XX Ukrainian-Polish scientific seminar “Pleistocene climatic cycles in the record of the sedimentary sequence of the Podlasie Lowland”

A brief commentary is given on the XX Ukrainian-Polish scientific field seminar “Pleistocene climatic cycles in the record of the sedimentary sequence of the Podlasie Lowland” held in July 2018 in Mielnik (Poland).

Physical-geographical characteristics of Lemkivshchyna

The article presents the physical-geographical characteristics of the Lemkos’ ethnic territory, the farthest western ethnographic group of Ukrainians who have long inhabited the slopes of the Carpathians Eastern Beskids. Lemkivshchyna is located on both slopes of the Carpathian Beskids between the Borzhava and San rivers in the east and Poprad and Dunajec in the west, located in three countries. The total area is about 9 000 km2. Lemkivschyna occupies the largest area within the mountainous part of South-Eastern Poland (48 %), less in the mountainous part of north-eastern Slovakia (41 %), the least in the Trans¬carpathian region of Ukraine (11 %). Most of the territory of Lemkivshchyna is located in the Carpathian lowlands of the Eastern Beskids. Only some peaks have a height of more than 1 000 m. The highest peak is Tarnitsa (1 346 m a.s.l.) on the Bukovo Berdo ridge. Lemkivshchyna is located in the temperate climate zone of Europe, which is formed under the influence of the western transfer of the Atlantic air masses. In addition, the climatic characteristics are influenced by the terrain, altitude, exposure of the slopes, the direction of extension of the mountain valleys. The territory of Lemkivshchyna lies on the Main European Watershed. The rivers that originate in the northern macro-slope of the Low Beskid are tributaries of the Vistula (the Baltic Sea basin). The rivers of the southern macro-slope are tributaries of the Tisza River, which flows into the Danube (the Black Sea basin). The largest river in the Lemky region is the San (444 km in length). Another tributary of the Vistula is the Vislok (165 km). The mountain rivers that originate on the southern slopes of the Low Beskid River flow in a meridional direction to the south and belong to the Tisza basin. The largest among them are Gorand (286 km), Poprad (169 km), Laborets (129 km), Ondava (112 km in length). The rivers of Lemkivshchyna are characterized by mixed food dominated by snow. Boundaries are observed in winter and during the dry season in summer. Floods can occur at any time of the year during heavy rainfall. The mountain-forest soils of Lemkivshchyna are formed on flysch rocks under beech and fir forests. Soils of low power (up to 75 cm), often stony, characterized by high acidity, poor in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron. Mountain-meadow soils were formed in the subalpine meadows. The processes of accumulation of peat and organic material are observed on the watersheds and sites of poor runoff. The geographical location of Lemkivshchyna causes the vertical extent of the vegetation cover, which differs from the other mountain ranges of the Carpathians. Belt of deciduous forests, rising to an altitude of 1 156 m. is mainly represented with beech forests. The belt of the Polonynian subalpine meadows that developed under the influence of a long pasture farm is above the beech forests. About 1 000 species of vascular plants, more than 600 species of mosses and lichens, and many algae and fungi have been found in the Lemky region. A modern feature of the vegetation cover of Lemkivshchyna is the natural regeneration of forests, which occurred after the expulsion of the ethnic population from these territories. More than 200 species of vertebrates have been found in the Lemky region. Key words: Lemkivshchyna, physical and geographical conditions, relief of the Eastern Beskids, hydrography, vegetation.

Dark gray podzolized soils of the Chyzhykiv ridge: problems of degradation and protection

The results of the research of degradation of dark gray podzolized soils (Luvis Greyzemic Phaeozems) of the Chyzhykiv ridge are presented. The causes and consequences of this dangerous natural and anthropogenic phenomenon are analyzed. It has been established that the intensive agricultural use of soils caused the activation of water erosion processes, the development of physical degradation processes, which lead to soil compaction, deterioration of their general physical properties, and loss of humus. Degradation processes lead to a decrease in soil fertility and unprofitability of agriculture, worsen the ecological state of the environment. In the study of degradation processes and their consequences in dark gray podzolized soils, the following methods were used: comparative-geographical, comparative-profile, catena method, analytical, statistical. Soil field explorations were carried out after the growing season. The most dangerous among the degradation processes are erosion degradation, which leads to a decrease in the capacity of the soil profile and deterioration of the soil agrophysical properties. The results of the studies demonstrated that the capacity of the profile of poorly eroded soils decreased on average by 14.5 cm compared to the standard, in medium-eroded – by 28.3 cm, in highly-eroded – by 50.8 cm. Soils underwent erosion from low to very high (crisis) degree. Degradation processes of anthropogenic genesis caused a deterioration of the structural and aggregate state of the soils, which is manifested in a decrease in the content of agronomically valuable soil aggregates and the dominance of the sloping fraction. According to the research results, the content of agronomically valuable aggregates with a size of 10–0.25 mm in the arable soil layer is 18.65–33.86 %, which indicates a high and very high (crisis) level of degradation. Soils also undergo degradation due to re-compaction, which is manifested in an increase in the density of the structure and a decrease in the overall porosity of the soil. Long anthropogenic pressure on soils and erosion degradation processes have led to a decrease in humus content. In particular, in poorly eroded soils the humus content is 2.03 %, in medium-eroded soils – 1.45 %, in highly eroded – 1.06 %, which is 16.9–64.6 % less than the standard. Measures are proposed to minimize the degradation of the dark gray podzolized soils of the Chyzhykiv ridge, which consist in the application of anti-erosion measures and soil-protective methods of soil processing, conservation of heavily degraded lands. The introduction of basic and crisis monitoring of the state of soils in the research area is recommended. Key words: the Chyzhykiv ridge, dark gray podzolized soils, erosion, degradation, soil protection.

Virgin forests as environmental, educational and scientific object of the Ukrainian Carpathians

The virgin forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians are unique ecosystems in which preserved natural, protected, recreational, historical and cultural objects. That is why a comprehensive study of the forest ecosystems of the Ukrainian Carpathians is needed in order to preserve these unique treasures of our country. The Ukrainian Carpathians are characterized in ecological, educational and scientific-cognitive aspects, as a significant number of objects and monuments of nature, history, architecture and culture are concentrated here. In the region under study, there is a well-developed network of nature reserve fund, the objects of which are basic for the organization of tourist activity. The importance of virgin forests as an ecological-educational and scientific-cognitive object of the Ukrainian Carpathians is revealed. The purpose of the research was to study the forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians, as an object of ecological, educational and cognitive perception. The object of the research was the forest ecosystems within the conservation areas of the Ukrainian Carpathians. The subject of the study was the consideration of forest ecosystems as an ecological-educational and scientific-cognitive object. To achieve this goal, the following tasks were set: to give a complete definition of the term “primaeval” forests and their varieties; to identify, establish distribution areas and forest areas in the Ukrainian Carpathians; to analyze their ecological-educational and scientific-cognitive functions. It is revealed that the centres of distribution of forest ecosystems in the Ukrainian Carpathians are nature conservation areas, namely: Carpathian Biosphere Reserve, Carpathian National Park, Uzhansky, Synevyr Verkhovyna, Cheremosky, Hutsulshchyna, Vyzhnytsya, Zacharovanyi Krai. It is stated that ecological-educational and scientific-cognitive objects in the region are natural undisturbed by the anthropogenic activity of the place. The best network of ecological-educational and scientific-educational trails is set up in the Carpathian Biosphere Reserve. The most popular are the eco-routes “To Goverla Mountain from Lazeshchyna”, “Kevelsky Forests to Petros”, “Beech Forests of Velyka Ugolka”, “To Sokolino Berdo”. It is revealed that the ecological-educational and scientific-cognitive potential of the forests of the Ukrainian Carpathians is special. The primaeval forests are widespread in the Ukrainian Carpathians, and their area is about 50 thousand hectares, and much of it requires identification. Forests have a special status in Ukraine and are strictly protected in nature reserves and perform ecological-educational and scientific-cognitive functions, since within them preserved natural, intact, virgin objects and also represent the cultural heritage of the region. Key words: Ukrainian Carpathians, virgin forests, quasi-virgin forests, ancient forests, ecological-educational and scientific-cognitive objects.

Tourist activity of selected students of the Khmelnytskyi Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy (Ukraine)

This article is about tourist activity of the selected students of the Khmelnytskyi Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy in Khmelnytskyi (Ukraine). The article discusses topics concerning tourist activity among young people. The empirical research presented in the article has been conducted among selected students of the Khmelnytskyi Humanitarian-Pedagogical Academy in Khmelnytskyi in Ukraine at the Department of the Preschool Pedagogy, specialization 014 “Teacher of English and foreign literature”. Tourism is a phenomenon of universal culture, a measure of self-fulfilment of a human being. Almost all of us undertake tourist activity. Increasingly, it is becoming an important and inalienable part of spending free time in contemporary society, influencing the quality, level and lifestyle of the society. The level of this activity depends on numerous factors, including socio-demographic, cultural and economic ones. In the research, the author focused on getting to know the motives for travelling by students, their main purpose of travel, the amount of money they spend on travelling, a company they travel with, means of transport most frequently used for their journeys and whether they use the services of travel agencies while organizing trips. In the conducted research, a survey questionnaire has been applied as one of the marketing research methods. As the conducted research has confirmed, the research group selected by the authors is very active taking into account tourism. The respondents are willing to travel several times a year, organize trips with designated goals (rest, adventure, willingness to learn about culture) and their main motivation for travelling is a desire to relax, experience the adventure and practice sports during the trip. Key word: students, tourist activities, tourism, Ukraine, questionnaire.

Anatole Vakhnianyn as an educator-geographer, composer, public figure, politician

Anatole Vakhnyanin is one of the most representative of the Galician intellectuals, who in the second half of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries in the conditions of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy selflessly worked on the field of awareness of Ukrainians as a separate nation. Scientific and pedagogical, public-political, musical and cultural activities contributed significantly not only to the formation of the cultural and educational level of the population of Galicia, but also to the close unity of the entire Ukrainian people. In his student years, he started the activity of the student community structures “Hromada” (Przemysl) and “Sich” (Vienna), with whom the memory of Taras Shevchenko for the first time was honored. In Lviv, together with the like-minded people, A. Vakhnyanin initiated the cultural and educational organization “Prosvita” and lead its work in the years 1868–70. He also edited the daily “Pravda” newspaper in Lviv, initiated with the assistance of P. Kulish and O. Konysky and collaborated with other publications, including the “Dilo” Lviv newspaper, in which he published historical and pedagogical explorations, organized the work of music societies “Torban” and “Boyan”, for which he prepared a lot of his own compositions and arrangements of folk songs, and later made a lot of effort in the case of opening of the Higher Institute of Music named after M. Lysenko in Lviv. After graduation from Lviv and later the Przemysl Theological Seminary, A. Vakhnyanin received his first pedagogical experience, teaching rus'ka (Ukrainian), Old-Slavic, Old-Polish and Latin languages in the Przemysl High School for two years. However, he became a real teacher after graduating from the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Vienna in Lviv Academic High School with the Ukrainian language of teaching, where he became a professor. During this period (1873) A. Vakhnyanin prepared a “A Short Sketch of the Geography for the Junior Classes of Secondary Schools”, and later, in 1884, he wrote an original Ukrainian-language textbook on geography “Geography textbook for secondary schools”, which for many years was an important source of geographical knowledge for high school students. A. Vakhnyanin throughout his adult life wrote music, although he did not consider himself a professional. The opera “Kupala”, which was set in Kharkiv in 21 years after the death of the composer, became the peak of his composer's art. Extremely diverse range of public-political activities of Anatol Vakhnyanin, who, with the circle of like-minded people, managed to organize the work of several public-cultural structures, in particular Prosvita, and subsequently the political organization “People's Council”, which made his name in Galicia widely popular among Rusyn-Ukrainians, so they repeatedly elected him as a deputy to the Galician Sejm and the Vienna Parliament (1894–1900). Key words: teacher, Professor, author of the textbook on geography, composer, public figure, “Prosvita”, politician, deputy.

Ethnic maps of Ukrainian lands in works of Ukrainian and Russian scientists of the second half of XIX century

The study considered the development of ideas about the limits of settling the Ukrainian people in connection with the compilation of ethnographical map of the Austrian and Russian monarchies, since the 40s of XIX century. The views of Ukrainian and Russian researchers who have studied this issue during different periods are analysed. In the manuscript “Geography of Ptolemy” in 1420 (the author is unknown), the map “Sarmatia” (Sarmatias) (the name of the map is conditional) Ukrainian lands were depicted for the first time and for the first time the map contained the inscription “Sarmatia”. Nicolaus Hermanus, who revised the content of “Geography” by Claudius Ptolemy (Cosmographia Claudii Ptolomaei Alexandrini Manuscript, 1467), first placed the name “European Sarmatia” (Sarmatia Єvropє) on the handwritten map of 1467. In the second (the first one with maps) Bologna edition 1477 (26 maps) of Claudia Ptolemy's “Geography” also contained a map of “European Sarmatia”. In the next Roman edition (1478) the Eighth Map of Europe (Octava Europe Tabula) and the Second Map of Asia (Secunda Asiae Tabula) are contained, which the Ukrainian lands are depicted in. Based on a detailed study and analysis of cartographic sources, summarizing the results of ethnographic, historical and geographical research of Ukrainian ethnic territory tracked changes in the boundaries of settling the Ukrainian ethnos. In the early nineteenth century in many European countries, regular population censuses had been introduced and ethnographic studies related to the Ukrainian national revival had been intensified. It created objective prerequisites for the beginning of ethnic mapping in the 1920s and became possible to map the composition of the population in detail, literally by settlements, to determine the absolute and relative share of a particular nationality in a certain territory. The main cartographic works of Ukrainian and Russian scientists, which depict the Ukrainian ethnic territory, are chronologically highlighted. Many ethnic maps have been described. On the basis of elaboration of a considerable number of cartographic and literary sources, the history of ethnographic mapping of the territory of Ukrainian settlements is chronologically covered. Key words: ethnographic researching, map, Ukrainian lands, ethnos.

Ortsteins in the sod-podzolic pseudogleyed soils of the Beskydy Precarpathians

On the basis of morphological and laboratory-analytical researches it is established that in the profile of sod-podzolic pseudogleyed soils of the Beskydy Precarpathians are formed ortsteins that have clear outer contours, concentric inner structure with alternation of rust-red circles. Two ranges for the formation of ortsteins in the investigation soils were established: in the overiluvial part of the profile and the transition to the rock horizon. Within the НЕgl horizon, the content of ortsteins is 2.8 %, and in the fractional composition, the fraction is from 2.1 to 3.0 mm (37.5 %). The highest content of ortsteins (7.7 %) is characteristic of the Ehgl horizon, within which the fraction from 7.1 to 10.0 mm (27.2 %) prevails. Within the Pigl horizon, large ortsteins of 1.0 to 5.0 cm in size are oval and tubular with a concentric inner structure, and their content is 17.6 %. Ortsteins in the sod-podzolic pseudogleyed soils were formed as a result of alternation of redox conditions with the participation of specific, nonspecific microflora and glesish-eluvial, segregation processes of soil formation. The small ortsteins in the overiluvial part of the profile are the result of modern soil formation, and the large ones within the Pigl horizon are relict and associated with the early stages of soil formation in the Precarpathians. In order to identify the genesis and elemental composition, a plate of tubular ortstein with a diameter of 1.2 cm, which was selected from the Pigl horizon (220–240 cm), was made. In different parts of the plate, differing in colour, four points up to 1 μm in size (two against a light background and two against a dark one) were selected, within which elemental composition was determined by micro-X-ray spectrometry. The measurements were performed on a scanning electron microscope REM-106 (Ukraine) with a resolution of 5 nm and an energy-dispersive X-ray detector. The study of ortstein using a scanning electron microscope revealed that the formation of black rings within the tubular ortstein is due to an increase in the percentage of Manganese in 1.6–3.4, Aluminium in 1.4–2.3 and Calcium in 2.1–5.4 times. The percentage of Ferum in different parts of the ortstein is approximately the same, which determines its rusty-brown colour. Key words: ortsteins, sod-podzolic pseudogleyed soils, Beskydy Precarpathians, the accumulation factor, electron-scanning microscope.

Socio-geographical approach to assessing the tourist potential’s attractiveness of the Carpathian region

Tourism is one of the most important sectors of the Ukrainian economy. Analysis of the tourism potential of the country and its individual regions, in particular its attractiveness – the ability to attract potential tourists, is necessary for the effective functioning of the tourism sector. The purpose of the article is to justify the socio-geographical approach to assessing the tourist potential’s attractiveness of the region and analyse the conditions and factors for such estimation in the objective (quantitative) and subjective (qualitative) dimensions on the basis of factor criteria and performance indicators. The tourist potential’s attractiveness of the region is the degree of attractiveness of the natural, ethnocultural, socio-historical and other tourist resources of the region, its socio-economic and transport infrastructure, reception places and attendants. The tourist potential’s attractiveness of the Carpathian region is ensured by its diversity of relief forms, the picturesque of landscapes, the presence of unique wild nature areas, a significant amount of rivers, the purity of natural waters, a lot of forests, and the richness of flora and fauna. The wealth of anthropogenic tourism resources of the Carpathian region leads to a high attraction of the social segment of the tourist potential of the Carpathian region. All regional centres, a lot of small towns and villages, which have survived, the samples of Old Ukrainian church wooden architecture, castles, religious buildings, defensive structures, old residential and economic buildings of the region have a high attraction. The attractiveness is also ensured by the presence of numerous parks, cafes, restaurants, theatres, museums, cultural and lifestyle habits of local residents, including Hutsuls and Boyks. Along with this, a combination of natural and social tourism resources created in the Carpathian region favourable conditions for the development of all kinds of ethnic and event tourism, rural green tourism. Based on the analysis of approaches to the component of the tourism potential’s assessment and attractiveness, own socio-geographical approach to the construction of a system for assessing the tourist potential’s attractiveness of the region has been formed. These include natural tourist resources, tourist resources of anthropogenic origin, tourist infrastructure, marketing and pricing policies, labour resources, provision of catering facilities, sports and entertainment facilities, the level of transport infrastructure’s development, tourist safety, environmental quality, finance, investment in tourism sphere, general image of the region, economic attractiveness, management, state support and political stability, information. The peculiarity of the proposed approach is to assess the conditions and factors of the tourism potential of the region in an objective and subjective way. Each of these characteristics is described by relevant factor criteria and may be defined by specific quantitative and / or qualitative indicators. With the help of the constructed indicators’ system of tourism potential attraction estimation, we are able to quantitatively and qualitatively estimate the level of tourism industry development in the Ukrainian regions; to highlight the causal relationships in determining the level of tourist potential’s attractiveness; to identify the factors that influence the development of tourism activity, in that destabilizing; to carry out monitoring of tourism activity in the region with the possibility of predicting changes in tourist activity taking on its basis optimal managerial decisions at the state and regional levels. Key words: tourist potential, tourist potential’s attractiveness, Carpathian region, natural and anthropogenic tourist resources.

Scientific research of geography of Ukrainian rural settlements: the evolution of methodological approaches in context of actual challenges

In this article, the history of studying the geography of the Ukrainian rural settlements is reviewed. The stages of research in view the exploration level of the rural locality in human geography are highlighted within such time limits: XV – the first half XIX cent., the secondary half XIX – the beginning of XX cent., the beginning of XX – till 1991, from 1991. At each of the stages is characterized the main scientific paradigms and explorations which was dedicated to the subject of the rural settlements. Paradigms and methods of studying exactly rural settlements evolved and developed under the influence of historical conditions: from purposefully-descriptive, statistical-descriptive, sectoral-statistical, ethnographic, anthropogeographic, demogeographic to an integral socio-geographical. During the research, it was concluded that geographical exploring of the rural settlements actually was fragmentary until the XX century. Simultaneously, the scientific achievements of the previous periods laid down to definite some methodological basis and source base for further research in this area. Closer to the middle of the XX century, the biggest explorations of Ukrainian rural settlements were conducted by V. Kubiyovych. Later, for ideological reasons, the issue of rural settlement geography was not the focus of attention among Ukrainian geographers of that time until Ukraine gained independence. The topic of the research of the Ukrainian village in scientific circles has risen to a new level and it’s geography according to the scientific centres in Kyiv, Lviv, Odesa, Chernivtsi, Kharkiv and Ternopil since 1991. Modern crisis of the demographic, social, economic state of the rural areas causes the necessity of interdisciplinary further exploration of this problem. Despite the social development and nowadays challenges in this article the main tasks and directions for future research of Ukrainian village are highlighted. Key words: the history of Ukrainian geography, rural settlements, rural population, methodology of geographical research.