Vyzhnytsky National Nature Park

Vizhnitsky National Nature Park was established in accordance with Decree of the President of Ukraine dated August 30, 1995 No. 810. During the 2008–2009 full-scale forest management activities, according to Decree of the President of Ukraine "On the expansion of the territory of Vizhnitsky National Park of September 4, No. 818/07, the territory of the park increased by 3309.6 hectares, including 1243.5 hectares of land that are seized in the prescribed manner and transferred to the permanent use of NPP Vizhnitsky and 2066.1 hectares of land that are included in its composition without taking near land ers. So now the total area of ​​NPPV is 11,238.0 hectares, of which 8246.2 hectares of the park was granted in permanent use.

The park was created to preserve, reproduce and rationally use the natural landscapes of the Bukovinian Carpathians with unique historical and cultural complexes.

According to the functional zoning of the territory, the conservation zone is 2153.2 hectares, the zone of regulated recreation is 5222.1 hectares, the zone of stationary recreation is 49.2 hectares, the economic zone is 3811.1 hectares. 87 people work in the park, 6 of them in the scientific division, 29 in the security service.

In terms of area, it is one of the smallest national natural parks of the Ukrainian Carpathians , however, with its appearance, a network of protected areas was formed, representing all the high-altitude and zone structures of the mountainous country. Unlike other national parks in the region, where medium- and partially high-mountain landscapes and vegetation predominate, Vizhnitsky National Nature Park is a low-mountain part of the Carpathians with a fairly mild climate and the prevalence of heat-loving species in the forests - beech and fir .

The territory of the national park is located on the verge of the Ukrainian Carpathians (the region of Outer Carpathians ) and the Carpathians . In the region of the low-mountainous relief of the Pokutsk-Bukovinian Carpathians, the mountain ranges are low, have smooth apical ridges, and only the Smidovaty ridge in the southern part of the park can be attributed to the skib mid mountains with heights of 1000 m or more above sea ​​level. On the whole, the relief of the territory of the national park is distinguished by its soft outline, which is due to the low resistance of the flysch deposits that make it up to denudation . Sharp landforms and steep slopes of more than 45 - 50 ° are found only in the western part of the Cheremosh River, in places where sandstones exit, as well as in erosive cuts of river channels . In some places there are shifts and talus of small sizes.

The landscape diversity of the park is determined by its belonging to the basins of the Cheremosh and Siret rivers. The eastern, Siret part has more smooth contours of mountain ranges, wide valleys of its tributaries Sukhoi and Stebnik, fewer geological layers. The western, Cheremosh part of the park in the basin of the Bolshaya and Malaya Vizhenka rivers is divided much deeper and more intensively. Therefore, steep slopes with rock outcrops, picturesque cliffs, numerous waterfalls, and gorges are widespread here. The climate in the national natural park is temperate continental, with sufficient and excessive moisture, not hot summers, mild winters, warm autumn. Significant microclimatic differences are observed between the two parts of the park, Siret and Cheremosh (all in the Cheremosh part is noticeably warmer), and within these areas - between the slopes of the southern and northern expositions. A common situation is when in the winter on the northern slopes a stable thick snow cover is maintained, while on the southern slopes it is practically absent.

The soil cover of the park is quite variegated, determined by both geomorphological and climatic differences in its territory. Brown mountain forest, sod-brown-earth, brown-podzolic, locally sod-podzolic surface-gleyed soils are common here.

Flora

The diversity of the vegetation cover and flora of the national park is due to its location on the border of two geobotanical regions: Sheshorsko-Krasnoyilsky with mountain spruce-fir-beech and fir-beech-fir forests and Bolekhovsky-Beregometsky with foothill spruce-beech forests. The border of two floristic regions passes through the territory of the park: Chivchinsko-Grinyavsky and Carpathian. This arrangement of the park gives its flora features of originality and specificity.

The main wealth of the park are forests, which occupy more than 95% of its territory. The territory of the park included landscape reserves of national significance "Stebnik" and "Luzhki" , protected areas "Stachechny" and "Yavorov" with areas of native high-productivity beech and beech-fir plantations. The largest areas in the park are occupied by spruce and beech forests, less often pure beech forests occur. In total, beech and fir forests account for 60% of the forested area of ​​the park. Despite the sufficient habitability of these places, there are still some sections of forests where beech and fir trees reach a height of 40 m and 70-90 cm in diameter. Post-forest meadows (meadows) occupy relatively small areas on the slopes and ridges of ridges.

In total, on the territory of the national park, 960 species of vascular plants were identified (of which 40 species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine ). Bryophytes recorded 236 species. Among the rare, endangered and rare species of beech and spruce-beech forests, a significant group of orchid species is listed in the Red Book of Ukraine. Leafless chin is the most valuable - one of the rarest orchids in the flora of Ukraine. Now in the Carpathians, only two places are known where this rare orchid grows, and both of them are in the territory of the Vizhnitsky park.

Many relict species also grow in the forests of the national park, in particular a fern from the genus mnogoryadnik . Vizhnitsky Park is the only place in the Ukrainian Carpathians where three species of this genus grow: spiky, spear-shaped and Brown ferns. In addition to these species, other relics are also found here: common ivy , the lunar revived , the Carpathian censer , etc. Post -forest meadows on the Ban'kyv ridge are noted for their great phytocenotic diversity and species richness. There are more than 10 species listed in the Red Book of Ukraine: two-leafed luba , long-biline bilinet , (or komarnikovy), spherical traunshteiner , Salep orchis, autumn colchicum , etc. In another tract of the park - Buka tract, 13 “Red Book” species were identified, among which special attention should be paid to the lunar moth , the marsh napkin and the orchid flea . Also of particular value is the Volot meadow tract, where 10 species of Red Book species grow. Among them are such valuable medicinal plants as mountain arnica and common belladonna .

Fauna

Most of the land's vertebrate animals of the park are typical representatives of broad-leaved and mixed forests of Europe ( white stork , Lesser spotted eagle , spinning top, forest dormouse and hazel , forest cat ). The proportion of species of Mediterranean origin ( fire salamander , common tree frog , Aesculapius snake , etc.) is insignificant, and there are also few typical mountain ( yellow-bellied toad , mountain squint, mountain wagtail , etc.) and boreal species ( capercaillie , hazel grouse , boreal owl , not long, , lynx , brown bear , etc.).

In total, the fauna of the vertebrates of the national park is represented by 1 species of cyclostomes , 20 species of fish , 12 - amphibians , 7 - reptiles , 141 species; - birds , 52 species of mammals . Of these, 62 species are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine, and 11 species are in the European Red List.

• Park official website
• Ukraine Incognita