Acer Negundo Research Articles

A duplex real‐time PCR with TaqMan probes for the distinction of Anoplophora chinensis (Forster) and Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) on different biological matrices

AbstractAnoplophora chinensis (Forster, 1771), the citrus longhorned beetle, and Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky, 1853), the Asian longhorned beetle, are wood borers of great economic importance, infesting a wide range of ornamental trees and shrubs. Native to Asia, their presence has been detected in several countries on different continents. Both are included in the EPPO A2 list of pests recommended for regulation as quarantine pests. A duplex molecular test based on TaqMan probe technology for the identification of the two species has been set up, using specimens (adults and larvae) of the two species. To test the duplex real‐time PCR on frass, an artificial frass (‘manufactured sawdust’) has been created using wood chips from healthy branches of Acer negundo, spiked with a known amount of DNA from larvae of the species. The analytical specificity, analytical sensitivity, repeatability and reproducibility of the duplex real‐time PCR test were evaluated according to EPPO Standards. This new molecular tool allows distinction, with only one test, between these two Anoplophora species using DNA isolated from the adult, larvae and/or frass.

Importance Values of Mycorrhizal Fungal Types and Species Diversity Driving Variations in Fungi- and Bacteria-Derived Residues in Planted Forests in Northeast China

Aims: Microbial residue deposition is considered an important part of soil carbon sequestration. However, there is still a lack of understanding of the link between tree species composition and diversity and microbial carbon deposition, which hampers the rational selection and allocation of tree species for artificial carbon sequestration afforestation in northern China. Methods: In this study, plots from temperate planting forests (>60 years) were examined for the importance values of tree species, mycorrhizal types, tree diversity, and soil properties. Soil amino sugar was used as the biomarker to indicate the accumulation of fungi- and bacteria-derived carbon. Results: We found that tree species diversity and the importance values of tree species and mycorrhizal types were significantly positively correlated with soil microbial residual carbon. Hierarchical partitioning modeling showed that three groups of variables significantly affected soil microbial residual carbon, accounting for a total of 26.75% of the variation. Among them, tree species diversity accounted for the largest proportion (11.5%), and tree species diversity and importance values had a high joint impact (9.74%). The importance values of all AM-associated species constituted one of the most significant individual factors and could independently account for 10.9% of the variation in microbial residues. The findings of piecewise structural equation modeling showed that the importance of tree species had a large direct impact on GluN, GalN, and the GluN/MurN ratio. By influencing soil properties, the importance values of tree species also had indirect effects on soil microbial residual carbon. Conclusions: We suggest that an increase in the importance values of AM-associated tree species, such as Acer negundo L., will be accompanied by an increase in the total importance value of AM-associated tree species, which can significantly increase soil microbial residual carbon.

Natural Regeneration of Forest Stands after Ground Fires in the Rostov Region

Forest fires cause significant damage to protective plantations in the Rostov region. The largest area of forest fires in the steppe zone is in areas where the predominant species of protective plantations are Crimean pine or Scots pine. According to the adapted classification of fireplaces, the forest stands affected by ground fires are evaluated as heavily damaged. Despite an increase in the area of light, the projective cover of herbaceous vegetation reaches 80–100% only in the 4th-5th year after the fire. Natural regeneration of protective plantations occurs at the expense of invasive species of woody vegetation, such as maple ash, small-leaved elm, and green ash. In order to study the rate and extent of natural regeneration of the stand after ground fires, an assessment of plantations in the Shakhtinsky forest area of the Rostov region that were affected by ground fires in 2018–2022 was carried out.

GENOTYPIC VARIABILITY OF ACER NEGUNDO L. ALONG THE TRANS-SIBERIAN RAILWAY

The study of intraspecific variability of alien plants is crucial for revealing the patterns of their microevolution in the secondary distribution range and predicting the possibility of further dispersal and the ability to invade natural plant communities. It is still unclear how a genetically impoverished initial invasive population forms a taxon with a range exceeding the natural range of the species and, therefore, adapted to more diverse ecological and climatic conditions. Boxelder, Acer negundo L., is a remarkable object of study in this respect. The secondary distribution range of this North American species covers all regions of our plane excluding Antarctica. In Russia it spread from Kaliningrad to Vladivostok, formed invasive populations in all eight Federal Districts and was included in the TOP 100 of the most aggressive invasive species of the country. The intraspecific variability of its biomorphological characters was studied by us earlier, and the results of the study of genotypic variability are presented in this article. Invasive populations of A. negundo located along the Trans-Siberian Railway from Moscow to Vladivostok (9288 km) were examined. We isolated DNA from 38 specimens collected along the Trans-Siberian railway in Vladimir and Kostroma Regions, Republic of Tatarstan, Perm Region, Novosibirsk Region, Krasnoyarsk Territory, Amur Region, and Primorskii Territory. By the ITS 1-2 nuclear DNA site, specimens of Acer negundo from the Russian part of the secondary distribution range showed very high similarity with each other, but with 100% bootstrap support separated from specimens from the natural distribution range. According to the chloroplast high-variable trnL-trnF site, the specimens were divided into two clades that weakly correlated with the geographical origin of the specimen. Separate subclades with high bootstrap support are formed by the plants: 1) from Tatarstan (Kazan and Nizhnekamsk), 2) from Perm and Novosibirsk, and 3) samples from Krasnoyarsk. The haplotype network constructed at the trnL-trnF site also demonstrated the genetic specificity of the samples from Tatarstan. We hypothesized that only a few genotypes of A. negundo with a high degree of invasive activity were dispersed along the Trans-Siberian Railway (and possibly throughout all Russia). Other genotypes, including those that entered the territory of the former Russian Empire earlier, have not shown the ability to invade natural plant communities and occur rather rarely.

Hypoglycin A in Acer genus plants

Hypoglycin A (HGA) is an amino acid occuring in the Sapindaceae family. Ingestion of certain Acer genus plants belonging to this family has been connected with atypical myopathy (AM) or seasonal pasture myopathy (SPM). To date, all cases of AM/SPM have been associated with sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) and boxelder maple (Acer negundo). The aim of this work was to determine and compare HGA in sycamore, boxelder and silver maple (Acer saccharinum), the trees known for HGA content, whose occurence is quite common in the Czech Republic. In sycamore and boxelder maple the effect of location, weather condition and sampling season was evaluated.The other aim was screening for presence of HGA in 12 other species of Acer genus which are grown as ornamental trees in Europe. The determination of HGA was conducted using ultra – high performance liquid chromatography – tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS). HGA was detected in all samples of sycamore, boxelder and silver maple except for eight leave samples of boxelder maple. In the case of sycamore maple, the highest concentrations of HGA (median) were found in seedlings (770 mg/kg) followed by samaras (130 mg/kg) and by leaves (48 mg/kg) and inflorescences (24 mg/kg). In boxelder maple, significantly higher concentrations of HGA (median) were found in seedlings (550 mg/kg) compared with samaras (45 mg/kg), leaves (14 mg/kg) and inflorescences (24 mg/kg). According to the results the seedlings could pose a significant risk of poisoning, although other factors such as accessibility and palatability of other parts, especially samaras, should be considered. No significant differences of HGA concentrations in silver maple (56 mg/kg) were found between samaras, leaves and inflorescences. HGA was also identified in sugar maple (Acer saccharum), Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), trident maple (Acer buergerianum), paperbark maple (Acer griseum) and Himalayan maple (Acer oblongum). Although silver maple and other ornamental maples have not been reported to cause AM/SPM, the possibility of intoxication in animals can not be excluded.

Monitoring of the floristic diversity of the Teremky Tract of the “Holosiivskyi” National Nature Park in the conditions of anthropogenic load

The article presents the results of monitoring the floristic diversity of the Teremky Tract, which is part of the “Holosiivskyi” National Nature Park as a separate territory. The tract is located in the city of Kyiv, directly adjacent to a large residential area and two highways. An analysis of the main factors affecting the ecological state of the territory was conducted. Among the main factors negatively impacting the state of the ecosystem of the Teremky Tract, the following can be distinguished: vandalism, which includes setting fire to old trees and causing various types of damage to them; plucking of flowering plants; environmental pollution with solid household waste; direct and indirect influence of hazardous objects such as boiler plants and gas stations; and the influence of transport infrastructure. The article demonstrates the need for constant monitoring of the ecological state of natural biotopes located within modern megacities. It is shown that the monitoring of floristic diversity, controlling the preservation of valuable and rare plant species, and tracking the appearance and spread of invasive alien species can be effective indicators of the ecological state of the natural biotope. Thus, populations of forest lily (Lilium martagon L.) and cuckoo’s tears (Listera ovata L.) were found on the territory of the Teremky Tract, which are included in the Red Book of Ukraine. Additionally, a group of 400-year-old oak trees grows in this area. However, the presence of invasive alien species such as red oak (Quercus rubra L.), the ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo L.), black cherry (Prunus serotina L.) and Robinia pseudoacacia L. was also observed. Monitoring of floristic diversity in natural biotope areas within megacities plays an important role in timely response to the effects of negative natural and anthropogenic factors for the preservation of the environment of these urban ecosystems. Such monitoring can be conducted both through field observations and using remote methods and analysis of global biodiversity databases such as iNaturalist and GBIF.

First report of rot disease in Prunus salicina var. taoxingli fruit caused by Fusarium lateritium in China.

Shengzhou nane (Prunus salicina var. taoxingli) as main cultivated plum in Zhejiang province, China, ripened in summer and was susceptible to microbial infection during the maturation stages because of high ambient temperature. In July 2022, Shengzhou nane fruits were found with symptoms of dark skin and grey-white lesions on surface, and an average incidence of approximate 16% (data obtained from investigation of ten trees in each orchard, and fifty fruits in each tree) in four orchards in Shengzhou city, Zhejiang province, China. To isolate the pathogen, four symptomatic partially rotted fruits (about 25%) from four orchards were collected. The plum tissue from the margin of lesions was excised into small blocks (4×4×3 mm). Eight blocks were disinfested with 70% ethanol for 30 seconds and 2% NaClO for 3 minutes, rinsed at least twice with distilled water, and incubated on PDA medium supplemented with 30.0 μg/mL Chloramphenicol at 25°C for 5 days in darkness until sporulation. Using single-spore isolation, four uniform isolates were obtained. The purified mycelium of isolates on PDA were milky white, the reverse on agar was dark pink. Colonies grew with a mean mycelium growth rate of 4.62 ± 0.38 mm per day on PDA. Macroconidia was shaped like a sickle and the size was 27.27 ± 3.43×4.54 ± 0.39 μm (n=50) with 2 to 3 septate. No microconidia and chlamydospores were observed. These morphological characteristics were consistent with previous descriptions of Fusarium lateritium (F. lateritium) species (Yun et al. 2013). Molecular identification was performed by sequencing nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) gene with ITS1/ITS4 (White et al. 1990) and translation elongation factor-1α (TEF) with EF1-728F/EF1-986R (Carbone and Kohn. 1999). The representative sequences were submitted to Genbank (Accession Nos. OP315081 for the ITS and OP394153 for the TEF-1α). Blastn result indicated that ITS and TEF-1a sequences shared 99.28% and 100% similarity with two strains of F. lateritium (GenBank Accession Nos. MK311296.1 and JF740854.1). To fulfill Koch's postulates, the isolated F. lateritium (TXL-IT5) with a conidial suspension (1×106 spores per mL) was inoculated on ten fresh harvested healthy mature Shengzhou nane fruits (20 μL per fruits) after surface sterilization. The control fruits were inoculated with 20 μL distilled water. The experiment was repeated three times.Fruits were kept in a sealed plastic boxes at 25 °C with 90% relative humidity in dark. Four days after inoculation, all inoculated fruits were infected and appeared the same symptoms which were found in naturally infected fruits while those in the control group remained symptomless. The pathogen was re-isolated from symptomatic rotten fruits using above-mentioned method and was identified asF. lateritiumbased on morphological characteristics as well asITS and TEFgene sequences. In addition, this pathogen was reported to infect Dalbergia tonkinensisin north Vietnam (Nhung et al. 2018), causing shoot dieback of Acer negundo in northeast Poland (Patejuk et al. 2022), and rot of Chinese cherry during postharvest storage (Wang et al. 2020). However, to the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of F. lateritium causing rot on Shenshou nane fruits. Our findings serve as a warning for scientists and growers who should pay attention to this disease and take effective control strategies to reduce epidemics of this disease in China and other regions.

Colletotrichum acericolasp. nov. from seeds of the invasive alien tree speciesAcer negundoin Poland

AbstractThe boxelder maple (Acer negundo,Sapindaceae) is one of the most common tree species of the genusAcernatively growing in North America. In the 17th century,A.negundowas introduced to Europe as an ornamental plant, and from this time, it started an uncontrolled expansion into new territories, threatening local ecosystems. Fungal development on invasive alien species' seeds and pedicels was observed in 2017 and 2021 in the municipality of Wrocław (Poland), outside of the native occurrence of the host. Morphological analyses combined with multilocus phylogenetic analyses (internal transcribed spacer [ITS],gapdh,act,tub2,chs‐1andhis3sequences) showed that isolates belonged to a new species ofColletotrichum, from the rareC.agavesspecies complex. The nameColletotrichum acericolais proposed for this fungus. Based on comparisons with sequences from NCBI GenBank originating from prairie plants in the United States, it is likely thatC.acericolais native to North America.

Fluctuating asymmetry of the Acer negundo L. leaf: an indicator of its state and the quality of the urban environment

The purpose of this study was to analyze the protective function of Acer negundo L. by assessing the indicators of developmental stability by fluctuating leave asymmetry depending on the value of the influence of anthropogenic factors. The materials were obtained from 25 test sites on areas that differed in the degree of road transport impact in 2018–2021 in Irkutsk. The values of the indicators of the developmental stability of each test site were determined as the average of the coefficients of fluctuating asymmetry, considering the eight characteristics of the leaves collected from them. These values indicate that A. negundo is sufficiently resistant to anthropogenic impacts, particularly the effects of emissions from road transport, compared with other types of phanerophytes involved in the landscaping of urbanized areas. The coefficient of weighted average of this indicator between sites in recreational areas and along highways was 1.33. The correlation coefficient between the values of development stability and the distance of growth of A. negundo from highways was r = –0.64±0.18, which confirms the average connection between these characteristics. Analysis of variance was used to assess the stability of tree development in four classes of traffic intensity (high, medium, low, and absent), determined through a correlation ratio, the level of which n = 0.70 demonstrates a high level of connection. To limit the implementation of A. negundo in the local flora, it is recommended that measures be gradually implemented to remove it from parks, squares, gardens, and adjacent territories, with the replacement of woody vegetation species that are well adapted to grow in these habitats.

Effect of Drought and UV-B Stress on Leaf Morphology of Ash-Leaved Maple and Sycamore Maple

Global climate change continues to leave irreversible effects worldwide. With the increase in the effects of climate change, especially in recent years, the amount of UV-B radiation reaching the earth's surface is also likely to increase. With increasing temperatures, the amount of precipitation in the world has decreased, and the drought has started to alarm. This study is tried to understand how plants can respond to these stresses using ash-leaf maple (Acer negundo L.) and sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus L.) species. The effects of these stress factors on plant leaf morphology were investigated by applying certain intensities of drought (moderate [T2] and severe drought [T3]) and UV-B (8 kJ m-2 h-1 [T4] and 12 kJ m-2 h-1 [T5]) stresses on these two species with T1 (control) treatment. As a result, leaf width in A. pseudoplatanus species was at the lowest levels in individuals exposed to T3 and T9. In A. negundo species, leaflet length in T1, T2, T3, T4 T5, T6 (modarete+T4), T7 (modarete+T5), T8 (severe drought+T4), and T9 (severe drought+T5) treatment were 8.800, 8.704, 8.075, 8.792, 8.823, 8.516, 8.317, 7.993, and 8.605 cm, respectively. According to these values, it was observed that the leaflet length was the shortest in T8 (7.993 cm) treatment. On the other hand, the leaflet length in T9 was close to the T1 group. As a result, individuals exposed to T4 were more affected than T5 in applications applied to UV-B stress and T3. Therefore, the increase of UV-B radiation positively affects the plant's resistance to drought stress.

Mechanisms involved in alien maples (Acer sp.) invasion process in the Central Europe. Testing hypotheses associated with species fitness

Maples (Acer sp.) are trees/shrubs of extraordinary aesthetic value, what favours them for wide utilisation in urban greenery. However, some of the non-native species became invasive in the new range and represent a threat to natural ecosystems. Therefore, after the definition of their frequency and planting history in Slovak cities and reinvestigation of ecological status, based on analysis of growth, reproduction biology, fruit dispersal, phenotypic plasticity and allelopathic potential, invasion hypotheses related to the species fitness were tested in non-invasive alien species, in respect of invasive box elder (A. negundo L.). Parks and residential areas from the socialistic era were dominated by silver maple (A. saccharinum L.) and private gardens by palm maple (A. palmatum Thunb.) cultivars. A shift to ´locally naturalised´ was confirmed in the former, and palm maple was taken into consideration in the alien flora list (as casual). The fastest growth was found in silver maple and box elder. The latter showed also extraordinary reproduction earliness, largest fruit production, flight range and seed viability. Specific leaf area mostly decreased in box elder towards summer, indicating its large phenotypic plasticity. However, the largest allelopathic effect was observed in silver maple. Hence, ´limiting similarity hypothesis´, ´ideal weed hypothesis´, ´propagule pressure hypothesis´ and ´phenotypic plasticity hypothesis´ were essential for box elder invasion success. On the other hand, ´ideal weed hypothesis´ and ´novel weapon hypothesis´ seem to be crucial for silver maple naturalisation. Palm maple failed in all studied aspects, indicating colonisation stage of the invasion process.

Species-specific influence of powdery mildew mycelium on the efficiency of PM accumulation by urban greenery

Particulate matter (PM) is one of the most important air pollutants, especially in urban areas. The efficiency of PM biofiltration by plants depends on the morphological features of the foliage. More PM is deposited on complex leaves, covered with thick wax layer, trichomes, epidermal glands, and convex venation. Very few literature reports suggest that also the presence of mycelium of nonparasitic and saprophytic fungi positively affects the accumulation of PM on the leaves. In this work, to our best knowledge, for the first time the effect of the mycelium of the parasitic powdery mildew on the efficiency of PM accumulation by urban greenery was studied. Uninfested and fungus-infested leaves of Acer negundo L., Malus domestica Borkh Quercus robur L., and Berberis vulgaris L. were harvested in July in the center of Warsaw city. The effect of powdery mildew infection on PM accumulation was species-specific. A higher amount of PM on leaves not infected with powdery mildew was found in M. domestica and Q. robur, while in A. negundo and B. vulgaris more PM was accumulated on leaves infected with fungus. All species (except A. negundo) accumulated more of the PM of 0.2–2.5-μm and 2.5–10-μm size fractions on leaves not infected with powdery mildew. One of the greatest consequences of the presence of powdery mildew mycelium on the foliage is most probably reduction of the direct involvement of waxes in PM accumulation and retention processes.

The spread of alien vascular plant species in the biotopes of the Moshnohirsky Ridge (Cherkasy region, Ukraine)

Invasion of organisms pose a potential threat to the existence of natural habitats and lead to impoverishment of biological diversity. Particularly pronounced is the negative impact within the boundaries of the Middle Dnieper region, where approximately a quarter of vascular plant species are of alien origin. The purpose of the study was to identify the current species composition of alien vascular plant species, the specific features of their distribution outside the culture, naturalisation, and involvement in plant communities of Moshnohirsky Ridge biotopes. The species composition of plants was recorded by transects and releves in the habitats of representatives of alien plant species were conducted to achieve this goal. It was determined that the vegetation cover of forest and related biotopes in the research area is significantly contaminated with alien vascular plant species, amounting to 48 species from 45 genera and 29 families. Substantial involvement of alien species is noted in Forest biotopes of hornbeam-oak forests – 35.4%, and oak and pine-oak forests – 29.2%. Among the alien species that have a substantial impact on the structure of plant communities of these broad-leaved forest biotopes are Impatiens parviflora DC., Robinia pseudoacacia L., Acer negundo L. Over time, the majority of introduced species are considered neophytes (81.3%), with a significant portion originating from North America (43.8%), the Mediterranean region (16.7%), and East Asia (8.3%). In terms of their penetration into natural ecosystems, species that are capable of actively integrating into natural communities, namely agriophytes and agriocoenophytes, hold high positions (a total of 30.2%). In contrast to these groups, limited alien species without active distribution – ephemerophytes and colonophytes are substantially represented in the groupings of the research area (30.6%). The identified patterns of distribution and cenotic distribution of alien species are the primary basis for the formation of optimal measures to counteract new invasions in forest communities and restrain the process of population compaction for species that already have a wide distribution within the research area

CHANGES IN FLORA SPECIES COMPOSITION AND SOIL ENZYME ACTIVITY IN COMMUNITIES OF ACER NEGUNDO IN THE KEMEROVO REGION

The article presents the study results of the species composition of vascular plants and soil activity in communities dominated by Acer negundo . The studies were carried out on accounting sites located in the mountain-taiga and forest-steppe zones of Kuzbass. The selection of trial plots was made taking into account the horizontal differentiation of space into under-crown (registration plots) and external zones (control) of phytogenic fields. Floristic descriptions and analysis of the soil by the level of activity of enzymes (invertase, protease, phosphatase) were carried out using standard methods. The species diversity of vascular plants in the areas under study constituted 64 species. The dominant plant species in the ash-leaved maple communities were identified. Under the canopy of A. negundo , ruderal species - Cirsium setosum, Elytrigia repens, Lamium album, Urtica dioica, and Taraxacum officinale - dominate, while in the outer zones, the proportion of meadow species increases - Achillea millefolium, Dactylis glomerata, and Festuca pratensis . It has been established that the floristic composition of communities does not affect significantly the level of activity of soil enzymes. In the undercrown space of A. negundo , an increase in the activity of hydrolytic enzymes by an average of 11% was noted, compared with the outer zones.

The Use of Compost Tea in a Containerized Urban Tree Nursery Shows No Evident Benefits to Tree Growth or Mycorrhizal Colonization

Compost tea is a liquid organic amendment that has been reported to benefit plant growth and performance through positive effects on microbial communities and plant nutrition. However, few studies have demonstrated this for containerized plants produced in tree nurseries. Five common urban tree species (Acer negundo, Corymbia maculata, Ficus platypoda, Hymenosporum flavum, Jacaranda mimosifolia) were grown in a containerized experiment to investigate the effects of compost tea application on tree growth and root mycorrhizal colonization over six months. The microbial composition of compost tea was also determined with 16S (bacteria) and ITS1 (fungi) metabarcoding. No significant positive effect of compost tea on plant growth or root mycorrhizal colonization was observed. Roots of all tree species were colonized by one type of mycorrhizal fungi, ectomycorrhizae (ECM), or vesicular–arbuscular mycorrhizae (VAM). However, no relationship between the mycorrhizal colonization percentage and plant growth was detected. Thus, there was no evidence that a once-off application of compost tea had benefits for mycorrhizal colonization and growth of containerized trees in a nursery setting. Further research is needed to investigate whether any benefit from compost tea is evident once containerized trees are planted into urban landscapes where growth conditions may be more challenging.

Effect of Drought and UV-B Stress on Stoma Characteristics in Two Maple Species

In recent years, changing climatic conditions have brought along many problems. As a result of the increasing destruction of the ozone layer caused by anthropogenic sources, the effect of harmful sun rays reaching our world is increasing. It is estimated that the temperatures on the earth's surface and ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation will increase in the coming years due to global climate change. This study used ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo) and sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus) seedlings to examine the effects of drought and UV-B radiation levels that may occur in the coming years on forest trees. The study investigated the effect on stomatal characters by applying two different doses of UV-B and drought stress. As a result of the study, it was determined that UV-B stress had a more significant effect on stomatal characters than drought stress. It has been observed that severe drought generally reduces the number of stomata. It was determined that the sycamore maple was more affected by severe drought and UV-B radiation. While UV-B radiation decreased only the stomatal pore length and width in sycamore maple, it increased the stomatal pore length and width in ash-leaved maple. The response of stomatal characters to drought and UV-B stress remains unclear. Therefore, more detailed studies are required.

Влияние клена ясенелистного (Acer negundo L.) на естественное возобновление сосны обыкновенной в Барнаульском ленточном бору

The influence of ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo L.) on the natural regeneration of scots pine in the Barnaul ribbon forest in different types of forest growing conditions is considered. It was found that the ash-leaved maple forms a dense, closed undergrowth up to 10 m high in moist forest-growing conditions (A3), whereas in fresh forest-growing conditions (A2) it was noted only once. The closeness of the undergrowth of maple in the grass forest is 0,8…1,0 units, while the undergrowth with a predominance of local plant species (Siberian mountain ash, goat willow) in the grass forest has a closeness of no more than 0,5 units, in the fresh forest no higher than 0,2…0,4 units. The undergrowth of maple strongly obscures the components of the forest located under it: living ground cover and undergrowth. The shading of the living ground cover leads to its significant transformation, with a change in the floral composition and structure. Shading of the undergrowth leads to a complete absence of seedlings, self-seeding and the actual undergrowth of the common pine, interrupting the process of natural renewal. Using the obtained values of illumination under the canopy of the forest, it was found that in a grassy forest with a maple understory, the relative illumination is no more than 7,9 %, whereas in a grassy and fresh forest with an undergrowth of local species, 29,5…47,9 %. The density of pine undergrowth in a fresh forest with undergrowth of local species is 7,5…17,5 thousand units/ha, which is 3–7 times more than in a grass forest with undergrowth of local species. There is a close positive relationship between the relative illumination under the forest canopy and the density of undergrowth (r = 0,830). Ash-leaved maple acts as an aggressive undesirable breed, which limits the most important environmental factor — illumination, leading to the disappearance of pine undergrowth under the canopy of the forest.

Evaluate of green space (Parks) in Duhok city by use Image satellite, Google earth, GIS, (NDVI), and Field survey techniques

Duhok City, the third Governorate in the Kurdistan region and one of the safe and tourist cities in Iraq, located in the Northwestern part of the Iraqi Kurdistan between the latitude 36° 51´ 38.077” N, longitude 42° 52’ 02.998” E and on elevation 565 meter above sea level with area about 76.06 km2, the approximate population of the city for the year 2021 is about 405636 persons according to the Duhok Department of Statistics. The tools and programs used in this study were Image satellite, Google Earth, GIS, GIS and remote sensory (NDVI), Field survey. The results are summarized as following. Nine parks in Duhok city (Alin, Barzani, Buhar, Azadi, Bekhal, Kani Xishmana, Tahsen Taha, Nawroz and Dilshad M. Said). The total area of these parks were 217318 m2, 71.66% of this area was green area, so that the green area percentage for each person in this city was 0.536 m2 per person when compared with some city per capita share we found that this figure was less than the least one Damascus city (0.7) m2 per person and far away from Vienna city that reach (124.6) m2 per person. The evaluation degree of this parks were between 55.2 for Nawroz to 86.6 for Azadi Park (from 100 mark), the system irrigation is sprinkle for all parks. The largest area was Barzani Park with 55879 m2 whereas the smallest area was Alin (7494) m2. The total number of plants are (7280) plants, 2254 of them include many kind of tree, the highest number was cupressus sempervirens (428) tree then Robinia pseudoacaia (338) whereas the less one was Acer negundo just have (6) trees.

Species of plants in Odesa School of Horticulture (XIX–XX centuries) (based on MSUD materials)

Landscaping of the South of Ukraine was and remains a topical issue, as it helps to solve a wide range of long-term or local problems: from economic to environmental. Both amateurs and, historically, professional institutions (nurseries, arboretums, botanical gardens, etc.) play a huge role in leveling the demand for trees, shrubs, and beautiful flowering herbs. Information about their work can be obtained from various sources, in particular — on the basis of collections of various institutions (including herbariums). Regional herbariums, due to the direction and capabilities of collectors, contain information on the appearance of new species and assortment of plants, including cultivated ones. This is important information, because a certain segment of plant species can become naturalized and spread outside the areas of cultivation, be a threat to the biodiversity of natural ecotopes. The object of research, in the Herbarium of ONU named after I.I. Mechnikov (MSUD) were herbarium sheets, the labels of which contained the inscription «School of Horticulture». It existed in Odesa for a certain time: from 1886 to (according to indirect information) 1929. There are 116 herbarium sheets for 88 species. The collectors were G.Y. Potapenko (meetings of 1917, 1923) and A. Kratinov (1919, 1920). For the authorship of G.Y. Potapenko currently has 101 ha. with 78 species from 36 families. For the species Vitis vinifera L., 20 h.a. are presented. with materials of different grades. The largest number of species and genera is found in the following families: Rosaceae, Fabaceae, Salicaceae, Aceraceae, Pinaceae. 22 families are monospecific. Among the life forms, the distribution is presented: 49 phanerophytes, 22 chamephytes, four species with transitional forms, three species — herbaceous plants. Sozophytes, with the category «exotic» are Ginkgo biloba L., Taxus baccata L. Only 19 species (24.36%) are adventive: one evapophyte, two ephemerophytes, five agrophytes, 11 ergasiophytes. According to the chronotype, chenophytes (16 species) prevail. According to the frequency of occurrence of tree–shrub species, currently in the flora of Odessa, the species are divided: 13 species occur «alone»; 14 — «occasionally», 24 — «often», 18 — «massively». There are also two herbarium sheets with an invasive species of North American origin, Acer negundo L., which has overcome the F-barrier on the territory of Ukraine. The gatherings of A. Kratinov are presented by 15 h.a. and 13 species from 11 families. Only two families (Oleaceae and Vitaceae) are represented by two species and genera each. Other families are monospecific. The spectrum of life forms includes three phanerophytes, one species with a transitional form, four chamephytes, and five types of herbaceous plants. 30.80% of species are synanthropic species: one agrophyte and evapophyte, two ergasiophytes. Herbarium materials contain valuable information, in particular for the introduction of new species in the regions, help predict aspects of the existence of new synanthropic species in the region

Оценка видового разнообразия растительности, произрастающей на территориях линейных инфраструктурных объектов Центральной России

When form protective forest stands along linear infrastructure facilities, the problem of subsequent spontaneous reproduction of trees and shrubs arises, littering the territories of the above facilities and creating a threat to the safety of their operation. Works on cleaning the territories of infrastructure facilities from unwanted tree and shrub vegetation are often organized without a sufficiently clear idea of the characteristics of the said vegetation to be removed, which negatively affects the quality of the performance of these works.The purpose of the research is to determine the species composition of undesirable plant communities that form on the territories of linear infrastructure facilities in order to increase the efficiency of their removal and draw up recommendations for the proper maintenance of these territories. It was revealed that most types of undesirable vegetation growing on the territories of linear infrastructure facilities in the Central part of Russia belong to Magnoliophyta (flowering, about 97 %) and Pinophyta (gymnosperms, about 3 %).It was revealed that most types of undesirable vegetation growing on the territories of linear infrastructure facilities in the Central part of Russia belong to Magnoliophyta (flowering, about 97 %) and Pinophyta (gymnosperms, about 3 %). About 54 % of the protection zones of power lines and right of way of roads, as well as about 33 % of the right of way of railways in the Central part of Russia have a similar species composition of unwanted vegetation, however, the maximum similarity is not ensured by the location of sections of infrastructure facilities in close proximity to each other. For the protection zones of power lines, it is possible to determine the species composition of growing undesirable vegetation in one of these areas, followed by dissemination of the results of the study to another nearby area. For railroad right of way, such dissemination of the study results is inappropriate. In fact, on each of the sections of the right of way of roads and railways, as well as the routes of power transmission lines in Central Russia, such types of unwanted vegetation grow as ash-leaved maple (Acer negundo L., with a share of participation in the studied plant communities from 6.3 % to 98.1 %) and smooth elm (Ulmus laevis Pall, with a share of 1.1 % to 41.1 %). Among the types of unwanted trees and shrubs most expected to grow in these territories, about 36 % are prone to their renewal by stump growth, about 42 % – by root offspring, about 22 % – by other means. To increase the efficiency of removing unwanted vegetation in order to properly maintain the territories of infrastructure facilities, it is recommended to apply methods and methods that provide for either mechanical removal of the specified vegetation along with its roots (for example, its uprooting), or a combined effect on it: removal of above-ground parts of vegetation in the fall with a mandatory subsequent spring herbicide treatment of emerging young stumps and root offspring.