Contribution of cultural heritage values to steppe conservation on ancient burial mounds of Eurasia.

Civilizations, including ancient ones, have shaped global ecosystems in many ways through coevolution of landscapes and humans. However, the cultural legacies of ancient and lost civilizations are rarely considered in the conservation of the Eurasian steppe biome. We used a data set containing more than 1000 records on localities, land cover, protection status, and cultural values related to ancient steppic burial mounds (kurgans); we evaluated how these iconic and widespread landmarks can contribute to grassland conservation in the Eurasian steppes, which is one of the most endangered biomes on Earth. Using Bayesian logistic generalized regressions and proportional odds logistic regressions, we examined the potential of mounds to preserve grasslands in landscapes with different levels of land-use transformation. We also compared the conservation potential of mounds inside and outside protected areas and assessed whether local cultural values support the maintenance of grasslands on them. Kurgans were of great importance in preserving grasslands in transformed landscapes outside protected areas, where they sometimes acted as habitat islands that contributed to habitat conservation and improved habitat connectivity. In addition to steep slopes hindering ploughing, when mounds had cultural value for local communities, the probability of grassland occurrence on kurgans almost doubled. Because the estimated number of steppic mounds is about 600,000 and similar historical features exist on all continents, our results may be applicable at a global level. Our results also suggested that an integrative socioecological approach in conservation might support the positive synergistic effects of conservation, landscape, and cultural values.

Contribución de los valores culturales para la conservación esteparia en los antiguos montículos funerarios de Eurasia Resumen Las civilizaciones modernas y antiguas han moldeado de muchas maneras los ecosistemas globales mediante la coevolución del paisaje y la humanidad. Sin embargo, pocas veces se considera el legado cultural de las civilizaciones perdidas o antiguas para la conservación del bioma de la estepa euroasiática. Usamos un conjunto de datos que contiene más de 1,000 registros de las localidades, cobertura del suelo, estado de protección y valores culturales relacionados con los antiguos montículos funerarios de esta estepa (kurgans). Después analizamos cómo estos símbolos icónicos y distribuidos extensamente pueden contribuir a la conservación de los pastizales en la estepa euroasiática, uno de los biomas en mayor peligro de extinción. Analizamos el potencial de conservación de los montículos en paisajes con diferentes niveles de transformación en el uso de suelo mediante regresiones logísticas generalizadas bayesianas y regresiones logísticas de probabilidades proporcionales. También comparamos el potencial de conservación de los montículos dentro y fuera de las áreas protegidas y evaluamos si los valores culturales locales conservan los pastizales dentro de estas mismas áreas. Los kurgans fueron de gran importancia para la conservación de los pastizales en los paisajes transformados ubicados fuera de las áreas protegidas, en donde llegaron a fungir como hábitats aislados que contribuyeron a la conservación y conectividad del hábitat. Además de que las pendientes pronunciadas impiden el arado, cuando los montículos contaban con valor cultural para las comunidades locales, la probabilidad de que el pastizal se ubicara sobre un kurgan casi se duplicó. Ya que se estima que el número de montículos esteparios ronda los 6,000 y que rasgos históricos similares existen en todos los continentes, nuestros resultados pueden aplicarse a nivel global. Nuestros resultados también sugieren que una estrategia socio-ecológica integradora para la conservación podría respaldar los efectos sinérgicos positivos de la conservación, el paisaje y los valores culturales.

Ancient settlements as natural heritage sites: the first occurrence dataset on vascular plant species from ancient settlements in the Lower Dnipro region (Ukraine).

Background: This work is a long-term outcome of an international Ukrainian-Polish teamwork, aiming to assess the role of ancient settlements for steppe conservation and protection. The dataset contains georeferenced occurrences of vascular plant species on 18 ancient settlements (Lower Dnipro, southern Ukraine), collected during the 2015-2020 period. Additionally, to the total species list, the publication presents the taxonomic coverage (according to GBIF Backbone Taxonomy), the frequency classes of occurrences of the total taxa and the floristic differences amongst studied sites. The report also shows the high sozological value of the studied ancient settlements, the high levels of vascular plant species richness and the various means of the plant species protection (according to the Bern Convention, the Red Data Book of Ukraine and regional Red Lists). New information: This work provides the first occurrence dataset from ancient settlements in Ukraine. The dataset includes 3,210 occurrences of vascular plants recorded during the study period of 2015-2020 conducted in the Lower Dnipro region. As ancient settlements were generally considered as steppe refuges, great attention was paid to the native steppe species, as well as to the rare components of the flora. The dataset includes 1,525 occurrences of steppe species and 87 occurrences of rare species, respectively. The dataset could be useful for further research of ancient settlements` floristic richness, but also analyses and comparison with other objects of cultural origin (e.g. kurgans, hillforts, old cemeteries, forgotten parks, sacred groves etc.).

The first dataset of vascular plant species occurrences on kurgans in Southern Ukraine.

Background: The dataset contains the records of vascular plant species occurrences and distribution on Ukrainian kurgans (burial mounds, barrows), located in various zones of steppe vegetation: desert steppe, grass steppe, herb-rich grass steppe and forest steppe. Much of the studied kurgans belongs to the territory historically known as the "Wild Fields". Besides the occurrence data, the publication presents a comparison of the floristic richness amongst five microhabitats distinguished on kurgans (top, northern slope, northern bottom, southern slope, and southern bottom) and amongst kurgans located in different steppe zones. The Original publication includes 721 species of vascular plants) within four vegetation zone (desert steppe, grass steppe, herb-rich grass steppe and forest steppe). The report shows also sozological value of kurgans in southern Ukraine, as they play a role of steppe habitat islands in a landscape almost completely transformed to arable land. The obtained flora inventory was analyzed in various aspects. This occurrence dataset is the first public record of species from kurgans in Ukraine. New information: This is the first occurrence dataset from kurgans in Ukraine. The dataset includes 28,456 occurrences of vascular plants recorded in the years 2004-2009 on Ukrainian kurgans. The dataset includes information about 1446 occurrences of rare species on kurgans (69 species). It contains information on the kurgan flora within four vegetation zone (desert steppe, grass steppe, herb-rich grass steppe and forest steppe) on the area ca. 32000 km2. Of the approximately 450 mounds visited, the ones with the best preserved vegetation cover were selected. For each of 106 investigated mounds, floristic lists from five microhabitats were compiled - 530 lists in total.

Vascular plants of old cemeteries in the Lower Dnipro region (Southern Ukraine).

Background: The dataset contains the records of vascular plant species occurrences and distribution in old cemeteries (OC) of the Lower Dnipro region (Southern Ukraine). The analysed cemeteries were located in different types of landscapes (agricultural, rural and urban) and represent various ways of using their area (currently used, closed, abandoned). The floristic list includes 440 species of vascular plants (437 in situ, 3 ex situ). The dataset demonstrates a sozological (Red-lists species) value of old cemeteries in Southern Ukraine. The cemeteries constitute refuges of native, rare and steppe flora and play a role of steppe habitat islands in a landscape almost completely transformed to arable land or urbanised. New information: This is the first dataset which contains information about flora of old cemeteries in Lower Dnipro region (Southern Ukraine). The dataset comprises 2118 occurrences of vascular plants (440 species) recorded in the years 2008-2021 in 13 old cemeteries of the Lower Dnipro region. The dataset includes information about 85 occurrences of rare species (23 species in situ, 3 ex situ) and 652 occurrences of 117 steppe species.