Functional and Spatial Optimization of the Protected and Ecological Networks of Ternopil Region in Ukraine

Abstract

The article examines the essence of the European Strategy for the Conservation of Landscape and Biotic Diversity, the principles of formation, conservation and use of eco-networks in Ukraine, the existing problems of national and regional networks, taking into account the new administrative territorial structure at the administrative-district level and the level of territorial communities. The purpose of the article is to assess the functional and territorial structure of the protected and ecological networks of Ternopil region and to substantiate the ways of their optimization in modern conditions. The paper is based on the information obtained in the course of field expeditionary research in 2019–2022, as well as on statistical data, cartographic materials, and materials from the open network of aerospace satellite images Google Earth. The collected materials were processed using a system of methods (analysis, synthesis, comparison, decoding, cartographic, computer modeling, etc.). The data obtained showed that in 36.5% of the territorial communities, protected areas cover less than 1%. In order to improve the situation, the authors propose the creation of 53 new protected areas in 25 communities of Ternopil region with a total area of 39,358 hectares and substantiate the new core and connecting territories of the local rank of the regional eco-network.