Tools and Approaches for Biodiversity Assessment within Oil and Gas Licensing Processes in Ukraine – a Review

Abstract

In line with current legislation and Ukraine’s international obligations, the assessment of the biotic environment is a key procedure in obtaining permits for oil and gas extraction. However, significant gaps remain in both methodological and regulatory frameworks. While the official guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) provide a general framework, they lack concrete research protocols for biotic components. This study offers a detailed set of methodological approaches to ensure comprehensive biodiversity assessment within EIA reports for oil and gas projects. The proposed framework is tailored to the technical specifications and spatial boundaries of planned activities, including construction sites, industrial platforms, wells, and sanitary protection zones. Field surveys are recommended prior to project initiation, during construction, and after commissioning. Standard research plots (25×25 m) are used for integrated studies of flora, fauna, and habitats, applying standardized methods such as bird counts, entomological sweeps, vegetation surveys, soil mesofauna sampling, and small mammal trapping. Additionally, transects are established within 300 m and 1000 m buffer zones to inventory flora, fauna, rare biota, , plant communities listed in Ukraine’s Green Book and natural habitats of th Bern Convention. Invertebrates are assessed through soil traps, litter sieving, and targeted surveys of various microhabitats, while vertebrates are recorded through direct observation. Special attention is given to rare species included in the Red Data Book of Ukraine and Bern Convention appendices. The framework also integrates spatial analysis of the proximity of planned activities to protected areas, ecological networks, and the Emerald Network, thus strengthening the scientific basis of EIA in the oil and gas sector.