The restoration of Ukraine's ecosystems after the war will take decades. Forests, in particular, will take at least 70 years to recover.
This was stated by ecologist and geobotanist Yakiv Didukh, reports RBC-Ukraine.
The specialist estimates that different components of the ecosystem need different times to recover, and many of them may never return to their previous state.
"Forests, according to optimistic forecasts, will take at least 70 years to fully recover, while grassy ecosystems can recover in 10-50 years. However, if soils are destroyed or natural formations such as rocks are destroyed, it will be impossible to restore them. They may remain dead, unable to maintain their previous biodiversity," Didukh explains.
At the same time, he adds that the negative consequences of war will manifest themselves at different stages and in different forms, and some ecosystems may lose their value due to irreversible changes.
"The indirect impact is no less important. Currently, significant territories in Ukraine are mined, and the demining process can last for decades. During this time, huge areas of agricultural land will remain unusable," the ecologist notes.
Earlier, Ukrainian poet and NGU serviceman Pavlo Korobchuk told how, thanks to his mother Oksana, firefighters saved a forest in the Rivne region.