Department of Biodiversity and Ecology
Address: Dnipro, 24 Niel Armstrong Street, Building 17, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University
E-mail: biodiversity.ecology@ukr.net
Website: www.zoology.dp.ua
Acting Head of the Department – Dr. Oleksandr Yevheniiovych Pakhomov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine.
The Department of Biodiversity and Ecology at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University was established in 2025, based on the oldest departments of the Faculty of Biology and Ecology – the Department of Geobotany, Soil Science and Ecology, and the Department of Zoology and Ecology. These departments were originally founded in the 1930s at the university’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, initiated by prominent Ukrainian scientists – Academicians D.D. Svirenko, H.M. Vysotskyi, and Professors O.L. Belgard and L.V. Reingard.
Over the years, the scientists of these departments have developed a number of highly relevant modern scientific directions focused on ensuring the ecological safety of natural systems in the Steppe Dnipro region, conserving biological diversity, promoting resource-efficient use of flora and fauna, establishing a network of protected areas in the Dnipropetrovsk region, scientifically substantiating the manufacturing of environmentally friendly products, and developing methods to restore and enhance the aesthetic value of the forest-park landscape zones, as well as urban and suburban forest reclamation plantations.
The Department is inherently ecological in its nature: it integrates components of the biosphere such as phytocenoses, zoocenoses, soils, and climate into its scientific research areas.
The educational process is provided by:
- Doctors of Biological Sciences: Prof. O.Ye. Pakhomov, Prof. O.M. Kunakh, Prof. Yu.L. Kulbachko;
- Candidates of Biological Sciences: Assoc. Prof. V.V. Bryhadyrenko, Assoc. Prof. O.L. Ponomarenko, Assoc. Prof. V.O. Komlyk, Assoc. Prof. T.M. Kolombar, Assoc. Prof. V.A. Horban, Assoc. Prof. O.I. Lisovets, Assoc. Prof. O.V. Kotovych, Assoc. Prof. O.M. Masyuk.
The Department of Biodiversity and Ecology offers degree programs in the following specializations:
Bachelor’s Degree Programs (First Level of Higher Education):
– 091 Biology, Educational Program “Biodiversity and Landscape Design”
– 101 Ecology, Educational Program “Ecology”
Master’s Degree Programs (Second Level of Higher Education):
– 091 Biology, Educational Program “Biosystems and Landscape Design”
– 101 Ecology, Educational Programs “Ecology”, “Industrial Ecology”
Doctoral Program (Third Level of Higher Education):
– 101 Ecology, Educational and Scientific Program “Ecology”
E-mail: biodiversity.ecology@ukr.net
Website: www.zoology.dp.ua
Acting Head of the Department – Dr. Oleksandr Yevheniiovych Pakhomov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Honored Worker of Science and Technology of Ukraine.
The Department of Biodiversity and Ecology at Oles Honchar Dnipro National University was established in 2025, based on the oldest departments of the Faculty of Biology and Ecology – the Department of Geobotany, Soil Science and Ecology, and the Department of Zoology and Ecology. These departments were originally founded in the 1930s at the university’s Faculty of Natural Sciences, initiated by prominent Ukrainian scientists – Academicians D.D. Svirenko, H.M. Vysotskyi, and Professors O.L. Belgard and L.V. Reingard.
Over the years, the scientists of these departments have developed a number of highly relevant modern scientific directions focused on ensuring the ecological safety of natural systems in the Steppe Dnipro region, conserving biological diversity, promoting resource-efficient use of flora and fauna, establishing a network of protected areas in the Dnipropetrovsk region, scientifically substantiating the manufacturing of environmentally friendly products, and developing methods to restore and enhance the aesthetic value of the forest-park landscape zones, as well as urban and suburban forest reclamation plantations.
The Department is inherently ecological in its nature: it integrates components of the biosphere such as phytocenoses, zoocenoses, soils, and climate into its scientific research areas.
The educational process is provided by:
- Doctors of Biological Sciences: Prof. O.Ye. Pakhomov, Prof. O.M. Kunakh, Prof. Yu.L. Kulbachko;
- Candidates of Biological Sciences: Assoc. Prof. V.V. Bryhadyrenko, Assoc. Prof. O.L. Ponomarenko, Assoc. Prof. V.O. Komlyk, Assoc. Prof. T.M. Kolombar, Assoc. Prof. V.A. Horban, Assoc. Prof. O.I. Lisovets, Assoc. Prof. O.V. Kotovych, Assoc. Prof. O.M. Masyuk.
The Department of Biodiversity and Ecology offers degree programs in the following specializations:
Bachelor’s Degree Programs (First Level of Higher Education):
– 091 Biology, Educational Program “Biodiversity and Landscape Design”
– 101 Ecology, Educational Program “Ecology”
Master’s Degree Programs (Second Level of Higher Education):
– 091 Biology, Educational Program “Biosystems and Landscape Design”
– 101 Ecology, Educational Programs “Ecology”, “Industrial Ecology”
Doctoral Program (Third Level of Higher Education):
– 101 Ecology, Educational and Scientific Program “Ecology”
Starting in 2025, the Department plans to launch student enrollment in a new Bachelor’s degree program in specialty 202 “Plant Protection and Quarantine” (Educational Program “Plant Protection and Quarantine”).
To support laboratory and practical training in ecology, botany, zoology, and soil science, the department operates a dedicated teaching laboratory. It comprises facilities for biomonitoring research, vertebrate zoology, invertebrate zoology, plant morphology and systematics, entomology, soil chemistry, soil physics, spectral analysis, micromorphological studies, as well as laboratories for postgraduate students and diploma project work.
The Department also houses the Herbarium of Oles Honchar Dnipro National University (DSU), which is a valuable scientific and educational centre for the study of the flora of Ukraine’s steppe zone. The modern DSU Herbarium contains over 100,000 specimens, including eponymous collections and an educational fund. Since the Department’s foundation, it has preserved the herbarium of renowned floristic geobotanist I.Ya. Akinfiev, collected in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, along with other rich pre-revolutionary collections from the former Real School.
Key structural units of the Department include the DNU Zoological Museum and the Prysamarskyi International Biosphere Station, located in the village of Andriyivka, Samar district, Dnipro region.
The Zoological Museum, with a total area of 620 m² and exhibition halls covering 530 m², contains around 7,000 exhibits and serves as a centку for environmental education in the entire Prydniprovia region. Visitors can explore not only the rich animal life of their native land and the global diversity of fauna, but also see species that can only be encountered in museums and zoos, many of which have nearly disappeared from the wild.
The Prysamarskyi International Biosphere Station is one of Ukraine’s leading centres for the study of steppe ecosystems and general ecology. It is part of the network of ecological research stations of Ukraine and UNESCO, and is equipped with both research and educational laboratories. The station regularly hosts international and national conferences and symposia, and serves as a training and research base for students, scholars, and participants of the Junior Academy of Sciences. In addition, it functions as an environmental education centre or school students in the region.
The Department offers a doctoral (PhD and ScD) program. A specialized academic council (Д 08.051.04) is active at the Department for the defense of doctoral dissertations in specialty 03.00.16 – Ecology.
Chair of the Council:
Prof. Oleksandr Yevheniiovych Pakhomov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, specialty 03.00.16 – Ecology.
Deputy Chair:
Prof. Yurii Vasylovych Lykholat, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, specialty 03.00.16 – Ecology.
Assoc. Prof. Viktoriia Oleksiivna Komlyk, Candidate of Biological Sciences (PhD), Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, specialty 03.00.16 – Ecology.
Main Areas of Scientific Research:
Development of measures for the protection, restoration, rational use, and optimization of forest ecosystems on lands disturbed by mining operations;
Reclamation of lands affected by extractive industries;
Development of ecological principles for restoring and creating protective forests in the steppe zone;
Biodiversity conservation and formation of an ecological network in the Steppe Prydniprovia region through afforestation of unused and technogenically contaminated lands;
Study of zoogenic mechanisms for soil remediation and ecosystem reclamation under intensive anthropogenic pressure;
Research on the anthropogenic dynamics of biocenoses and prospects for their protection, optimization, and sustainable use;
Investigation of the functional role of animals in ecosystems;
Development of a comprehensive ecological and biochemical assessment of ecosystems under technogenic impact;
Inventory and ecological assessment of nature reserves, flora, and fauna in urbanized territories.
Main Areas of Scientific Research:
Development of measures for the protection, restoration, rational use, and optimization of forest ecosystems on lands disturbed by mining operations;
Reclamation of lands affected by extractive industries;
Development of ecological principles for restoring and creating protective forests in the steppe zone;
Biodiversity conservation and formation of an ecological network in the Steppe Prydniprovia region through afforestation of unused and technogenically contaminated lands;
Study of zoogenic mechanisms for soil remediation and ecosystem reclamation under intensive anthropogenic pressure;
Research on the anthropogenic dynamics of biocenoses and prospects for their protection, optimization, and sustainable use;
Investigation of the functional role of animals in ecosystems;
Development of a comprehensive ecological and biochemical assessment of ecosystems under technogenic impact;
Inventory and ecological assessment of nature reserves, flora, and fauna in urbanized territories.
The Department has active research schools.
Scientific School “Steppe Forestry and Land Reclamation” founded by Prof. O.L. Belgard, Doctor of Biological Sciences, and Corresponding Member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Prof. A.P. Travleiev.
Staff members have long been engaged in state-funded research projects in the fields of environmental protection and biodiversity restoration of Steppe Ukraine ecosystems. Their scientific concepts have been published in numerous monographs, academic journals, international publications etc.
Since 2023, the Department has been implementing the state-funded project 0123U101547: “An Innovative Concept for Applying Remote Ecology Methods to Assess the Impact of Military Actions on Ecosystem Services” (2023–2025), focusing on evaluating the negative consequences of war on natural and artificial ecosystems in Ukraine.
Since 2025, research is being conducted under the project “Transformation of Ecosystem Components Under Anthropogenic Pressure in Steppe Prydniprovia.”
Publishing activity of the Department
The Department serves as the base for several academic journals:
1. Biosystems Diversity – Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science
https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100925728)
2. Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems – Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science
https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101097081
3. Fundamental and Applied Soil Science – Category B professional journal
4. Ecology and Noospherology – Category B professional journal
5. Issues of Steppe Forestry and Land Reclamation – Category B interuniversity professional scientific journal
International Projects:
– 2015, Project: “Production and Technology Management: Environmental Focus in Technical Education in English,” supported by Fundusz Stypendialny i Szkoleniowy and Norway Grants. Hosted at the University of Economics in Poznań, Poland. (Prof. O.Ye. Pakhomov – invited ecology expert)
– The Department is part of the International Black Soil Monitoring Network, as one of four regional centres in Ukraine.
– The Department collaborates with the University of Koblenz-Landau (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) and the University of Córdoba (Andalusia, Spain) through the Erasmus+ international academic mobility program.
– Under the agreement with the University of Koblenz-Landau, students in the “Ecology” specialty can (the study started in 2017):
1) Study at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences in Landau or the Institute of Natural Sciences in Koblenz;
2) Enroll in the Master’s program at the University of Koblenz-Landau;
3) Obtain a double Master’s degree — a German diploma from Koblenz-Landau in Ecology and a Ukrainian diploma from Oles Honchar Dnipro National University;
4) Receive EU-funded scholarships covering travel and living expenses during their studies in Germany.
1. Biosystems Diversity – Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science
https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21100925728)
2. Regulatory Mechanisms in Biosystems – Indexed in Scopus and Web of Science
https://www.scopus.com/sourceid/21101097081
3. Fundamental and Applied Soil Science – Category B professional journal
4. Ecology and Noospherology – Category B professional journal
5. Issues of Steppe Forestry and Land Reclamation – Category B interuniversity professional scientific journal
International Projects:
– 2015, Project: “Production and Technology Management: Environmental Focus in Technical Education in English,” supported by Fundusz Stypendialny i Szkoleniowy and Norway Grants. Hosted at the University of Economics in Poznań, Poland. (Prof. O.Ye. Pakhomov – invited ecology expert)
– The Department is part of the International Black Soil Monitoring Network, as one of four regional centres in Ukraine.
– The Department collaborates with the University of Koblenz-Landau (Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) and the University of Córdoba (Andalusia, Spain) through the Erasmus+ international academic mobility program.
– Under the agreement with the University of Koblenz-Landau, students in the “Ecology” specialty can (the study started in 2017):
1) Study at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences in Landau or the Institute of Natural Sciences in Koblenz;
2) Enroll in the Master’s program at the University of Koblenz-Landau;
3) Obtain a double Master’s degree — a German diploma from Koblenz-Landau in Ecology and a Ukrainian diploma from Oles Honchar Dnipro National University;
4) Receive EU-funded scholarships covering travel and living expenses during their studies in Germany.
Student Life:
Students of the Department of Biodiversity and Ecology are actively involved in university and faculty life, national and international scientific projects, publications in indexed journals, and academic competitions — often winning top places. They also participate in environmental volunteer initiatives.
Our students undergo internships across various regions of Ukraine, including: Prysamarskyi International Biosphere Station named after O.L. Belgard; National Nature Park “Velykyi Luh”; Dnipro-Oril Nature Reserve. Students in the “Plant Protection” specialization may also intern at reserves and research institutions across Ukraine.
Career Opportunities for our Graduates:
Our alumni can pursue careers in: State institutions in science and education; ministries and environmental agencies, certification and standardization centres, enterprises in food, microbiological, biochemical, and biotechnological industries, environmental laboratories, fisheries and aquaculture enterprises, environmental and landscape design firms, nature reserves and protected areas, environmental police and fishery inspection agencies, hunting, forestry, and agricultural enterprises, land management organizations, greenhouses, botanical gardens, zoos, zoological farms, veterinary and forensic laboratories, etc.
Our students undergo internships across various regions of Ukraine, including: Prysamarskyi International Biosphere Station named after O.L. Belgard; National Nature Park “Velykyi Luh”; Dnipro-Oril Nature Reserve. Students in the “Plant Protection” specialization may also intern at reserves and research institutions across Ukraine.
Career Opportunities for our Graduates:
Our alumni can pursue careers in: State institutions in science and education; ministries and environmental agencies, certification and standardization centres, enterprises in food, microbiological, biochemical, and biotechnological industries, environmental laboratories, fisheries and aquaculture enterprises, environmental and landscape design firms, nature reserves and protected areas, environmental police and fishery inspection agencies, hunting, forestry, and agricultural enterprises, land management organizations, greenhouses, botanical gardens, zoos, zoological farms, veterinary and forensic laboratories, etc.