Basin of South Bug and Ingul rivers
Description of the area
South Bug and Ingul are snow- and rain-fed rivers which results in spring floods and low water in summer. Over 50 percent of the annual flow falls in spring time (Physical geography of Ukraine, 2003).
Management of the area
In the North part of the area the Regional-lanscape Park СGranitno-stepnoe PobuzzheТ (6266 hectare) is situated since March 1994. This is a recreational area. The rapids of South Bug are a popular tourist attraction. The canyon cliffs are used for climbing. The territory is attractive for tourism, scientific investigations and is used for educational events.
In the 1970ies close to the recent regional park УYuzhnoukrainskayaФ nuclear power plant was built. The extension of nuclear power plant is actively discussed and the project is to make a part of the regional park as cooling pond (website of international social-economical union, http://www.seu.ru/)
Value for dragonflies
Among species of European concern Gomphus flavipes occurs in this area. Sympetrum pedemontanum and Gomphus vulgatissimus are rare species in the SW Ukraine. Gomphus flavipes and G. vulgatissimus were registered both as larvae, exuvia and adults. The exuvia were recorded on the stones and semi-aquatic vegetation on the river bank. S. pedemontanum was registered for a permanent, well-vegetated reservoir with stagnant shallow water near a river Ingul delta in Nikolaev city and Novaya Odessa city (Dyatlova & Martynov, in print; Dyatlova, 2006).
The area holds a high number of dragonfly species and over 23 species of dragonflies occur in this area.
Advice for management
The creation of a cooling pond on the territory of Regional Park should be prevented. Such a pond will probably result in the warming of parts of the river and will deteriorate the conditions for aquatic organisms.
South Bug river, regional-landscape park УGranitno-Stepnoe PobuzhТeФ. G. flavipes & G. vulgatissimus habitat. Photo E. Dyatlova
Small reservoir on the bank of Ingul river delta, Nikolaev city. S. pedemontanum habitat. Photo E. Dyatlova
