title

Game mammals of Podillia: regional trends and local characteristics (a case study of the Chortkiv Forestry)

author(s)

Lubov Shevchyk (orcid: 0000-0003-0755-2193) [1]
Inna Grod (orcid: 0000-0002-0785-2711) [1]
Nataliia Kravets (orcid: 0000-0002-7593-1753) [2]

affiliation

[1] Ternopil Volodymyr Hnatiuk National Pedagogical University (Ternopil, Ukraine)
[2] I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University (Ternopil, Ukraine)

bibliography

Theriologia Ukrainica. 2026. Vol. 31: 42–53.

DOI

language

Ukrainian, with English summary, titles of tables, captures to figs

abstract

Analysis of hunting grounds and game mammal abundances in Ternopil Oblast during 2007–2020 revealed a generally stable hunting land resource despite fluctuations in hunting area. The high proportion of hunting grounds (66–70% of the oblast area) indicates the important role of game management in regional land use. As of 2020, the region harboured about half of Ukraine’s game mammal species, including four ungulates and eleven fur-bearing species. The main groups of game mammals exhibited a relatively stable population status despite fluctuations in abundance and density. Population trends generally corresponded to long-term habitat conditions and management practices operating within particular forest districts. In the Chortkiv Forestry Enterprise, game mammal communities were dominated by harvested species, indicating adaptation to local environmental conditions. Ungulate density depended on habitat conditions, although habitat deterioration was not always reflected by habitat quality assessments. A statistically significant negative relationship was found between the density of the European hare (Lepus europaeus) and habitat quality indices, as well as between the abundance of the hare and the red fox (Vulpes vulpes). Positive correlations were recorded between ecologically similar species, particularly the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) and the pine marten (Martes martes). These relationships indicate the importance of shared habitat requirements in shaping the structure of local game mammal communities. Records of Canis lupus were sporadic and had no detectable effect on community structure. As of 2020, the total abundance of the principal game mammals reached only 49.7% of the optimal level. The closest correspondence between actual and optimal abundances was recorded for Sus scrofa, whereas Capreolus capreolus and Lepus europaeus showed substantial population deficits. The highest proportions of optimal abundance (>70%) were observed in the Kopychyntsi, Biletske, and Ulashkivtsi forest districts, whereas the lowest values were recorded in the Hermakivka, Skala-Podilska, Husiatyn, and Naddnistrianske forest districts, indicating the need for population recovery measures.

keywords

game fauna, population size, density, optimal capacity of hunting grounds, Podillia

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