DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18471903
title: Studied old cemeteries of the Right-Bank Dnipro Grass Steppe.

description: We investigated 50 old cemeteries located within the Right-Bank Dnipro Grass Steppe District (the western bank of Ukraine, southern Ukraine). This territory, according to the geobotanical zoning of Ukraine and adjacent areas (Didukh, Sosonko 2003), belongs to the Pontic Steppe Province of Ukraine (Figs.1, 2). The territory includes parts of the Northern Black Sea Region (Andrienko et al., 1977) i.e. Dnipopetrovsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa administrative regions (47.96-44.80° N, 34.80-28.96 °E).

The Right-Bank Dnipro Grass Steppe District is characterized by low precipitation, which decreases from north to south and west to east (400-450 mm per year) (Marynych & Shyshchenko, 2005). The average annual temperature exhibits a north-south gradient, with higher values observed in the southern regions and lower values in the northern regions (11.7 °-8.4 °C) (Karger et al., 2017). The average summer temperature is +30 °C, the average winter temperature is no more than +4 °C (Karger et al., 2017), with extreme temperatures of +40 °C in summer and -28 °C in winter (Karger et al., 2017). Soil resources of the Right-Bank Dnipro Grass Steppe District are represented by normal and southern chernozems and dark kastanozems in the southeast (Marynych, Shyshchenko, 2005).

The combined area of the 50 old cemeteries studied is 55.5 hectares. The area of the old cemeteries ranges from 0.1 to 32.5 hectares (median 3.1 hectares), aged from 100 years to 387 years (median 224 years).

Our research is based on data sampled from 2007-2024. The selection of old cemeteries was based on materials from the Google map "Ancient Cemeteries of Ukraine" (Ukraine Incognita, 2026) and cartographic materials and literature sources (Schubert Maps 1865; History of villages of the Ukrainian SSR, 1953; Malyna, 2009). We determined the age of each cemetery (more than 100 years) - on the basis of the date of foundation of the nearbiest village (Schubert Maps 1865; History of villages of the Ukrainian SSR, 1953). The area of the old cemeteries were determined using Google Earth (Google Earth, 2026). The QGIS3.38 software package (QGIS Development Team, 2026) was used to prepare the cartographic materials.

We carried out a visual analysis based on satellite images (Google Earth, 2026), with particular emphasis on the selection of cemeteries that were not overgrown and not covered with phanerophytes, as the natural steppe is zonally not associated with woody species (Pachosky, 1915; Andrienko et al., 1977; Krytskaya, 1985). In order to carry out a study of the flora, we followed the following criteria, which could only be checked in the field: presence of bunch-grasses (or tussock grasses such as Festuca, Koeleria, Stipa etc.) and other cheracteristic steppe species from the class Festuco-Brometea (Mucina et al., 2016).

We defined the flora according to shares of some groups of species in floristic lists of reserves and old cemeteries. We concentrated on indices, such as the proportions of particular groups of species: steppe species (i.e. species attaining optimum growth in the plant communities of the syntaxonomic class: Festuco-Brometea (Mucina et al., 2016), protected species (according to Resolution 6 of the Bern Convention (1998), the Red Data Book of Ukraine (2009a) and regional red lists (Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council, 2011; Odesa Regional Council, 2011; Mykolaiv Regional Council, 2012; Kherson Regional Council, 2013)