LANDSCAPE AND SPATIAL STRUCTURE OF A HIGH SCHOOL GROUND: SUGGESTIONS FOR OPTIMIZATION

The issue of reconstructing green areas of secondary and high schools in Ukraine has become increasingly acute in recent years. The main reason is that most of the green spaces were created more than 30 years ago, and their current state is deteriorating. The existing layout of paths, playgrounds and areas for landscaping on the school grounds makes the reconstruction of the plantings of schoolyards a long and painstaking process. The research was conducted on the territory of the I.Y. Pidkopai Law Lyceum in Bezlyudivka (Kharkiv region, Ukraine). The lyceum is located on the right bank of the Studenok River, a left tributary of the Udy River (the Siverski Donets basin). The surrounding area is made up by rural residential landscape. The landforms of the study area are predominantly plains, characterized by a general slope to the east. The climate is moderately continental, with a pronounced seasonality. The educational institution was founded in August 1981. Its landscaping was carried simultaneously (i.e. more than 40 years ago). The inventory of plantings was carried out in August 2024 in accordance with the Instruction on Inventory of Green Areas in Settlements of Ukraine (2002). The key problem of the lyceum's landscaping is uneven distribution of green spaces: the western part of the lyceum's territory is characterized by a higher density of trees, while the eastern part is represented mainly by open space. A total of 390 woody plants were found on the school grounds. The species composition of the plantations is represented by thirteen species and one cultivar: Acer negundo L. (4,6 % of the total number of trees), Acerplatanoides L. (0,8 %), Betula pendula Roth. (2,6 %), Picea abies (L.) H.Karst. (0,5 %) while dominant species are Pinus sylvestris L., Populus nigra ‘Italica’ and Syringa vulgaris L.,etc. Among the life forms, the dominant group is trees (51% of all plant units), with prevalence of deciduous species. It was found that 311 woody plants (80%) are characterized with a good health state, while 10 (2%) – with a poor health state. The vast majority of trees and shrubs, namely 283 specimens (73%), are featuring high decorativeness. On the Lyceum’s territory, there is a discrepancy with the normative requirements regarding the distance from trees to buildings that is much less than stated by the current regulations. The existing flower beds are characterized by good sanitary conditions, but their decorativeness is moderate due to insufficient planting density. A significant share of the green area of the school yard is represented by lawns, the condition of which is assessed as unsatisfactory. On-site inspections of sports grounds also revealed the unsatisfactory condition of the existing lawn surface. The most important problem with such a surface is the risk of injury. A partial reconstruction of the green area of the school yard of the I.Y. Pidkopai Law Lyceum was proposed, while maintaining the functionality and planning structure and integrating it to local ecological network. Plant cultivars were selected in respect to the climatic and soil conditions of the territory.