The Pollen of Plants of the Shrub Layer in the Urban Green Space as an Indicator of the State of Atmospheric Air of the City (on the Example of Representatives of the Genus Forsythia)

Abstract

It is especially important to assess the potential mutagenicity of the air environment in the area of active life and human respiration. In our opinion, perennial shrub plants are the most informative objects of such research. Purpose. Study of the sensitivity of the male haploid generation Forsythia suspensa Vahl. to the state of atmospheric air of Kyiv in the surface layer; the prospects of using this species to indicate the quality of atmospheric air and assess possible risks to public health. Methods. Fields, statistical. The state of the generative sphere of F. suspense was determined by fertility and morphometric parameters of pollen, determination of the index of shape and proportion of abnormal grains in the population of non-hydrated pollen. Results. It is established that the pollen of F. suspense is sensitive to a complex of exogenous factors of the growing environment in the park ecosystems of Kyiv. The statistical significance of the complex influence of plant growing factors and weather conditions on the variability of F. suspensa pollen quality traits and its sizes has been confirmed. There is a greater influence of air pollutants in the surface layer of atmospheric air on the size of the equatorial diameter of the pollen grains of this plant species. Introduction of restrictive anti-epidemic measures in 2020 and 2021 has reduced the level of integrated air pollution in most of the studied areas of the capital. These changes in the conditions of the growing environment, especially in the absence of the influence of the developed network of highways, affected the share of abnormal grains in pollen populations in the studied areas. Conclusions. The expediency of further use of plants of F. suspensa to assess the state of the environment on a toxic-mutagenic background and zoning of park ecosystems on a gradient of anthropogenic impact is noted. Complementing the results of bioindication studies using, in particular, F. suspensa pollen, information on the state of health of the population and data on air pollution increases the effectiveness of indicating the state of the environment in Kyiv