Oleksiy Vasylyuk, an ecologist and zoologist at the Ukrainian Nature Conservation Group (UNCG), told UAnimals about the consequences of the fire for the reserve and its inhabitants.
Due to the occupation, no Ukrainian biologist or ecologist has had access to information about the situation on the island for almost a year and a half. Therefore, we can only estimate the consequences of the fire.
Almost the entire land part the island, which is covered by steppes, burned down because of the fire. This is a relatively small steppe area, and for a very long time, this sparsely populated area has been a haven for many animals.
Small terrestrial animals, including those in the Red Data Book, could suffer the most. For example, some insects, the steppe viper. Birds can fly away; ungulates can escape and survive the fire somewhere in wet areas. But small ground animals cannot escape. For example, the unique insect Empusa striped, a southern European species of mantis, could be affected. This mantis attracts its victims by pretending to be a drop of water. The empusa has a protrusion on its head that resembles a horn and shines very brightly in the sun.
Dzharylhach is a flat area literally in the middle of the sea. There are always strong winds there and the fire also moves at the speed of the wind. No insect or small animal could escape.
Another problem is the restoration of the reserve after the fire. In general, fire is a relatively normal phenomenon for the steppe. The steppe has recovery mechanisms: animals and plants can regenerate from neighboring areas quite quickly. However, Dzharylhach is an island in the middle of the sea, so there are no neighboring areas. Plants have more chances to survive because they can have roots and bulbs quite deep in the ground. These are only hypotheses, but it is very likely that a significant part of the plants will survive.
The good news is that the largest number of rare species of animals in Dzharylhach is not on land but in the water. For example, crabs, fish, etc. will not be affected by the fire.
Ungulates can escape, but they will suffer as well. All ungulates are non-native to the national park. They were settled there when Dzharylhach was not yet a national park, but a hunting ground. Then hunting was banned in the park. To some extent, this was a problem, because there were too many animals on the island. Now the plants they ate have completely burned down. It is unlikely that the animals will go extinct, but their lives will be very difficult.
There have been fires before, but the National Park Administration responded in time. A fire of this magnitude is an extraordinary incident for an island, and it was brought to this extent by the russian occupiers. It is russia’s fault.
Mine clearance on Dzharylhach will take decades. But when we do get there and are able to walk at least along the trails, we will see it much poorer than it was before russia’s full-scale invasion.
