Abstract
In the urbanized territory (the Irkutsk city), the content of sulfur and heavy metals (lead, cadmium, copper, zinc) in soil profile horizons and leaves (needles) arboreal plants were studied. High accumulation of polluting elements in pine and larch needles, birch and poplar leaves, as well as in all genetic horizons of the city soils was shown. There were revealed elements disbalance in city trees assimilation organs showing in the increase of the polluting elements quota with the parallel decrease of the quota of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, potassium, manganese. Pollutants concentration in trees needles (leaves) was shown to be closely related to their content in soil horizons. The results speak in favor of high migration ability of polluting elements in soil profile and about possibility their entrance in trees root system and further to assimilation organs from all city soils horizons. It can be concluded that data on accumulation and migration of polluting elements in soils and arboreal trees assimilation organs contribute to adequate assessment of technogenic load on urban ecosystems.
Highlights
Current urbanization enhancement makes urgent studies of environmental status of cities, their components with key environment-forming and environment-protective functions, such as vegetation and soil cover
Complex studies of urban ecosystems consider both components—soil cover and arboreal vegetation—as highly informative indicators of accumulation and migration of chemical elements arriving with the technogenic waste and emissions in the urban ecosystem [3]
The impact of polluting elements on the city trees is one of the factors worsening of their morphostructural parameters
Summary
Current urbanization enhancement makes urgent studies of environmental status of cities, their components with key environment-forming and environment-protective functions, such as vegetation and soil cover. The above necessitates research of the processes of biogeochemical migration of polluting substances in “soil-plant” system for evaluation of environment quality in the urbanized territories. The results of such studies allow to reveal and forecast negative changes in urban ecosystems, but to develop recommendations to optimize plant and soil cover status in the cities. Permanent intense negative factors in urban ecosystems are polluted by technogenic waste and high recreational load; it shows to them that soils and plants primarily need to adapt. Analysis of the data of our multi-annual research proves that soil as urban ecosystem component is characterized by higher resistance to anthropogenic load and better ability to neutralize polluting agents, than vegetation. Interrelated investigation of soils and arboreal plants contributes to the assessment of the technogenic pressure intensity and degree of disturbance of ecological status in the city
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
