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To reduce the harmful impact of railway transport on the environment and ensure environmental safety, railway enterprises develop and implement a wide range of environmentally effective measures annually. First, it concerns the protection of the territories adjacent to the railroad tracks from various types of pollution. These forest plantations are created for the protection of the railroad track from adverse climatic factors, as well as for the reduction of the railway's impact on the surrounding territories - to reduce the various types of pollution, and to protect from adverse aerodynamic effects. In order to investigate the protective properties of forest plantations, we presented their detailed characteristics on the section of the Lviv-Sambir railway line. This is the busiest railway line in terms of the number of trains, which connects the eastern industrial regions of Ukraine with the western part of the European Union. It transports the largest volumes of cargo, including hazardous ones. The effect of afforestation on reducing the heavy metals content in the soil of the impact area of the railway was determined experimentally. In all samples, the concentrations of heavy metals in the soil do not exceed the maximum permissible concentration standards: Cu-100, Zn-100, Pb-30, Cd-3.0 mg/kg3. However, there is a decrease in the heavy metals' content with the distance from the track. Differences in ingredient pollution depending on the placement of plantations were established. Thus, the concentration of heavy metals is higher on average from 2.6% to 29.9% in the areas on the windward side compared to the areas on the opposite leeward side. Therefore, forest vegetation intensively retains heavy metals and performs the function of a filter for the natural environment. Research has established a reduction in the parametric impact of railway transport. The level of protective plantings' effect on noise reduction along railway lines was determined. The highest noise levels of electric trains were determined at 95-94 dBA near the track, at a distance of 50-100 m the noise level remained high at 90-82 dBA, and at a distance of 150-200 m the noise ranged from 86 to 65 dBA; the highest noise levels of passenger trains were determined near the track of 92-91 dBA; freight trains ‒ near the track 93-92 dBA. The dependence of the noise level on the structure and condition of the plantations was determined. Thus, it can be stated that the existing forest plantations perform their phytomelioration functions and reduce the negative ingredient and parametric impact of railway transport. In order to protect the territories adjacent to the railway from pollution successfully, it is necessary to monitor transport sections constantly to ensure the sustainable development of the railway industry.

Coal spoil-heaps cause man-made pressure on the environment of the coal mining area. Coal mining, and in recent years the mass closure of mines has been accompanied by a negative impact on natural objects and engineering structures - the basements of houses and buildings are flooded, walls and wooden fences rot, crops, trees and bushes are destroyed. Reclamation is carried out on spoil-heaps of coal mines to reduce man-made pressure. However, in the process of rock dumping on the spoil-heaps a neorelief begins to emerge causing the vegetation development. The emergence of vegetation groups is a positive phenomenon, as phytomass decomposition promotes the formation of humus. The development of vegetation on the surface of coal spoil-heaps is called vegetative reclamation or phytomelioration. Efficiency of vegetative reclamation is calculated in points and is an indicator of the suitability of a particular man-made object for natural overgrowth. The aim of the work is to establish the features of spatial arrangement of plants in populations on the surface of coal spoil-heaps. It is established that on the coal spoil-heaps, as well as in natural conditions, vegetation tends to aggregate, thus forming phytogenic fields. It should be noted that at different stages of successions, phytogenic fields are formed in different ways. Monocentric phytogenic field arises on the waste heaps during the syngenetic stage of succession. The initial endecogenetic stage of succession provides the formation of phytogenic fields of two types. The first type is the initial polycentric phytogenic field. It is characterized by the ability to combine several individuals of the same species. The second type is a mature polycentric phytogenic field. It is characterized by higher resistance, and plant community is already able to convert geoprocesses. The mature endoecogenic stage of succession is characterized by the development and expansion of tree species, and the phytogenic field is acentric and global. This kind of phytogenic fields is found on tailings with artificial vegetative reclamation.

The results of a comparative analysis of hunting management in Ukraine and the Czech Republic are presented. Innovative methods of hunting management: the newest in the European hunting practice are shown. The success of Czech hunters shows that despite significant social and economic changes in the country, thanks to the observance of traditions, timely improvement of the regulatory framework, training of specialists, care for hunters and the hunting fund it is possible to ensure a significant increase in the number and production of the main types of hunting animals. Comparing the indicators of the level of hunting management with those of the Czech Republic, we can only state that Ukraine has great potential for managing hunting resources. In order for high levels of hunting management to become a reality, it is necessary to develop a national concept of its organization and development, which is based on effective economic, environmental and social instruments, taking into account national management traditions; to work in this direction purposefully and persistently for decades. The work is based on legal acts, state statistical reporting data and literary sources in Ukraine and the Czech Republic.

Objective of the study is to research peculiarities of phytogenic fields formation of natural and artificial plantations of shrub and ruderal vegetation on coal mining waste heaps within the Novovolynsk mining area (Ukraine). The biometric analysis of the growth of artificial plantations on tailings has been carried out applying forest inventory methodology, which involves laying temporary experimental areas, measuring the diameter of tree species at a height of 1.3 m, the total height of trees and the parameters of crowns. Variation was applied to study the spatial structure of vegetation on reclaimed and damped waste heaps. The models of artificial phytocenoses and ameliorants on waste heaps of coal mines, which are formed during forest reclamation, have been described. The paper presents an analysis of forest inventory characteristics of the crops phytocenosis on waste heaps. The spatial structure of phytogenic fields basing on variation of the most common species in natural and artificial plantations on waste heaps has been established. This allows us to select an assortment of species to conduct effective vegetative reclamation on the surface of tailings. The article presents result of studies on the formation of phytogenic fields on waste heaps of coal mines, which presuppose formation of aggregations. It has been proved that formation of phytogenic fields is inextricably connected with vegetative reclamation. The conducted research of the origin and distribution of phytogenic fields makes it possible to assess the degree of suitability of tailings for afforestation, regardless of the country in which they are formed. Research of phytogenic fields on tailings and waste heaps of coal mines will improve bioindication research methodology for studying forest crops on their surface and suggest innovative methods of handling. In particular, it is possible to raise the level of environmental safety and aesthetics of the devastated territories, and to reduce cost of vegetative reclamation.

Negative effects of the urban environment on the morphological and physiological states of Thuja occidentalis 'Smaragd' have been investigated. For comparison, two plots were selected for the cultivation of eastern arborvitae cultivars: one in a public garden (the control plot) and the other one in street planting with its positive vertical temperature gradient associated with overheating and dehydration of the soil. This situation had a negative impact on the biometric and physiological parameters of the plants, and, in the end, the level of their vitality. If, under optimal growth conditions, the vertical temperature gradient is negative (in the crown the air temperature is higher and the soil temperature in the rhizosphere zone is lower), physiological processes in Thuja ocidentalis 'Smaragd' (transpiration, water-holding capacity) proceed in a normal mode. A change in the temperature regime (soil temperature is higher than the air temperature in the crown), under conditions of a positive temperature gradient, leads to negative consequences: the morphological structure of plants changes (the growth of the apical and side shoots slows down, the number of needles increases, the lower parts of the trunks get bared, the length and volume of the crown are reduced), also physiological processes are disturbed - moisture deficiency increases, water holding capacity decreases, the needles' pigment composition changes towards decreasing the amount of chlorophylls (a + b) and carotenoids. A decrease in the vitality level of the study plants with a positive temperature gradient was confirmed by the vitality indices Rfd established by the fluorescence means (negative gradient 0.64; positive gradient 0.33).

Екологічна небезпека шахтних породних відвалів в умовах урбанізованого середовища є високою. Для її оцінювання у кожному конкретному випадку потрібно проводити екологічний моніторинг для розроблення природоохоронних заходів з мінімізації негативних їх чинників. Наголошено на чинниках, які призводять до самозаймання вугільних відвалів, та на підставі наукових джерел детально описано хімізм досліджуваних процесів. Окиснення і горіння породних відвалів супроводжується значним виділенням водяної пари, яка є мінералоутворюючим середовищем для більшої частини мінералів: сульфатів, гідрокарбонатів, карбонатів, фосфатів, арсенатів. Окрім цього, внаслідок окиснення виділяється вуглекислота, нітроген оксид (IV), який з водою утворює нітратну кислоту. У разі нестачі кисню в осередках горіння в парогазових викидах міститися сірководень, вуглеводні, амоніак, оксид карбону (II). Акцентовано увагу на тому, що важливе значення в процесах окиснення належить сірці. Окиснення вугілля посилюється на дрібних частинках, через збільшення площі поверхні, що доступна для окиснення. Висвітлено, що найнадійнішим способом захисту від самозаймання вугільних відвалів є створення на їх поверхні рослинного покриву. Процес формування рослинного покриву є дуже важливим, адже при цьому відбувається як накопичення важких металів у рослинах, так і зв'язування субстрату їхніми коренями й кореневищами, що зменшує процес вивітрювання та вимивання породи, яка містить велику кількість важких металів. Встановлено показники температури займання та самозаймання зразків деревних порід відвалів вугільних шахт згідно з ДСТУ8829:2019. Дослідження показників займання та самозаймання твердих речовин і матеріалів здійснювали у весняний та літній періоди. Досліджуваними об'єктами були проби листя та деревина з терикону шахти Нововолинського гірничопромислового району (Волинська область, м. Нововолинськ). Встановлено, що для сосни звичайної температура займання становить: +225 °C, а самозаймання +475 °C. Температура займання берези повислої +260 °C, дуба звичайного +275 °C, козячої верби +280 °C, температура самозаймання – берези повислої +470 °C, дуба звичайного +475 °C, верби козячої +473 °C. Температура займання берези повислої, дуба звичайного, верби козячої ніж сосни звичайної робить їх перспективними породами дерев для запобігання самозайманню вугільних відвалів.

News of the National academy of sciences of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Series of Geology and Technical Sciences. Vol. 5. Number 437 (2019). P. 132- 137

The results of the research showed that hydromorphous soils prevail on the territories adjoined to waste heaps. Swampy meadow and sod soils were defined. During investigation of swampy meadow soils it was determined that the soil is humused at a considerable depth. The soils are saturated with the bases. According to granulometric texture it is sandy loam soils, but with depth go to the middle loamy soils. The analysis for labile forms of heavy metals showed that in these soils the content of investigated heavy metals does not exceed the maximum allowable concentrations, except for lead. The amount of humus in sod soils sharply decreases with depth, the reaction is close to neutral. This soil is of slightly heavier granulometric texture. The content of labile forms of heavy metals doesn’t exceed MACs, except for lead.