Оцінка збитків, завданих лісам пожежами, спричиненими війною на території Чорнобильського радіаційно-екологічного біосферного заповідника у 2022 році

• Date: 2026
• Main Authors: Didukh, Ya. P., Borsuk, O. A., Moysiyenko, I. I.
• Format: Article
• Language: Ukrainian
• Published: Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration named after G. M. Vysotsky (URIFFM) 2026
• Subjects: російська агресія; згарища; Чорнобильська зона; втрати лісових екосистем; екосистемні послуги
• Online Access: https://forestry-forestmelioration.org.ua/index.php/journal/article/view/478
• Journal Title: Forestry and Forest Melioration

Introduction After the liberation of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone from occupation, it became possible to assess the environmental impacts of the war. Unfortunately, a large area of forest was destroyed not only by fires, but also as a result of fortification construction, the deployment of military equipment, shelling, and explosions. In addition, a significant part of the territory remains mined, posing a constant threat to wildlife, which may be injured or killed by detonations. The destruction of tree stands, ground vegetation, and forest litter by fires has substantially affected soil properties. The analysis indicates that the fires caused a complex set of severe environmental and economic problems requiring urgent resolution. This study aimed to estimate the ecological damage caused by the loss of the phytobiotic component of forest ecosystems within the Chornobyl Reserve based on an assessment of their functional (regulating and supporting) ecosystem services. Materials and Methods An assessment of forest losses in the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve caused by military actions in spring 2022 was conducted based on functional (regulating and supporting) ecosystem services. Timber stock calculations were performed using forest inventory data from 2016 according to the methodology proposed by Didukh et al. (2024). The phytomass of all ecosystem components, biomass increment, CO? sequestration, O? production, transpiration, soil-forming processes, and the trophic requirements of the heterotrophic component were calculated. The resulting energy indicators were monetized in US dollars. Results During 2025, field studies were conducted in the forests of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve affected by the indirect impacts of military operations in 2022, including burned areas. Analysis of satellite imagery revealed that 6,403.0 ha of forest were destroyed in 2022, representing 2.8% of the reserve’s total area. The greatest losses were recorded in dry and fresh Dicrano-Pinetum pine forests, which accounted for 40.91% of the affected area and 42.92% of the destroyed timber stock and were identified as the most vulnerable to fire. Conclusions According to satellite imagery, forests of the Chornobyl Radiation and Ecological Biosphere Reserve affected by the indirect impacts of military operations in 2022, including burned areas, covered 6,403.0 ha, representing 2.8% of the reserve’s total area. The greatest losses were recorded in dry and fresh Dicrano-Pinetum pine forests, which accounted for 40.91% of the affected area and 42.92% of the damaged timber stock, confirming their high vulnerability to fire. For different forest types, the estimated value of ecosystem service losses ranged from USD 12.2 thousand to USD 14.2 thousand per hectare per year. Losses in pine forests, taking into account the time required for ecosystem recovery, were estimated at USD 2.61 billion, representing 83.75% of the total estimated damage (USD 3.12 billion). Considerable losses were also recorded in widespread secondary birch forests, amounting to USD 387.42 million. The obtained results are important for assessing environmental damage and substantiating compensation claims for the ecological losses caused by the war against Ukraine. 7 Figs., 4 Tables, 52 Refs.