THE REMEDIATION METHOD AS A FACTOR SHAPING THE PIGMENT PROFILE OF SCOTS PINE ON TECHNOGENIC LAND

Abstract

Background. It is important to study how the remediation method influences the formation of the pigment complex in Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L., growing on technogenic land. Thorough understanding of the influence produced by a heterogeneous environment on the content and distribution of pigments in conifers enables us to study the adaptive mechanisms of the species more comprehensively. In turn, information about these mechanisms can be used to create new methods for improving the quality and stability of tree stands. Purpose. The study was designed to explore the effect of the remediation method on the pigment complex forming in Scots pine during a post-technogenic succession in southern Karelia. Material and methods. Surveys were carried out in adjacent sample plots located in a decommissioned sand-and-gravel quarry and in a natural lingonberry-type pine forest site in July 2021 and 2022. The study objects were Scots pine trees growing in a natural forest site and in quarry sites remediated by forest planting. The optical density of the solutions was determined using SF-2000 spectrophotometer. Statistical data processing was done using Statistica 10 software (StatSoft Inc., USA). Results. During the two years of the study, the pigment content was the highest in needles of the trees growing on more fertile soils compared to those on poor man-made soils. The of Cl a /Cl b ratio in the needles of trees growing on poor soil was higher than in the fertilized area of the quarry or in the natural forest site in both years of the study, indicating that the plants’ pigment complex adapted to the unfavorable environmental conditions by increasing the proportion of Cl a among green pigments. Conclusions. The findings prove that the remediation method has a significant shaping effect on the pigment profile of Scots pine during post-technogenic successions.