Lower Danube river and Predanube region
The Danube Delta is situated on the territory of two countries: the Ukraine and Romania. UNESCO decided at 2nd of February 1999 to create an integrated international bilateral Romanian-Ukrainian Biosphere Reserve. The Danube is one of the biggest rivers in Europe. The area of Danube delta is roughly 5000 square km and the Ukrainian part covers 1240 square km (Karpova et al., 1998). The largest branch of the Danube in the territory of Ukraine is called Kilijskoe girlo. Its has a length of 112 km, a width of 500 to 1200 m, an average depth of 10 to 20 m and a flow velocity of 1,0 m/sec (Physical geography of Ukraine, 2003; Nature of Odessa Province, 1979; Karpova et al., 1998).
The river is mainly fed by melting water from snow. During the summer season rains play an important role in feeding of Danube. In the water regime there are three main phases: flood in spring time, high water in summer and autumn and low water in winter (Nature of Odessa Province, 1979). The maximum water temperature is 26-27 , minimal 0,6 (Rotar, Lichodeeva, 2007). On the recently formed sandy spits there are pen marine shallow waters, moist meadows and dry steep areas which form good conditions for reproduction and feeding sites for many organisms.
Predanube lakes are of two types of origin: flood-plain lakes (originated in high-water bed of Danube river) and lagoon lakes (originated in the places where steep rivers outfalls into the sea as a result of geological descent of lower part of rivers and flooding of them by the sea. Annual drifts of Danube separated this lakes from the sea). (Nature of Odessa Province, 1979). Kugurlui and Kartal belong to flood-plain lakes. Kagul, Yalpug, Saphyany, Katlabukh and Kartal have belong to the lagoons of steep rivers. All of them have an elongated, north-south directed, shape and are connected with Danube by channels (Rotar, Lichodeeva, 2007; Nature of Odessa Province, 1979).
Management of the area
The Area of the Danube Biosphere Reserve was formed by decree of the President of Ukraine (2 February 2004)is 50.252 hectares large (website of Danube Biosphere Reserve, http://greenpearls.iatp.org.ua/dunaisky.htm). The territory contains several large islands, wetlands in the north of the area, several large delta lakes and 2 km of marine area along the shore.
The Danube Biosphere Reserve will be enlarged in the near future with the upper part of the Sasyk lake and lake Kugurlui. The Islands Bolshoj Daller, Malyj Daller and Tatatu form a Regional landscape park called Islands of Izmail (Booklet Territories of Predanube region selected for future reservation, 1999).
In the last decades the Predanube lakes suffered from anthropogenic impact. Nevertheless, the upper part of Kitai and Yalpug lakes and the lower Katlabukh and Kagul wetlands still remain intact. The lakes Kugurlui-Kartal are included into the list of Ramsar sites (Karpova et al., 1998).
The wetlands are have a national and communal form of property. The surrounding areas have a national, communal and private form of property (Wetlands of Ukraine, 2006). In the protected areas of the Danube Biosphere Reserve all forms of land use are forbidden. On the surrounding territories all kinds of usage of natural resources are limited and controlled. This includes: hunting, fishery, fish rearing, grazing, frogs catching, traditional farming, particularly sheep breeding, mowing, recreation, viticulture, rice raising, provision of reed. In the Kilijskoe girlo (branch) organized tourism takes place by the Danube Biosphere Reserve staff.
The system of natural channels between lakes and Danube was destroyed as a result of territory modification, this caused the soiling of lakes bottom. These channels have been renewed, the sediment process have been stopped, although the water became of poor quality which sometimes causes the mass death of fish. Illegal hunting and fishery also cause a threat to the area. The nature values are also negatively impacted by pollution, increased grazing by cattle and tillage.
The transformation of Sasyk lake into a reservoir had negative impact on the ecosystem. The salinity level in the lake changed because of transferring of water from Danube. In Tatarbunar district over 60 thousands hectares of soil became daliny as a result of irrigation from the reservoir storage (Wetlands of Ukraine, 2006).
Value for dragonflies
Among species of European concern Lestesmacrostigma and Gomphusflavipes were recorded. L. macrostigma occurs on Predanube lakes (eg. Kitai lake) (Dyatlova, 2006) and in the Danube Delta (Dyatlova, 2006; Gorb, Ermolenko, 1996).
Erythromma lindenii and Anax imperator are protected species on the national level. E. lindenii was recorded from some lakes (eg. Yalpug lake) and for the small pond on the bank of Danube river (near Izmail city) (Dyatlova, 2006). The species was also recorded in the Danube delta (Gorb, Ermolenko, 1996; Pavlyuk, 1981) and on Zmeiny island (Dyatlova, 2006).
The interesting Calopteryx splendens ancilla population from the lower Danube was brought on record over 100 years ago (Bartenev, 1912) and it still exists there (Dyatlova, 2006). Its peculiarity is the co-occurrence of the heterochromous and androchromous females.
Three species which are rare in the study area (Gomphus vulgatissimus, Sympetrum depressiusculum and Cordulia aenea) are known from this area only by old records. In total over 40 species occur in the study area.
Advice for management
Control of water quality and regulation of anthropogenic impact on the territories are important for conservation.
Wetlands on Ermakov island in Danube Biosphere Reserve. Photo E. Dyatlova
Meadow in spring time in Vostochnoe girlo (branch) in Danube Biosphere Reserve. Photo E. Dyatlova
Wetlands in the South part of Kugurlui and Yalpug lakes, surroundings of Novonekrasovka village. Photo E. Dyatlova
Danube Delta, Vostochnoe girlo (branch). Habitat of Calopteryx splendens ancilla. Photo E. Dyatlova
