Lower Dniestr river with tributaries and lakes and Dniestrovski liman††††††††
Description of the area
River Dniestr starts in Carpathians and runs to the Dniestrovsky liman (lagoon) in the South. Roughly a stretch of 45 km of the Dniestr runs through the Odessa province. The tributary Turunchuk (70 km length) runs parallel to the main riverТs bed. The area between the Dniestr and the Turunchuk is flooded in periods of high water and is largely covered with reed-wetlands (Nature of Odessa Province, 1979). In spring period the Dniestr is largely snow-fed but in the period May to October it is rain fed. In the other periods of the year the subsoil waters play the main role in feeding the Dniestr (Rotar, Lichodeeva, 2007).
Management of the area
The area is partly owned by the governement and partly private property. The usage of nature resources is limited and controlled and largely limited to hunting, fishery and recreation. The Lower Dniestr is a water supply point for villages, cities and agricultural needs. The area surrounding the wetland is also mainly used for traditional farming (grazing, viticulture, irrigation).
The Dniestr hydroelectric power plant has is the main threat to the wetland. The artificial regulation of water in spring and summer time without taking into consideration the needs of ecosystem has a negative influence on fishery and results in a decreasing of biodiversity. Uncontrolled hunting, fishery and fires have also a negative impact on biodiversity. Some birds and animals are threatened due to by-catch in the fisheries nets (Phalacrocorax carbo, Lutra lutra). The territory is designated as a Ramsar sites. The area is 4374 hectares large and is a reserve zone СDnestrovskie plavniТ. The territory falls under the protection from the Odessa fishery inspection (УOdesarybvodФ) and Beljaevski forestry (Wetlands of Ukraine, Kiev, 2006).
Value for dragonflies
Erythromma lindenii and Anax imperator are protected on the national level in Ukraine (Red book, 1994). Sympetrum depressiusculum is a rare species in the SW Ukraine (Dyatlova, 2006). Erythromma lindenii was registered in the lower and slow-flowing part of the river and in the Northern part of Dniestrovsky liman in a places with rich aquatic vegetation. This species which is redlisted in Ukraine is very common in some parts of the area.† Sympetrum depressiusculum in known by one recent record which was observed on the bank of the river in the surroundings of Mayaki village (Dyatlova, 2006).
The area holds a high number of dragonflies with 33 species of dragonflies being registered in the studied area.
Advice for management
The area has a high value for nature and for an effective protection the creation of a National Park is important in order to regulate anthropogenic influence in the area.
Lower Dniestr river, between villages Mayaki & Palanka. Photo Yu. Karmishev
Lower Dniest river, near Vilcha lake. Photo E. Dyatlova
