Introduction. The theoretical foundations of the new ecological disciplines "Urban Ecology" and "Phytomeliora-tion" were laid in the mid-80's and 90's of the last century at the Department of Ecology and Landscape Architecture of the Ukrainian National Forestry University, which at that time was headed by Lviv scientist Volodymyr Kucheryavyi famous by his monographs “Green Zone of the City” (Kyiv: Naukova Dumka, 1981) and “Natural Environment of the City” (Lviv: Higher School, 1984).Purpose and methods. The methodological basis of urban ecological research is the ecological-comparative method, which involves gradation ordination with the allocation of four ecological and phytocenotic zones on the territory of cities into the study of the urban ecosystem (suburban forests - city parks – public gardens - street plantings) (V. Kucheryavyi, P. Hnativ, M. Kurnytska, N. Siroochenko, N. Stepanyak, K. Myronchuk, T. Pushkaryova, Yu. Kozak) This approach is used in dissertation research not only by graduate students and applicants of the Department of Ecology and Landscape Architecture of UNFU, but also young scientists of Kyiv, Lutsk and Chernivtsi.Results and discussion. Taking into account the growth of the "recreational boom" among urban residents in the 80's and 90's, scientific researches of park and forest park phytocenoses are developed (V. Kucheryavyi, A. Zhyrnov, Yu. Khrystuk, R. Danylyk, V. Kramarets, N. Lukyanchuk, O. Kaspruk, R. Dudyn, N. Imshanetska, N. Kovalchuk, S. Marutyak, O. Oleynyuk). During this period, visual methods of diagnosing of urban ecosystems state are widely used, which confirm the feasibility of using of ecowedge ordination. The influence of complex urbogenic gradients of the environment on the adaptation processes of living organisms and their significance for the evaluation of the results of woody plants introduction into the urbogenic environment was determined (V. Kucheryavyi, M. Kurnytska, O. Kaspruk, O. Gorbenko, M. Les, V.S. Kucheryavyi, T. Shuplat, N. Gotsiy). Electro-physiological methods of impedance and polar-ization capacity measuring, fluorescence of plastid pigments, temperature gradients of the environment are used for establishing the level of plant viability (V. Kucheryavyi, H. Krynytskyi, V. Mokryi, A. Kuzyk, M. Hozdog, S. Hridzhuk, Yu. Pankivskyi, V. Kucheryavyi, T. Shuplat). Investigations of the phytogenic field of vegetation begin, its role in the formation of the continuum in conditions of urbogenic and manmade devastation is determined (V. Kucheryavyi, V. Popovych, T. Levus, T. Shuplat). The formation of a scientific school on urban ecology and phytomelioration is ensured by the three generations of scientists succession. A significant number of scientists have passed the scientific path from post-graduate student in the 80's - 90's to the candidate or doctor of sciences (P. Hnativ, V. Mokryi, V. Mazepa, S. Myklush, M. Nazaruk, Ya. Henyk, V. Popovych).Conclusions. The authoritative leader of the scientific school on urban ecology, phytomelioration and landscape architecture is Professor Volodymyr Kucheryavyi, who has supervised four doctors and 22 candidates of science. During the years of his scientific activity he published about 300 scientific articles, more than 30 monographs and textbooks. Heading the scientific and methodological commission of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine on environmental education in the 80's and 90's, he started training specialists in "applied ecology" in Ukraine. Thanks to the initia-tive of prof. V. Kucheryavyi scientists of the Scientific School of Urban Ecology, Phytomelioration and Landscape Architecture took an active part in many international projects (V. Kucheryavyi, Ya. Henyk, L. Kalahurka, M. Chernyavskyi, O. Oleynyuk, L. Parkhuts, Z. Sheremeta, S. Melnychuk, V. Popovych, T. Shuplat, M. Fitak, V.S. Kucheryavyi). The scientists worked closely with research teams from Germany, Austria, Belgium, Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Norway. Scientific research on urban ecology, phytomelioration and landscape architecture, which began in the 1980s, continues thanks to the succession of scientific generations.
A Novel Approach for the Assessment of Cities through Ecosystem Integrity
