Transformation Processes in Forest Park and Park Plantings of Urbanized Ecosystems of Western Ukraine

The authors have presented the results of research of the systematic and phytocoenic structure and physical and chemical properties of the soil cover of forest park and park plantings of western Ukraine. We have defined species composition of forest park and park phytocoenoses (157 species and forms of tree plants of 81 genuses and 36 families and 193 species of herbaceous plants of 128 genuses and 33 families) and found frequency of individual tree and herbal plant species in plantings of urbanized ecosystems. The number and percentage of tattered and damaged (35.3 %), dry (2.0 %), in emergency condition (0.5 %) of tree plants in urban ecosystems plantings, and sanitary condition were determined (trees, damaged by Viscum album L. – 6.6 %, with dry branches – 15.9 %, with hollows – 3.1 %) in forest park and park plantings in cities of western Ukraine. The species of tree plants (Aesculus hippocastanum L., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Tilia cordata Mill., Fagus sylvatica L., Acer platanoides L. та Juglans regia L.), that are the most injured and damaged in the plantings of urbanized ecosystems are revealed due to the negative influence of abiotic and biotic environmental factors. The analysis of the spreading of traditional and invasive herbaceous plant species in four types of lawns of urban park plantings has revealed the following: parterre lawns (7.3 and 92.7 %), ordinary park and garden lawns (6.9 and 93.1 %), meadow lawns (24.6 and 75.4 %) and sports lawns (33.3 and 66.7 %). An increase in the proportion of invasive plant species in the grass cover has been established due to excessive recreational load and inadequate care of the lawns in cities park plantings. The changes of physical and chemical properties of the soil cover (density and density of solid phase, porosity and moisture, humus content and soil pH) in forest park and park plantings are analyzed depending on the degree of recreational loading. The basic factors of transformation processes in phytocoenoses and edaphotopes of forest park and park plantings inurban ecosystems of western Ukraine are determined. Changes in the species composition, structure of phytocoenoses, structure and properties of the soil cover of forest park and park ecosystems of urbanized territories are characterized due to the negative impact of various natural and anthropogenic factors.