Plant Morphofunctional Response to Environmental Changes in Active Fault Zones of the Kurai Ridge (Gorny Altai)

Abstract

Integrated geological, geophysical, geochemical, and botanical studies in the Kuraika River Valley (Kurai Ridge, Gorny Altai) have revealed sharp changes in the growth environment of blue honeysuckle (Lonicera caerulea) at the conjunction zone of the regional Kubadra and local active faults. A high-gradient magnetic field is accompanied by the increased variability of the concentrations of radionuclides and macro- and micro-elements in soil, an increased mercury content in soil and surface air, and an increased γ-radiation exposure rate. Depending on combinations of geoenvironmental factors, the micropopulations of blue honeysuckle have produced increased or decreased fruit size and seed productivity. The observed tripling of accumulated biologically active phenol compounds in fruits, the simultaneous decrease in their concentration in leaves, and the reduction in the ratio between the content of some polyphenol classes in leaves and fruits are considered a response to the stressing impact of environmental factors associated with active tectonic processes in this area of Altai.