Spatial Distribution Patterns of the Hydro-Ecosystems’ Quality Indicators in the Ukrainian Carpathians

Abstract

This study is devoted to the two major hydro-ecosystems of the Carpathian region in Ukraine, the Dniester and Danube Rivers. For the first time, the patterns of changes in the ecosystems’ quality parameters were established by means of developing functional dependences among the ecological standard values of the composite quality indicators of natural waters and the river length and terrain altitude. Using the statistical processing of the data, the quality monitoring of the upper reaches of Dniester and Danube ecosystems in the Ukrainian Carpathians was conducted for the period from 2001 to 2019. The data on the Composite Potential Quality Indicators standard values was gathered for the heights of the Carpathian region: at 50 m interval for the altitude up to 1,000 m, and at 100 m interval for more than 1,000 m altitude. The acquired dependencies can be used as the territorial background standard values of the ecological indicators of basin ecosystems. It will help to scientifically substantiate the ecologically safe values of the anthropogenic pressure.