Modern situation and perspectives of reserving and geotouristic utilization of Zbarazhsky Tovtry geologic-geomorphologic objects
Authors: Brusak Vitaliy , Moskalyuk Kateryna 
Published: November 2019

Tovtry is a complex of Miocene fossils reef buildups that rise in a scenic ridge and hills above the surrounding plains of Podillya region. The Tovtry zone consists of main ridge (the late Baden barrier reef), isolated Tovtry hills (the late Baden bioherms, located east of the ridge), isolated tovtry (the early Sarmat bioherms, located west of the main ridge), the territories of the former channels, lagoons and passes between hills, where the modern rivers flows. The correlation and form of relief of Tovtry zone elements are the basis of detailed geomorphologic zoning. Within geomorphological area of Podillian Tovtry distinguish three subdistricts – Zbarazh, Medobory and Kamenec-Podolsky regions. The Zbarazhky Tovtry is stretching from Pidkamin village (Lviv region) to the valley of Gnizna river and includes Mylnivskyy, Zbarazhsky and Lub’yanetskyy hills of Tovtry. Within Podillian Tovtry are 85 objects of nature reserve fund (NRF), dominated by the number of botanical (20) and geological (19) natural monuments. The largest area is occupied by National Nature Park “Podilski Tovtry” (261 316,0 ha) and nature reserve “Medobory” (9 516,7 ha) and 7 landscape reserves (2 423,2 ha). The structure of NRF of Zbarazhsky Tovtry dominated by the number of botanical (6) and geological (6) natural monuments, and the largest area is occupied by 2 zoological reserves (6 041,0 ha). The particularly valuable geologic-geomorphologic objects of Tovtry have been identified (the Tovtry main ridge areas and isolated tovtry hills, the outcrops of reef sediments, rocks, canyon sections of the river valley, waterfalls etc.), they are protected in the form of geological nature monuments “Kydanetski rocks”, “Podillian Tovtry outliers”, “Sarmat sea outliers”, “Big Saddle” and into botanic reserve “Acute grave”. Share of environmental protection objects aimed at the protection of geological and geomorphological Tovtry formations in the Zbarazhsky Tovtry NRF is less than 2 %. The creations of the regional landscape park (RLP) “Zbarazhsky Tovtry” in the territory f the main ridge and surrounding areas with isolated tovtry hills from Left Seret river valley to Stryyovetski stream valley has been proposed. The park administration should be placed in the Zbarazh, where in 1994 the historical and architectural reserve “Zbrazh” has been created. Into RLP reserve zone should be included the most outstanding areas of main ridge (natural landmark Pozharnytsya, mount Hontova, mount Zubova) and isolated tovtry hills (Lub’yanetski Tovtry). The RLP will include “MilneBlihivskyy” (3 488,0 ha) and “Maloberezovytsko-Ivanchanskyy” (2 553,0 ha) zoological reserves, 4 botanical reserves, 5 geological and 2 hydrological reserves, 4 botanical nature monuments. Two circular routes from Zbarazh for the tourism development into regional landscape park “Zbarazhsky Tovtry” have been developed. The first route includes unique historical and architectural monuments and objects of inanimate nature, and the second – botanical and zoological objects and nature monuments. The landscape reserves “Tovtry steppe” and “Stryyovetski Mountains”, geological nature monuments “Fold bordering in the reef limestones in Bilokrynytsya village”, “Kolodiyivski giants”, “Hontva Mountain” and natural landmark “Zaluzhanskyy forest” are proposed to create in Zbarazhsky Tovtry. The chain of nature reserve objects will preserve the unique geological and geomorphological formation of Zbarazhsky Tovtry region. Key words: Zbarazhsky Tovtry, main ridge, isolated tovtry hills, natural reserve fund, outstanding geology-geomorphologic objects, geotourism.