KHOMUTOVSKI STEPPE NATURE RESERVE
Plans for Attaining the Reserve's Objectives
|
PROTECTION METHODS
Access limitation. To ensure effective management of the reserve, particularly in view of the extremely high scientific value its vegetation types, and of the animals, fungi and plants found there, access to the reserve must be very strictly controlled. The reserve is therefore legally designated as a closed area (article 16, Law of Ukraine "On Protected Areas in Ukraine").
Issue of permits for access to the reserve. Human access to the reserve is necessary in undertaking work to preserve and/or restore native habitats, and in conducting scientific research or carrying out other purposes listed in reserve official documents. Permits providing access to the reserve may be issued only by the reserve's Directorate, which sets rules for visitors in line with Ukrainian legislation and reserve policy.
Closed areas. Part of the reserve (261.2 ha) is designated as an "absolutely" protected site. This site is used for scientific monitoring of steppe ecosystems under minimal human interference. Within the "absolutely" protected plot, experiments and economic activities are universally forbidden, except those with the objective of preventing or extinguishing spontaneous catastrophic fires.
MANAGEMENT ZONES
General remarks. To preserve steppe ecosystems and maximize protection of the vegetation, and its animal, fungal and plant populations, the reserve is zoned. Zoning permits, among other things, controlled development of the reserve's infrastructure. There are 4 zones, as described below.
Zone A (economic and technical support). Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Protected Areas in Ukraine" permits construction within protected areas of buildings and other structures necessary for the reserve's work. Plots of land may be allocated (within defined limits) to meet economic needs of the reserve and/or of its staff (for example hay-making fields, pastures and vegetable gardens). This very small zone comprises the area around the reserve headquarters (in the northwest corner of the reserve), a warden station in the southwest near the reserve's southern border, and vegetable gardens in the south also near the border. Zone A includes buildings (the office of the Directorate, a nature museum, a scientific laboratory and library, a small house for visitors, a garage, a storehouse, 2 dwelling houses and a stable), a water-tower and 2 wells, and an enclosure and shed for horses. Besides its enabling importance, Zone A provides shelter for certain steppe animals (mainly birds) which need trees. Capital constructions within Zone A, or changes to its boundaries are possible only by permission from the Presidium of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and the department within the Ministry for Ecology & Resources of Ukraine responsible for supervising nature conservation.
Zone B (moderate human interference). Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Protected Areas in Ukraine" permits the reserve to allocate land for hay and grazing for its own needs and the needs of its staff. Quotas for this purpose are set and approved by the Ministry for Ecology & Resources of Ukraine. Zone B is adjacent to the reserve headquarters and occupies 15 ha. 7 head of live-stock are allowed to graze there.
Zone C (limited interference and scientific research). The largest part of the reserve (around 750 ha) belongs to Zone C (comprizing all areas except those occupied by Zones A, B and D). The reserve's policy is to keep interference of natural processes in this zone at insignificant levels. At present interference is limited to a régime which results 1 mowing every 3 years. In addition, fire protection belts are mowed annually. Zone C is where most scientific work is done.
Within Zone C there is a minimal road network compliant with the protection régime and used only in emergencies. The Zone has one subzone (C1, 170 ha) just west of Zone D (absolute non-intervention). This subzone has been allocated for grazing horses (15 heads) in an effort to stabilize steppe ecosystems and prevent them from degradation and loss of their special character. An ecological profile has been established there for monitoring changes, as well as sampling plots which are each 12 x 12 m, including a peripheral buffer strip.
Zone D (absolute non-intervention). This Zone is in the middle of the reserve and occupies 261.2 ha. Its boundaries were approved by the reserve on the basis of a corresponding resolution by the Scientific Council of the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). Within this Zone all interference of natural processes is forbidden, except for extinguishing fires. Access and scientific research is allowed only by the reserve Directorate in accordance with scientific programs approved by the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine).
USE OF DOMESTIC AND OTHER WASTE FROM MAN AND ANIMALS
General remarks. Because a few families live within the reserve and live-stock is maintained (primarily horses which, with current management plans, will rise in number to 15), a certain amount of waste (rubbish, human faeces, animal dung etc.) is produced.
Domestic waste. In cold weather, organic domestic waste is burnt with coal in stoves used for domestic heating. In warm weather it is stored in rubbish bins and periodically removed from the reserve for use elsewhere. Metal scrap and broken glass is collected and from time to time moved out for processing.
Human faeces. The reserve has no sewage system, so faeces are collected in 2 toilets located at the headquarters. These are built over deep pits, where the spontaneous biological decomposition takes place. The system, however, is not sufficiently efficient and should be replaced by one where faeces would be isolated from the surrounding soil and later transferred by special truck to local government purifying facility.
Waste from domestic animals. Domestic animals (horses, pigs, poultry) produce a mixture of dung and litter. This is a good organic fertilizer which is stored in a special place in the headquarters. In spring and autumn it is moved to the vegetable gardens of reserve staff. Any surplus is sold to farmers from surrounding villages. Horse manure is a valuable component of composts used for growing mushrooms, and could also be sold to farmers involved in such business.
USE OF VEHICLES
General remarks. The reserve is small, and protects enormously valuable steppe ecosystems. As a result, vehicles are permitted inside the reserve only in specially designated cases when the reserve itself decides there is such a need. Planes and helicopters may cross the reserve at an altitude no less than 2000 m (article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Protected Areas in Ukraine").
Conditions under which vehicles may enter the reserve. Vehicles may be permitted by the Directorate to enter the reserve:
| 1. |
to put out fires or cope with natural disasters that may inflict catastrophic damage to steppe ecosystems; |
| 2. |
for the annual planned mowing and occasional removal of shrubs (autumn-winter); |
| 3. |
for quick detention by warden staff of violators of the protection regime (only along reserve roads and in cars owned by the reserve or, exceptionally, in cars temporarily hired for the purpose); |
| 4. |
in support of scientific research (installation of equipment, establishment of sampling plots etc.) or other work linked with the reserve's activities. |
Reserve vehicles. The reserve possesses its own vehicles: tractors, cars (trucks) and motorcycles. Horse power may also be used, and is more desirable because of its minimal impact on ecosystems. Vehicle fuel must be stored in metal containers in a designated place at the headquarters equipped with fire-fighting equipment. The amount of fuel stored should not exceed 300 litres.
PUBLIC ACCESS TO THE RESERVE
Public awareness. Public awareness of the reserve's significance in preserving steppe ecosystems and their rare animals, fungi and plants may be enhanced by visits. Visits can have an educational value, may be good for the public image of the reserve in the mass media, and may help to realize the reserve's goal and objectives. As a result, some limited discretionary access is permitted to part of the reserve, as described below.
Policy for public visits. Although the reserve is a closed area (article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Protected Areas in Ukraine"), public visitors are permitted to enter for educational purposes, to learn about the reserve through its Nature Museum (located in the reserve headquarters) and by following a Nature Trail established near the headquarters (in Zones A and B, and passing briefly through Zone C). The Museum and Nature Trail enable the visitor to see some of the characteristic steppe plant communities, including rare species, and to view the reserve's ancient stone statues dating from Scythian and Polovets times. At the reserve headquarters, relevant literature and some small souvenirs are on sale.
SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
General remarks. Research in the reserve is carried out by a variety of scientific organizations and by individual scientists representing these organizations. Scientific programmes have to be approved by the Scientific Council of the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany (National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine). Implementation of any programme involving large-scale interference into natural processes taking place within the reserve must be agreed in advanced with the Ministry for Ecology & Resources of Ukraine. Equipment needed for any scientific work should be provided by the scientific organization conducting the research.
Scientific programs. Scientific programmes must comply with the reserve's management objectives and actions. All programmes involving extraction of natural resources (collection of samples, specimens, preparation of plants or fungi for reference collections etc.) and resulting in a noticeable impact on an ecosystem must have prior permission from the reserve Directorate and that permit must furthermore be approved by the Ministry for Ecology & Resources of Ukraine.
Facilities. Buildings, a laboratory, a small hostel for visitors and other facilities within Zone A exist partly to promote implementation of scientific programmes. Research plans must be negotiated for in advance with the reserve Directorate because the reserve's capacity to accommodate visitors is low.
Experiment sites. Experimental research can be conducted in Zones B and C provided there is advance written permission from the reserve Directorate. A standard requirement of that permit is for researchers, on completion of work, to disassemble and remove experimental equipment and, as far as possible, to restore the natural condition of the site where the experiment was conducted.
MANAGEMENT OF STEPPE ECOSYSTEMS
Tools for influencing steppe ecosystems. In Ukraine, steppe and meadow-steppe reserves are most frequently subject to a combined management approach involving an "absolutely" protected area, areas that are occasionally mowed, fire protection belts mowed annually, and grazing areas.
Zone D (absolute non-intervention). All interference of processes taking place within this Zone is forbidden: the plot is considered as a baseline, where only scientific observations may be carried out. Long-term research (Tkachenko et al., 1998) has shown that this Zone of Khomutovski Steppe Nature Reserve is being overgrown by shrubs (principally Amygdalus nana, and to a lesser extent Prunus stepposa and Rhamnus cathartica), leading to the loss of this plot's unique character. Tkachenko (1999), in a study of those steppe areas where limits are wholly or partly set to "harsh" intervention as grazing and burning, found that site biodiversity suffers considerable loss and processes become more monotonous. Study of these apparently destructive developmental processes within a zone of absolute non-intervention may provide insights into aspects of steppe ecosystems not observable elsewhere: most steppe disappeared long before study of these ecosystems began. For this reason, the boundaries of the Zone of absolute non-intervention has been stabilized and kept intact for a long time. Its extent, however, should be reviewed, given the evidence that a r&eactue;gime of absolute non-intervention is inconsistent with survival of the grass-dominant steppe (above all species of Stipa and Festuca) which the reserve was established to protect.
Mowing. This is the most common technique for influencing steppe plant communities. Although artificial (Tkachenko, 1999), it certainly deters scrub encroachment. Mowing does, however, have many shortcomings: for 1 to 1.5 months the steppe is disturbed by machinery and people, heavy machines compact the soil, bird nests are destroyed, plant life-cycles are interrupted, and organic and non-organic material is removed and lost for the ecosystem. Furthermore, mowing of shrubs, particularly Caragana frutex, suppresses them only for a while, later they regenerate vigorously from buds and rhizomes. The reserve plans to continue using mowing in Zones B and C, but will combine it with other techniques. Places where horses are grazed can also be mowed and, if available, horse power is to be preferred over the internal combustion engine for reserve mowing.
Cutting back trees and shrubs. Because of the long interval between successive planned mowings (a plot is mowed once in 3 years) and slippage of schedules in economically difficult times, much of the gently inclined area in the reserve has been overgrown by small trees and shrubs, particularly Caragana frutex, Prunus stepposa and Rhamnus cathartica. These species form thickets which cannot be removed by mowing machinery, but have to be removed mechanically using saws, axes and strimmers. Clearing is carried out in autumn and winter. The area to be cleared is decided by the reserve Directorate, based on scientific observations, analysis and expert advice.
Burning. Fire is a natural ecological factor, which can have a positive impact upon plant communities, particularly grassland. This has been demonstrated for the Ukrainian Danube Biosphere Reserve (Aleksandrov et al., 1999), where a policy of minimizing fires affected the ecosystem (including the insect component) very adversely. In Britain fire has long been used to restore grass communities which, without human intervention, are out-competed by heaths and other plants (Stoneman & Brooks, 1997). A positive impact of natural fires upon steppe has also been demonstrated: although steppe is fairly dry, there is enough moisture for growth of trees and shrubs, and this becomes apparent in the absence of factors (such as fire, grazing or mowing) which would otherwise limit this vegetational succession. For this reason mechanisms for stabilizing these ecosystems should include factors suppressing scrub encroachment. These mechanisms could include regular or occasional controlled fires and continuous grazing by ungulates.
In practice steppe can be stabilized at the grass stage of natural succession, but this stability can be reached only by regular, persistent and sufficiently frequent intervention (grazing, burning, mowing). Human intervention is necessary, because the natural mechanisms which have such functions are not innate in the ecosystem (as they were until about two hundred years ago), and the climate is not sufficiently dry. For these reasons, steppe experts are now generally agreed that the policy of non-interference in steppe ecosystems should be discarded: steppe in southeast Ukraine is not a climax vegetation (Tkachenko, 1992; Tkachenko, 1993), but should be regarded as an ecosystem maintained by naturally-occurring fires and adapted so that large amounts of energy pass through grazing animals (Odum, 1986).
Landscapes of most northern true steppe and meadow steppe were probably maintained by naturally occurring fires (Milkov, 1950). Fire is perhaps the sole factor that (together with ungulate grazing) can stop growth of Caragana frutex. Its use as a mangement tool, however, meets considerable resistance from zoologists because so little is still known of the impact of fires on numerous small animals, particularly insects. But its absence as a factor is also adversely impacting on steppe biodiversity, where it has been in place for ages. Without fires, conservation is not extended to organisms obligately growing on burnt wood and fire sites, yet they too have should be preserved.
Information from plots which have burned spontaneously should be reviewed, and the possibility of using controlled fires on plots, at least at a very low level, should be reconsidered. For instance, if 1 ha of protected steppe is burnt each year, given the size of the reserve, this would mean each plot would be burnt only once in a thousand years. Even such an extremely cautious approach could yield a lot of valuable scientific information about the impact of fire on steppe renewal and regeneration.
Grazing
The significance of ungulate grazing for steppe ecosystems. A natural and efficient measure for managing steppe is ungulate grazing. It was undoubtedly one of the most important original factors in evolution of steppe, so its potential use in regulating steppe should be very great. Steppe is a relict ecosystem which was optimally developed during times when it was populated by nomads and their animals (Tkachenko et al., 1998). Because ungulate grazing has not previously been used for steppe active conservation in Ukraine, implementation on the "Khomutovski Steppe" must be done with caution and, at least initially, should involve only a part of Zone B and Zone C (this part is now referred to as the "experimental plot"). In these zones, over the last 30 years, the total area overgrown by trees and bushes has increased 10-15 times.
Employment of grazing as a tool to manage steppe plant communities in the reserve. The experimental plot (170 ha or about 16% of the reserve) is on the left steep bank of the Gruzski Elanchyk River, with a western exposure, which gradually merges with the ancient terrace and further continues along the slope of the watershed, right up to the zone of "absolute non-intervention". The experimental plot borders the river bank (1.8 km long) which has Prunus bushes, willow-stands and willow-shrub, and thickets consisting of sedge and reeds (18 ha), bushes consisting of Caragana (25 ha), and communities of rhizatomous and bunch grasses (about 50 ha). The vegetation cover includes meadow-palustrine, meadow, shrub, rhizomatous and bunch grass plant communities all of which produce rich fodder for animals. Fifteen horses are will be grazed there (ie one horse per 11 ha of pasture). The animals will be grazed all the year round, except for days when the snow blanket is too deep. Grazing will be organized in a way which spreads grazing pressure more or less evenly. In addition to the 5 horses already purchased and the 1 born on the reserve, 9 others will be bought. A winter stable and summer shed are being built at the headquarters of the reserve [this has now been done]. Reserve staff will be increased by 4 new people to take care of the horses: three stablemen and one watchman.
Cost estimate for management of steppe ecosystems. Managed grazing requires additional expenditures: animals have to be fed, grazed, cared for and guarded. There are 6 horses in the reserve, however their number should be extended to 15 [this has now been done]. Together they will graze 170 ha of steppe. Below cost estimates are presented for annual maintenance of 1, 6, 15, and 50 animals, plus a review of possible sources of financial support.
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Item
|
Number of horses
|
| |
1 |
6 |
15 |
50 |
| Hay |
| Quantity (tons) |
2 |
12 |
30 |
100 |
| Area for hay-making (ha) |
1.7 |
10 |
25 |
85 |
| Mowing cost (UAH) |
85 |
500 |
1,250 |
4,250 |
| Loading cost (UAH) |
20 |
120 |
300 |
1,000 |
| Transport fuel costs (UAH) |
50 |
300 |
750 |
2,500 |
| Stacking (UAH) |
27 |
160 |
400 |
1,350 |
| Total cost for hay (UAH) |
182 |
1,080 |
2,700 |
9,100 |
| Oats |
| Quantity (tons) |
0.73 |
4.38 |
10.95 |
36.5 |
| Cost (UAH) |
365 |
1,290 |
5,500 |
18,250 |
| Salaries |
| Watchman |
1,872 |
1,872 |
1,872 |
1,872 |
| 3 herdsmen |
- |
6,048 |
6,048 |
6,048 |
| Other costs |
693 |
2,930 |
2,930 |
2,930 |
| Total expenditure UAH/year |
3,112 |
14,120 |
19,050 |
38,200 |
The minimum annual cost to maintain 6 horses is thus 14,120 UAH, and for the planned 15 horses 19,050 UAH (or US$2,644 and US$3,567 respectively). The horses, however, may themselves be a source of income, producing foals at an estimated rate of 5 per 10 animals per year (sale of manure is not currently realistic). Selling surplus animals may generate 1,000 UAH per foal, reducing the anticipated funding needs to 11,120 UAH and 12,050 UAH for 6 and 15 horses respectively. Since introduction of grazing is now urgent if ecosystems are to be saved, the reserve (by cutting all other expenditure to a minimum) could allocate 8,700 UAH from its annual hay income, reducing the funding shortfall to 2,420 UA (6 horses) or 3,350 UAH (15 horses). It is therefore clear that, without external assistance, the reserve cannot carry out grazing operations. There is thus an urgent need to raise funds from other sources, perhaps from international funds or the Ministry for the Environment & Natural Resources of Ukraine.
Controlled grazing of a 170 ha plot is the first stage in developing active management of the reserve's plant communities. If results are positive, and given the necessary permissions (from the scientific council of the M.G. Kholodny Institute of Botany, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and from the Ministry of the Environment & Natural Resources of Ukraine), the next step will be to extend the managed plot to 570 ha for an expected 50 horses. This would not require additional staff, and costs for maintaining the animals would be 38,200 UAH/year. With this number of horses it would be possible to regulate the age structure of the herd and male/female ratio to favour higher birth rates, with an annual target of 30-35 foals. If that could be attained, shortage of funding might be reduced to 3,200-8,200 UAH per annum, a figure just within the unaided means of the reserve. Costs for purchasing 35 horses and establishing the appropriate infrastructure for maintaining them would still, however, need support from external agencies supporting conservation and environmental projects.
There is some evidence from these estimates that increasing animal numbers can lower unit costs of their maintenance. By establishing a herd of 50 animals, sustainable management of the reserve's steppe becomes financially viable. Present management (6 horses grazing on 170 ha) is not acceptable in the long term, and can only be a temporary measure. A larger her is needed for at least two reasons: 1) the grazing pressure of 6 horses on 170 ha of vegetation is insufficient; only about 68 ha are needed for 6 horses, but such a reduction would lower the value of the whole operation; 2) with only 6 horses, unit costs are too high and bear no relation to real outputs. The reserve should therefore first move as quickly as possible to a herd of 15 horses and extend this number thereafter in a second stage to 50.
The potential for using other groups of heterotrophic organisms in managing steppe. The present plan for managing the reserve's steppe ecosystems relies on only one, though very important, group of heterotrophic organisms, ie the ungulates. There are, however, other heterotrophs also potentially of great significance in controlling undesirable plants. Insects and fungi are prime candidates. Lack of information about these organisms (even of reliable and comprehensive lists of what species occur in the reserve) makes it impossible currently to use them in steppe management. While fire and ungulate grazing have been artificially excluded from the reserve for many years, invertebrates and fungi have remained in the reserve's ecosystems and continue to perform their rôle. They will undoubtedly also respond to the introduction of horses and monitoring resulting changes is planned.
Enrichment of reserve plant communities from outside sources. Article 16 of the Law of Ukraine "On Protected Areas in Ukraine" permits measures within protected areas aimed at "preserving and restoring native plant communities, species of plants and animals that are declining". In the northern part of the Khomutovski Steppe Nature Reserve there is new plot. Plant communities here are rather poor, perhaps due to overgrazing or disuse. In addition to its mesophytous character, several typical steppe and/ or rare species have been lost. Such plant communities, including those within the experimental plot, should be enriched by introducing seeds or seedlings of these lost plants from other places.
Work within the protection zones around the reserve. The reserve is surrounded by a buffer zone where certain economic activities are limited. With the agreement of owners of this area, it could be possible to carry out experiments here aimed at regenerating steppe. Nursery plantations could be established of background and rare steppe plants, and those plants could later be re-introduced to the reserve or to other places in the steppe zone for restoration of steppe.
Scientific support for measures involving management of steppe ecosystems. Although the technique is long-established elsewhere, there is negligible experience within Ukraine of using ungulates to conserve nature reserve ecosystems. Scientific support will therefore be needed in the course of this experimental grazing. That support will include:
| 1. |
collection of baseline data about the species composition of animals, fungi and plants, and their state before grazing begins; |
| 2. |
establishment of transects 1 and 3 km long where geobotanical descriptions will be made, with vegetation mapping and further observations; |
| 3. |
establishment of 4 fenced control plots, each 12 x 12 m, including a peripheral buffer strip. |
Expected outputs. Experimental grazing by horses should result in:
| 1. |
reduced Caragana frutex and rhizome grasses, reduced species-poor areas (10-20 species per 100 sq. m), encouragement of bunch grasses and species-rich mosaics (35-50 species per 100 sq. m) of steppe herbs, including rare taxa; |
| 2. |
where horses graze freely, particularly on slopes where almost pure stands of Stipa grafiana are found, improved growing conditions for rare species listed in the Red Data Book of Ukraine (1996), such as Crocus reticulatus, Tulipa schrenki, T. ophiophylla, Calophaca wolgarica, Caragana scythica and Genista scythica; |
| 3. |
improved conditions for seed germination of bunch grasses and steppe herbs, through natural disturbance of steppe litter and seeds being pushed into the soil by the horses; |
| 4. |
improved water, light and thermic régimes for genuine steppe plants through reduced amounts of litter; |
| 5. |
reduced levels of organic matter and nutrients removed from the reserve by horses compared with mowing; |
| 6. |
reduced threat of fire; |
| 7. |
valuable experience using ungulates to manage steppe, with the ability to extend those practices to other areas of steppe in Ukraine. |
PLANNED ACTION IN 2002 [this part of the website is now purely historical]
Legacy from management plans of previous years. Measures for managing the reserve and its ecosystems in 2002 can only be understood in the context of the previous 1.5 years work. That time was used to collect and analyze all information necessary for the present plan, to determine the main steps needed to managing the reserve's ecosystems, and to produce the plan itself. In addition, thanks to financial support from the UK Government's FCO Environment Protection Fund (now closed), the following key practical measures were accomplished:
| 1. |
5 horses were purchased (and a sixth was born on the reserve); |
| 2. |
a summer enclosure and 2 wintering sheds capable of accommodating 15 horses were built; |
| 3. |
herdsmen and a guard were employed to look after the horses; |
| 4. |
pasture land was allocated for the experiment; |
| 5. |
control plots were installed, and an ecological profile and geobotanical description were made; |
| 6. |
the reserve's Natural History was renovated; |
| 7. |
Caragana frutex was cut down in the plot allocated for the experiment; |
| 8. |
three colour brochures were prepared, devoted to the reserve, the rôle of horses in steppe development, and to Paeonia tenuifolia, the species symbolic of the reserve. |
Measures for 2002 are thus a continuation and development of what had been achieved before.
Actions planned for 2002. Here are the main measures planned for 2002. Some can be implemented only if external funds are raised.
| 1. |
Increase the number of horses to 15. Quarter I. |
| 2. |
Continue employing staff to care for horses. Quarters I-IV. |
| 3. |
Stock 30 tons of hay for 15 horses: mow 25 ha of steppe; dry the hay, remove it and stack at the reserve headquarters. Quarters II-III. |
| 4. |
Purchase 11 tons of oats.Quarter IV. |
| 5. |
Clear 10 ha of Caragana frutex and remove the shrub-wood from the reserve. Quarters I and IV. |
| 6. |
Invite 2 entomologists to work on the ecological profile and control plots to obtain baseline information. Quarters II-III. |
Publication of information about the reserve and ecological education
| 1. |
Publish 2 brochures devoted to the reserve's nature and the rôle of horses in the steppe conservation. Quarter I. |
| 2. |
Finish renovation of the reserve's natural history museum. Quarter I. |
| 3. |
Renovate the museum exhibition and open the museum to visitors. Quarter II. |
| 4. |
Prepare 2 videos ("Spring on the Khomutovski Steppe" and "Horses and Steppe"). Quarter II. |
| 5. |
Purchase a video recorder & television for the reserve's natural history museum. Quarter II. |
| 6. |
Supervise 70 excursions by the public to the reserve. Make a proposal to the Ministry for Ecology & Resources for permission to increase the annual number of excursions to 100. Quarters I-IV. |
Scientific work
| 1. |
Hold a scientific conference entitled "Preservation of Ukraine's Last Steppe Vegetation by Creating Reserves and Régimes for its Protection", devoted to the 75th anniversary of the "Khomutovski Steppe" and "Kamyani Mohyly" reserves (estimated 50 participants). End of May. |
| 2. |
Publish the proceedings (abstracts of reports) of this conference. Quarter II. |