The increased polluted runoff due to plowing of floodplains and ravines erosion results in degradation of aquatic habitats both in chemical and physical forms through the siltation of river beds. Absence or short-term floodplain flooding reduces the yield of meadow vegetation and forage base of all fish species, which leads to a sharp decrease in their reproduction and population decline at high trophic levels. The final outcome is decreased diversity of fish species in most of Ukrainian rivers. However, the lack of consistent aquatic biota reduces the capacity of rivers to provide ecosystem services. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop solutions for the support of biodiversity in these ecosystems, accounting both natural and anthropogenic factors of their dynamics.
