Chornohora Geostation

  • Про підрозділ
  • Research

Founded by Prof. H. P. Miller in 1978 and located in the Carpathians (Chornohora massif) in the upper river of the Prut (Carpathian National Nature Park) at the distance of 17 kilometers from the urban village of Vorokhta of the Yaremche town council of Ivano-Frankivsk region. The function of the Station is to carry out scientific activity as well as internships and trainings of the Faculty of Geography students.

Landscape and monitoring studies as well as operating meteorological, hydrological and phonological observations are held at the Station. Geo-physical and geo-chemical properties and space and time organization of steep forested slopes of mid-mountain areas, old glaciers subalpine and peneplenized meadow highlands are studied there.

Based on the research results at the Station 3 doctoral and 6 PhD dissertations were defended, 6 monographs and 5 manuals published.

Research

To the history of research

In the 80-ies the scientific activity was aimed at development of the mountain territories landscape research concept, methods of stationary and semi-stationary research and landscape studies of forest pathologies.

In the 90-ies scientific research focused on comprehensive studies of top-soil and upper limit of Chornohora forest, development of landscape interpretation of remote information, reasoning of landscape fundamentals of natural environment monitoring and nature management optimization in the mountain landscapes. At the end of the 90-ies the main patterns of landscape facies organization were specified and methodological-theoretical base of mountain territories ecological landscape studies worked out.

Starting from 2001 operating monitoring observations at the meteorological platforms, hydro-posts and phenological posts started. In 2005 scientific laboratory of landscape monitoring was set up at the Station.

Expedition and semi-stationary research

  • Elaboration and development of mountain landscape studies theory and methodology;
  • Research of genesis, structure, functioning, dynamics and patterns of natural territorial Chornohora landscape complexes space and time organization;
  • Landscape research of forest pathologies, upper forest limit, top-soil differentiation, landscape interpretation of aero-space information, topo-climatic research;
  • Development of landscape monitoring theoretical and methodological fundamentals, landscape principles of nature and protected areas management optimization, theory and methods of landscape studies analysis of ecological problems of mountain areas.

Stationary research

  • Operating landscape monitoring observations of the processes of natural territorial and aquatic complexes functioning and dynamics;
  • Meteorological research: observations of meteorological characteristics (atmospheric pressure, temperature and air humidity, surface and soil temperatures, nebulosity, precipitation) and dangerous atmospheric phenomena (hurricanes, snowfalls, prolonged rains and rainfalls, thunderstorms, hail, glaze, hoarfrost) daily, seasonal and yearly dynamics
  • Hydrological research: observations of water levels and expenditures dynamics, heat and ice regimes in the Prut river and its confluents (Prypir, Foresok) as well as dangerous hydrological phenomena (floods, inundations)
  • Phenological research: seasonal periodicity in the plants lifecycle studies; main pheno-phases (vegetation, blooming, fruiting, etc.) studying of the herbaceous, brushland,brushland and woody plants dominant in the wooded mid-mountains
  • Geo-morphological research: observations of modern relief making processes (landslides, ballast residue, bank erosion etc.).