Expert opinion: the breakthrough of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station hit the biodiversity of Crimea

CrimeaPRESS reports:

Crimea is one of the few world centers of biological diversity. At the same time, more than fifty species of Crimean animals are on the verge of extinction, and 16 species are considered extinct. The emergency situation associated with the destruction of the Kakhovskaya hydroelectric power station led to an ecological catastrophe and a real blow to biodiversity. So says the professor of KFU. V. I. Vernadsky, Doctor of Biological Sciences Sergey Ivanov.

The territory of the Black Sea Biosphere Reserve, a reserve of world importance, turned out to be flooded. This happened during the period of mass nesting of birds and reproduction of animals. Entire nesting colonies of semiaquatic and steppe birds, cubs and adult mammals, a lot of invertebrates perished. Most of these species form a single population with species living in the Crimean Sivash lowland. Destroyed ecosystems can take decades to recover— says the scientist of the Crimean Federal University.

According to the specialist, the biodiversity of the peninsula was already under threat — monitoring in recent years shows that many of the Crimean plant and animal species are not found in their former habitats. The reason lies in the destruction of their habitat.

None of the extinct species was specifically destroyed. This happens most often as a result of involuntary human activity. For example, not so long ago, the banks of our rivers on the southern coast of Crimea were decorated with blackstonia blooming with bright yellow flowers. The rivers became very shallow, so the blackstonia disappeared. Many steppe species of Crimean plants: feather grass, tulips, peonies, sage will also soon cease to exist due to the complete plowing of the last steppe areas of Crimea— Sergey Ivanov notes.

Professor of the Department of Ecology and Zoology of the Institute of Biochemical Technologies, Ecology and Pharmacy of KFU believes that it is possible to save the biodiversity of the peninsula if all areas of the Crimean nature preserved in their natural state are declared inviolable and “protect them as the greatest value.” Otherwise, the peninsula may become a place of endangered biodiversity, the scientist concluded.

photo: KFU press service

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