Reach the bottom: plant cover of the former Kakhovka Reservoir, Ukraine

Reach the bottom: plant cover of the former Kakhovka Reservoir, Ukraine | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Reach the bottom: plant cover of the former Kakhovka Reservoir, Ukraine Anna Kuzemko, Oleh Prylutskyi, Grygoriy Kolomytsev, Yakiv Didukh, and 5 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-4137799/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract On June 6, 2023, the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant was detonated, causing an environmental catastrophe in the Northern Black Sea region. Despite the severe environmental and socio-economic repercussions, the disaster offered a unique opportunity to study vegetation development in the long-flooded area. We visited the area twice, three weeks and 3.5 months after the incident. Our studies found that the number of vascular plants in the area increased nearly seven times from June to October, contradicting initial pessimistic predictions of desertification. Both short-lived and perennial plants were almost equally represented, with many spread by the wind. Moreover, the low prevalence of alien species challenges hypotheses of neophyte overgrowth. We delineated four types of newly formed terrestrial habitats, including willow thickets and marshy habitats, as well as mud and shell-covered areas with sparse vegetation. Remote sensing methods, augmented by machine learning techniques, complemented these findings, providing a detailed habitat map for the entire reservoir bed. Our observations suggest the potential restoration of pre-reservoir vegetation, and may serve as a foundation for ongoing monitoring efforts. This study contributes to the understanding of ecological succession and habitat dynamics in post-catastrophic landscapes, informing future management strategies for such territories. Biological sciences/Ecology Biological sciences/Plant sciences Kakhovka reservoir habitats remote sensing vegetation restoration Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-4137799","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":286182498,"identity":"159a51c2-f827-44f5-8ad1-e1b8673531b8","order_by":0,"name":"Anna Kuzemko","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA+ElEQVRIiWNgGAWjYBADxgYwUQEkmZkbSNFyBqSFkRQtjW1wNm7AP7vH8NONCjvZfokExo8z59VG87cDtfyo2IZTi8SdM8bSOWeSjWfOSGCW3LjteO6Mw4wNjD1nbuO25kaOgXRuG3PihtsJDJIPtx3LbQBqYWZsw61F/kaO8e/cf/UgLcw/H845ljufkBaDGzlm0kCTQVrYJDc21ORuIKTF8EZamXXOsePGM+c/bLOccexA7kagloP4/CJ3I3nz7Zyaatl+nsOHb/bU1OXOO3/44IMfFXi8z8BhAGWAo+MwmHkAj3ogYH+AzKvDr3gUjIJRMApGJAAAAEBjbms6S7oAAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"M.G. 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