ADVENTIVE TREE AND SHRUB PLANT SPECIES WITH MEDICINAL PROPERTIES IN THE CHERNIHIV CITY’S GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE

Abstract

Purpose of the work was to identify introduced species of woody and shrubby plants with medicinal properties in the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure and to characterize the medicinal properties of these plants, as well as to determine their role in providing ecosystem services and to assess the potential possibilities of harvesting them as medicinal raw materials. Methodology. The materials were collected during research of green infrastructure facilities of the Chernihiv city in 2022–2023 using geobotanical methods (Yakubenko et al., 2018). During field research, the degree of invasive activity of introduced trees and shrubs species was recorded. Degrees of invasiveness were measured according to Wagh and Jain (2018) with authors modificationand categorised into 4 different categories namely, recently introduced, possibly invasive, moderately invasive and highly invasive on the basis of their availability. Each category has been given a number (1 to 4) on the basis of the impact of the species in the study area, the higher the number the higher the invasive impact: recently introduced (1), possible invasive (2), moderately invasive (3) and highly invasive (4). In order to characterize the medicinal properties of plants, information sources of the last 20 years were analyzed. Scientific novelty. The composition of introduced medicinal trees and shrubs of the green infrastructure of the Chernihiv city was determined. Their role in the optimization of the network of natural, semi-natural and man-made areas of the green infrastructure of Chernihiv has been established. Medicinal plants are recommended for harvesting and use. Conclusions. One of the most compelling motivations to integrate adventive trees and shrubs with medicinal properties into the landscape the green infrastructure of the Chernihiv city is the ecosystem services they provide. Another advantage of using introduced trees and shrubs in the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure landscapes of is economic. It is that most introduced trees and shrubs are resistant to pests and drought, so less water and fertilizers are needed to grow them. Adventive tree and shrub medicinal plants play a primary role in the restoration of man-made and semi-natural damaged areas, which are necessary to create a complete network of the urban green infrastructure. The spectrum of pharmacological properties of adventive trees and shrubs that grow in the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure is quite diverse: from medicinal and cosmetological to antidiabetic and anticancer effects. However, the harvesting of a number of plants is limited by resources and the ecologically unfavorable environment of their habitats. Moderately invasive and highly invasive plants have significant resources and grow in an ecologically safe environment. The procurement of medicinal raw materials from these plants is to regulate their distribution in the natural objects of the Chernihiv city’s green infrastructure.