and alien species are considered. The main topics covered in this article are: 1) war zones as testing grounds for the development of cataclysms; 2) the origins of ideas in Ukraine, 3) the beloid factor and trench biotopes; 4) the scope of concepts related to war biota and data flows on the composition of such biota; 5) the heterogeneity of trench fauna components and related concepts; and 6) key effects of war on biota. The latter include such components as increased adventitiousness of biota, spread of zoonoses, deterioration of the state of protection of rare species, irreversibility or long-term changes in landscape and vegetation cover, cessation of traditional forms of nature management (including grazing, increased poaching and varminting), and an increase in the number of anthropogenic traps. The changes in the natural complexes of eastern and southern Ukraine accumulated in the context of Russian aggression are so powerful that we can actually talk about irreversible anthropogenic succession. Overcoming them will require significant human involvement with powerful programmes of biotechnical measures and the involvement (introductions) and targeted support of populations of habitat-forming animal species. As examples of changes in the fauna and the status of certain populations, the article presents facts about wild or feral mammal species that are of particular concern to both nature users and the military, including the formation of groups of feral alien animals, outbreaks of rodent populations, risks of zoonoses, and the status of rarities.