As part of the EFFUSE-win project, a field trip was held with students of the Uzhhorod Lyceum named after V.S. Grange-Donsky.
The location of the research was the coast of the Uzh River in the central part of the city. During the excursion, schoolchildren got acquainted with the flora and fauna of the river and floodplain terraces, as well as the peculiarities of the functioning of these biotopes. The project experts demonstrated methods of analyzing the state of water using devices for measuring pH and the content of various chemical compounds.
Special attention was paid to adventitious and invasive species that actively inhabit the disturbed areas of the floodplain. The removal of natural vegetation contributes to the spread of alien plants, in particular, Sosnovsky hogweed, goldenrod, Jerusalem artichoke, ragweed and annual thin-radiated annual. Such invasions cause biological pollution, displacement of native species and destruction of natural biocenoses. It is riverside biotopes that often become centers of their penetration.
The students also learned about the role of microorganisms in the processes of self-purification of water bodies and the danger of pathogenic bacteria. The importance of complying with hygienic standards for drinking water quality, in particular the absence of pathogenic microorganisms, was emphasized.
