The influence of soil quality on the vitality of Trifolium pratense L. cenopopulations in the subzone of deciduous forests of Tatarstan, Russia

Abstract

The study of plant vitality is one of the important methods in population research. Trifolium pratense L. is a typical representative of meadow herbs that have medicinal value. It is one of the most ubiquitous species of natural flora in the subzone of deciduous forests in Tatarstan, Russia. Various morphometric indicators reflecting the level of plant development, such as dry biomass of aerial parts, the height of plants, and the number of generative sprouts, were used in this study, ensuring sufficiently informative analysis of the vitality of the studied cenopopulations. The quality of soil on which the plants grow has a significant impact on their development. Therefore, the agrochemical analysis of soils which are the habitats of the studied cenopopulations was carried out. Сenopopulation vitality index (CVI) and soil quality index (SQI) were proposed and used with the aim to determine the dependence of the vitality of T. pratense cenopopulations on the soil quality in their habitats. It was found that for the calculation of SQI, it was necessary to consider the contribution of each of the soil quality indicators: total humus content, pH of salt extract, and the content of mineral elements. The proposed algorithm for the determination of weighting coefficients is based on the analysis of the distribution of linear correlation coefficients between SQI and CVI samples. The revealed interrelations between the indicators of soil quality and the vitality of populations allow their use for the targeted selection of the most favorable soils and large-scale cultivation of T. pratense on agricultural lands.