Ecosystem approach to assessing the impact of threats and losses caused by military actions

Abstract

The ecological aspects of the assessment of damage to the environment and living conditions caused by destructions due to the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation in 2022, related to various spheres of public life and the nature of Ukraine, are covered in the article. It is proposed to estimate losses in points according to three criteria: damage (destruction), resilience, and vulnerability of ecosystems. The urban ecosystem, which includes a complex of buildings and infrastructure (technotopes) and natural vegetation areas, is taken as a basis. It is proposed to rate on a four-point scale the features that characterize the damage to the urban ecosystem, its resilience, and vulnerability. The possibilities of the restoration of all urban ecosystems are divided into five categories depending on the scales and sizes, and degree of losses. This separation is the basis for a more detailed assessment of the loss of ecosystem services, size, mechanisms, and sources of compensation. Problems of direct destruction and damage to natural types of ecosystems (biotopes) and possible consequences that may be even more destructive and manifest over a long period of time are analyzed. Among such consequences are the damage from fires; the impact on the atmosphere and climate; the increase in background radiation level; the pollution of the sea and inland waters; the disturbance of soils and land surface; the loss of function and transformation of ecosystems, reduction of ecosystem services; the devastation of protected areas and loss of their value; the spread of alien species, pests, pathogens and extinction of the most vulnerable natural species, i.e. reduction of biodiversity. Overcoming the consequences requires the development of comprehensive programs, involvement of scientific, human and technical resources, which requires finding sponsors, the sources of assistance and compensation at the expense of the aggressor.