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The value and need for protection of kurgan flora in the anthropogenic landscape of steppe zone in Ukraine

Abstract The aim of this study was to determine and compare the floristic value of kurgans distributed over an area of approximately 32,100 km2 spreading in four climatic-vegetation zones (steppes and forest steppe) in southern Ukraine. Among the 450 kurgans visited during the growing seasons 2004–2010, 106 best preserved kurgans were investigated. Of 721 species identified, 69 were sozophytes (species of special concern), threatened with extinction. They were usually recorded on the slopes of kurgans and were mostly associated with communities from the classes Festuco-Brometea and Festucetea vaginatae. The distributional patterns of the most frequent sozophytes within kurgans coming from four different climatic-vegetation zones were analyzed. Our study confirmed that kurgans could play a role as refugia of the steppe flora. However, the spatial isolation (about 82–90% of the Ukrainian steppe was turned in agricultural land) and relatively small populations of sozophytes do not contribute to their survival. Other threats to kurgan flora include the following: a direct destruction of the kurgans by frequent fires, excessive grazing, cultivation practices, human activities, e.g. archeological excavations, or illegal activities of archeological looters. The active conservation of kurgans as archeological sites, as well as areas of high floristic value is recommended.